| A | B |
|---|
| Mayas | the people of an important Mesoamerican civilization that lasted from about 2000 B.C.E. to 1500 C.E. |
| Mesoamerica | the region extending from modern Mexico through Central America |
| ceremonial center | a large plaza in a city center, surrounded by temples and palaces, where religious rituals and other public ceremonies took place |
| hieroglyphic | writing that uses pictures as symbols |
| social pyramid | a social structure in the shape of a pyramid, with layers representing social classes of different rank |
| ritual | a set of actions that is always performed the same way as part of a religious ceremony |
| sacrifice | a gift of an animal for slaughter to honor the gods |
| slash-and-burn agriculture | a farming technique in which vegetation is cut away and burned to clear land for growing crops |
