Aztec Inca Maya Guided Drawing

Aztec Empire
The Aztec people had a large empire in Mexico. Its capital was Tenochtitlan,
which was built in the same spot as modern-day Mexico City. There were about
400 cities and towns in the empire and as many as 20 million people. A man’s
main job was to support his family. Many people were farmers, hunters, or
craftsmen. Men hunted many animals such as deer and rabbits. Craftsmen
made pottery and worked with metal and wood. A woman’s main job was to
raise the family and tend to their needs. A thin flat bread made of corn was one
of the most important foods. Today, we call it a tortilla.
The marketplace was very important to the Aztecs. There were several large
markets in the Aztec Empire and many, many smaller markets. Instead of using
money, all business was done by barter, a method of trading.
Follow these instructions to draw a map of the Aztec Empire on the next page
like the one shown below:
• In the first grid, draw the half of the picture that is missing.
• In the second grid, see if you can draw the entire picture.
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Aztec House
The Aztec worker or farmer lived in a small rectangular house. It had a door, but
it did not have windows. It had a dirt floor and a slanted roof covered with dried
plants. The Aztec made some homes from poles and plant stems. They wove the
stems together and then covered them with wet clay that hardened when it
dried. They made other homes out of bricks made from dried clay.
The Aztec used woven mats for sitting and sleeping. They kept clothes and other
things that belonged to the family in wooden chests. They piled the things they
used every day on the floor against the walls.
Follow these instructions to draw an Aztec house on the next page like the one
shown below:
Quetzal
The Aztec people treasured a type of bird called a quetzal. It is considered one of
the most beautiful birds in the world. Male quetzals grow two tail feathers that
are up to 3 feet (1 meter) long.
Aztec royalty wore different types of ornaments that were made from the
quetzal’s feathers. Since the quetzal was so special to the Aztecs, it was a crime
to kill it. The Aztecs did not kill the bird to get the feathers, they just caught it
and plucked the feathers. Then the bird was set free.
Follow these instructions to draw a quetzal on the next page like the one shown
below:
Inca Empire
The Inca people had a wealthy empire. It was large, located on the western coast
and mountains of South America, and included parts of six modern-day
countries. Many of the people were very gifted engineers. They built roads that
linked distant parts of the empire. They also built bridges, some of which still
exist. Many of the buildings of the Inca were made of stone that was cut so
perfectly, there was no need to use cement to make them fit together.
The Inca were also talented craftsmen. They made items from gold, bronze, and
silver and wove cotton and woolen cloth. They also made musical instruments
from wood and ceramics. Inca farmers grew corn, cotton, potatoes, and grains.
They kept animals such as the llama and the alpaca. These animals provided
meat and wool and were used to transport goods.
Follow these instructions to draw a map of the Inca Empire on the next page like
the one shown below:
Llama
The llamas is part of the camel family. Like the camel, it needs very little water.
And just like caravans of camels are used to transport goods across the
dangerous desert, llamas are used to carry heavy loads through the mountains.
It can carry about 130 pounds (60 kg) on its back, and it is able to keep its footing
on rough terrain. It eats the grass and shrubs found throughout the Andes
mountains.
All these traits made llamas easy to keep and important to the Inca for carrying
goods for trading. They also provided meat for families and wool that was used
to make clothing. The llama is known for having quite a stubborn personality,
however. When it is tired or decides its pack is too heavy, it might lay down and
simply refuse to move. It also spits when it is mad. Neither of those qualities are
particularly desirable!
Follow these instructions to draw a llama on the next page like the one shown
below:
Inca Stonework
The Inca were known for their ability to work with stone and built many large
palace complexes. They did not carve or decorate their stonework as extensively
as some people groups did, but they carved the stones so precisely that even
huge stones could be made to fit together closely and tightly. These buildings
could also be used as fortresses. They were also very skilled at metalwork and
sometimes lined the stone walls of their temples with gold or silver.
The Inca used two main kinds of stonework. Ashlar was stonework that used
stones that were cut into rectangles and stacked. The stones in these walls often
weighed more than a ton each. Polygonal was stonework that used stones with
many different shapes. When working with these stones, the builders had to cut
the shapes so they fit together exactly right. When the explorer Hiram Bingham, III
explored Machu Picchu, he was amazed to find stone blocks as much as 10 feet
(3 meters) long and taller than a person.
Follow these instructions to draw Inca stonework on the next page like the
example shown below:
Maya Empire
The Maya lived in the southern part of Mexico and parts of Central America.
They were very advanced in astronomy and mathematics. They studied the sky,
predicted eclipses, and described the orbit of Venus. They were one of the first
people groups to use a symbol that represented zero. The Maya also had one of
the first advanced forms of writing in the Western Hemisphere. It was like a kind
of hieroglyphics and used many symbols.
The men were often farmers who made good use of the natural resources
available to them. The women took care of the family and home. Often, more
than 10,000 people lived in a Mayan city. Archaeologists think some cities may
have had from 30,000 to 60,000 people. A vast trade network among the cities
and outlying areas helped keep everyone connected.
Follow these instructions to draw a map of the Maya Empire on the next page
like the one shown below:
Mayan Man
Men in the Mayan civilization did most of the work on the farms, with the older
boys helping them. They cleared fields and planted crops, such as beans,
squash, and corn. They raised cacao, cashews, chili peppers, sweet potatoes,
and avocados, along with other foods. In swampy land, they had to dig ditches
to drain the land. They used the land from the ditches to build higher areas to
raise food. Men also did most of the hunting and fishing to provide food for their
families. They hunted armadillos, deer, rabbits, and other wild animals, and they
collected shellfish to eat. The Maya also gathered fruits and vegetables that grew
in the area. Instead of using carts or animals to carry goods for trading, the
people often carried the items on their backs or used canoes to transport them
down the rivers.
Follow these instructions to draw a Mayan man on the next page like the one
shown below:
Mayan Pottery
The Maya are famous for their pottery. The pottery was sometimes decorated
with beautiful paintings of lifelike figures involved in battles and festivals. The
figures were outlined and filled in with bright colors. Other pottery had beautiful
designs. There were different color combinations most often used in the pottery.
One of the most popular was a background of orange or cream with designs of
red and black. Archaeologists think that during part of the Maya’s history,
potters were part of a middle class, along with painters, scribes, and craftsmen
who worked with stone.
Mayan artwork wasn’t limited to pottery. They also created beautiful murals,
paintings on walls of buildings. They wrote in codices, which were folded books.
They left giant stone monuments called stelae to remember important moments
in their history. They also made beautiful jewelry that archaeologists have
discovered.
Follow these instructions to draw Mayan pottery on the next page like the
example shown below:
Mayan Ballcourt
Many Maya played a ballgame called pitz. This game was something like soccer
and something like basketball. The players tried to get a rubber ball through a
stone ring that was raised up high. This ball could weigh up to 20 pounds (9 kg).
They could not use their hands to bounce the ball, and they often wore special
equipment made of leather or wood when playing the game. Maya courts were
in the shape of an “I” and could be found in many cities. The courts were one
way the wealth and power of the city was shown. Beautiful murals were often
painted around the court, and large platforms provided room for many people
to come and watch the game. The game was so important that sometimes,
when there were disputes between cities, they were settled using the ballgame
instead of going to war.
Follow these instructions to draw a Mayan ballcourt on the next page like the
one shown below:
Questions
1. Which picture shows a quetzal? Circle it.
2. Which picture shows a Mayan ballcourt? Circle it.
3. Which picture shows a llama? Circle it.
4. Which picture shows the Aztec Empire? Circle it.
5. Which picture shows a Mayan man? Circle it.
Questions (continued)
6. Which picture shows Incan stonework? Circle it.
7. Which picture shows an Aztec house? Circle it.
8. Which picture shows the Mayan Empire? Circle it.
9. Which picture shows Mayan pottery? Circle it.
10. Which picture shows a map of the Inca Empire? Circle it.
Answer Key
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10.
Copyright © 2020 by WriteBonnieRose, LLC
Select graphics used courtesy of Aisne’s Creations, Artventurous Life, Christine

O’Brien, 2020, and EduClips.
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Terms of Use: For use by a family, this unit can be printed and copied as many times as
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Aztec Empire

1. Which picture shows a quetzal? Circle it.

2. Which picture shows a Mayan ballcourt? Circle it.

3. Which picture shows a llama? Circle it.

4. Which picture shows the Aztec Empire? Circle it.

5. Which picture shows a Mayan man? Circle it.

6. Which picture shows Incan stonework? Circle it.

7. Which picture shows an Aztec house? Circle it.

8. Which picture shows the Mayan Empire? Circle it.

9. Which picture shows Mayan pottery? Circle it.

Select graphics used courtesy of Aisne’s Creations, Artventurous Life, Christine

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