Ancient Mayan Facts
The Mayans were a Mesoamerican civilization, noted for Maya script,
the only known fully developed writing system of the pre-Columbian
Americas, as well as for its art, architecture, and mathematical and
astronomical systems.
ORIGINS AND HISTORICAL BACKGROUND
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The Ancient Mayans lived in the Yucatán around 2600 B.C.
Today, this area is southern Mexico, Guatemala, northern Belize
and western Honduras. By 250 A.D., the Ancient Mayans were at
their peak power.
The Mayans were the indigenous people of Mexico and Central
America. The term Maya came from the ancient Yucatan city of
Mayapan, the capital of the last Mayan Kingdom.
Between 250 and 950 CE came to be known as the Classic
Maya Period which saw the emergence of the great cities of the
Yucatec Maya.
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Ancient Mayan Facts
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It was in this period that saw the height of the Mayan civilization
when mathematics, astronomy, architecture, and visual arts
flourished.
During the Post-Classic Period, great Mayan cities were
abandoned, which were later re-populated by a new tribe in the
region, the Toltecs.
In 1524, Quiche Maya were defeated at the Battle of Utatlan
which ended the great civilization.
The Maya had no central king ruling their huge empire. Instead,
there were as many as 20 separate areas, similar to ancient
Greek city-states. Each major city had its own ruler and noble
class supported by smaller cities and the surrounding farms
and villages.
MAYA CULTURE AND ACHIEVEMENTS
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The Ancient Mayans developed the science of astronomy,
calendar systems, and hieroglyphic writing. They were also
known for creating elaborate ceremonial architecture, such as
pyramids, temples, palaces, and observatories. These structures
were all built without metal tools.
The Maya were skilled weavers and potters. They also cleared
routes through jungles and swamps to create trade routes. This
allowed them to sell and trade the goods they had made for
goods they needed.
The Mayan writing system was made up of 800 glyphs. Some of
the glyphs were pictures and others represented sounds. They
chiseled the glyphs into stone and inside codices.
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Ancient Mayan Facts
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Codices were books that were folded like an accordion. The
pages were fig bark covered in white lime and bound in jaguar
skins. The Mayans wrote hundreds of these books. They
contained information on history, medicine, astronomy, and their
religion. The Spanish missionaries burned all but four of these
books.
The Ancient Mayans were a very religious people. Mayan
actions were based on rituals and ceremonies. The Mayans
had many different gods. They also had rituals. One of those
rituals was human sacrifice.
The Mayan Kings were considered to be direct descendants of
the Mayan Gods. Mayan religion was divided into three parts
with earth as one part, the level above the earth as another
part, and the level below the earth as the third part. The level
above the earth was like the Christian heaven and the level
below the earth was like the Christian hell.
The Mayan people were also skilled farmers. In order to farm,
they had to clear huge sections of tropical rainforest.
Groundwater was scarce in these areas, so they had to build
large underground reservoirs to store the rainwater.
The Ancient Mayans had a class society. At the top were the
nobles and priests. Their middle class was made up of warriors,
craftsmen, and traders. The farmers, workers and slaves were
at the bottom.
The Mayans wove beautiful fabrics and designed musical
instruments like horns, drums, and castanets. They also carved
huge statues. Archaeologists can tell a great deal about the
ancient Maya from their wonderful pottery and clay figures. The
art they created honored their leaders, gods, and their daily life.
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Ancient Mayan Facts
THE SPANISH CONQUEST AND END OF CIVILIZATION
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In 1521, Spanish conquistador Hernán Cortes conquered the
Aztecs. At the same time, he learned about the city of Mayapan
in the Yucatan peninsula and sent Pedro de Alvarado. Just like
Cortes, Alvado subdued one city-state after another.
Along with the Spanish conquest was the spread of European
diseases, including measles and smallpox, which was believed
to have diminished the Mayan population.
As described in the accounts of friar Bartolome de Las Casas,
the Mayan people, along with other native subjects of the
Spanish rule, were enslaved. Lands were grabbed and divided
among Spanish bureaucrats.
The decline of the Mayan civilization remains mysterious. By
900 A.D., cities located in the southern lowlands were empty.
Many scholars posed different theories behind this
abandonment.
Some believed that the Mayans exhausted their natural
resources to the point that it could no longer support the
population.
Others conclude that inter city-state competition as well as
trade-alliances contributed to the decline of the traditional
system of dynastic power.
Among the most popular theories was the catastrophic
environmental change, specifically long droughts.
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Name:
Mayan Crossword
The below crossword contains words associated with
the Ancient Mayan civilization. Can you use the clues
to identify the missing word?
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What did the Ancient Mayans develop a science of?
What were Mayan actions based upon?
Many of these were worshipped by the Mayan people.
Where did the Ancient Mayans live?
The Maya civilization were skilled....
Triangular shaped buildings developed by Mayans?
The Mayan writing system was made up of 800…
ANCIENT MAYAN WORKSHEETS
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Mayan Crossword
ANSWER KEY
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What did the Ancient Mayans develop a science of?
What were Mayan actions based upon?
Many of these were worshipped by the Mayan people.
Where did the Ancient Mayans live?
The Maya civilization were skilled....
Triangular shaped buildings developed by Mayans?
The Mayan writing system was made up of 800…
ANCIENT MAYAN WORKSHEETS
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