History records the Aztecs and Maya as bloodthirsty warriors and priests who committed brutal acts of human sacrifice, yet this is not the whole story. Ancient Mesoamericans also formed close-knit family groups, made beautiful masks from jade and built breathtaking pyramids that are still standing today. In this book a variety of easy-to-make projects enable you to recreate the past. Build a Maya house or a pyramid temple, eat Aztec-style tortillas, wear a bat brooch, and enjoy the Mesoamerican board game of patolli! Step back in time to Central America before the Spanish conquest and discover fascinating facts about the peoples who lived there. Explore the cultures and beliefs of the Olmecs, Maya, Toltecs and Aztecs, the great cities they constructed, their astronomical knowledge, their use of medicine, and their insatiable drive for human sacrifice. 15 step-by-step projects actively involve the young reader in bringing the past to life - use a fan fit for an emperor, make a Maya backstrap loom, wear a mosaic mask, and create the amazing Aztec sun stone. More than 450 photographs and illustrations include diagrams, historical maps and a pictorial timeline; ideal for home or school use for 8- to 12-year-olds.