The Mysterious Maya
400 BCE–900 CE
Central America
Natural Barriers
From about 400 BCE until
900 CE, the Maya civilization
stretched from the highlands
of modern day Guatemala to
the hot coastal plain along
the Pacific Coast, to the
tropical rain forest of the
Yucatan Peninsula.
These natural barriers helped
to protect the Maya
civilization for 1300 years.
The Maya
To find the ruins of ancient Maya
cities hidden deep in the
rainforest, archaeologists have
to hunt on foot. The rain forest is
home to many poisonous
animals.
Some archaeologists are willing
to brave the dangers to learn
more about the clever Maya.
Maya Cities
Two thousand years ago, the Yucatan Peninsula
was a busy place. The Maya did not have metal
tools—they used stone, bone, and wood tools to
build hundreds of magnificent cities.
Cities were centers of religion
and learning. The Maya studied
art, mathematics, architecture,
drama, medicine, and music.
Maya Cities
Every Maya city had an impressive palace for its
ruler, a bustling marketplace, an open-air plaza
where people could gather, and at least one huge
pyramid, a large temple, and one ball court similar
to the stadiums we have today.
People came to town
to shop, to worship,
and to cheer at the
ball games.
Cities Question
Two of the largest cities were
• Tikal (tee-KAHL), located
in the present-day
country of Guatemala
• Copan (ko-PAHN),
located in the presentday country of Honduras
QUESTION: What were
three things you could find
in every Maya city?
Gods of Nature
The Maya worshipped the
gods of nature. Some of
their gods included Lady
Rainbow, and the Gods of
Rain, Maize, and Sun.
Without the help of these
important gods, there would
be no crops and everyone
would starve.
Priests
The priests, along with the leaders in each citystate, were the most powerful people in the Maya
civilization. The Maya believed that their priests
could talk to the gods.
The priests decided when
to plant crops and when
people could marry and to
whom. Before doing pretty
much anything, one had to
ask for a priest’s approval.
The Underworld
The Maya believed in an underworld,
the Place of Awe. The priests held
ceremonies to keep demons and
spooky creatures locked inside the
underworld, where they belonged.
During these ceremonies,
priests wore scary masks and
jaguar costumes. They wanted
to look as scary as the
magical creatures in the
underworld.
The Legend of Mirrors
The Maya believed that one
could communicate with a god
by looking into a mirror.
Legend says…warriors going
into battle wore mirrors on their
backs. The idea was that if an
enemy warrior tried to sneak up
on a Maya warrior, a demon
might reach out from the
underworld and snatch the
enemy.
Afterlife
The Maya believed in an afterlife.
The common people buried their
dead inside their homes, under
the floor; that way, their ancestors
could keep an eye on them.
The Maya believed that if a lot of
bad things happened to them in
their life on earth, their afterlife
would be especially good, to even
things up.
Temples
Maya religion was at the heart of nearly all of their
activities. The Maya were master builders. They
built beautiful temples, used as both places of
worship and homes for the priests. Each temple
had a central courtyard to offer privacy for those
who lived there.
Typically, the Maya built a
ball court at the base of each
major temple.
Step Pyramids
The Maya also built step pyramids to honor their
gods and leaders. Each pyramid had a base with
four triangular sides, with steps leading up to a
flat top. Some pyramids were 200 feet high.
Religious ceremonies were held on the steps so
everyone could see them. The most important
ones were held at the top.
Festivals
On every 20th day, a religious
festival was held in each city.
People poured into their nearest
town to attend the festival.
Priests would climb the pyramid
steps dressed in fierce masks.
Dancers performed wearing huge
hats that jingled and rattled when
they moved. There was always a
ball game. The winners of the
game got to keep the jewelry of the
opposing team.
Religion Questions
1. Why did priests wear masks
during religious ceremonies?
2. Why did the Maya build both
pyramids and temples?
Maya Daily Life
The Maya made little pottery
figures. Although tiny in size,
these artifacts are detailed and
brightly painted. Some rattle or
whistle. They have helped
archaeologists to better
understand the Maya way of life.
Archaeologists have found figures
of a bearded man on a throne, a
person in a huge hat, a ballplayer
wearing heavily padded clothing,
and a musician shaking a rattle.
Dance/Music/Games
The Maya loved dance Some
scholars believe the Maya might
have known a thousand different
dances. Their dances included the
Monkey, the Grandfather, the
Shadow of the Trees, and the
Centipede.
The Maya loved music. They played
drums. They rattled turtle shells and
played pottery flutes. They loved
games, especially ball games.
Class Society
The time you had to spend on these activities
depended upon your place in society. The Maya
had a class society. There were slaves, peasants,
craftsmen, nobles, priests, and warriors.
At the top were the
nobles and priests.
The middle class had
the craftsmen, traders,
and warriors.
At the bottom were
farmers, other workers,
and slaves.
Farmers
Those who lived on farms ate well.
They had hot corn porridge for
breakfast and enjoyed tortillas filled
with cooked vegetables for lunch and
dinner. Families lived in thatchedroofed houses, with one family per
house. Farmers grew so much food
that they produced surplus crops.
When the growing season ended,
farmers worked alongside slaves
(captured from other tribes) to build
the magnificent cities.
Maize/Food
The Maya people are sometimes
referred to as the People of the
Corn. Their most important crop
was corn (maize). They made corn
flour, corn pies, corn cakes, and
corn drinks. Some of the nobles
even wove their hair to resemble
tassels of corn silk.
Other crops were sweet potatoes,
beans, chilies, and squash. They
hunted wild turkey, monkeys, deer,
and ducks. They caught fish.
Craftsmen/Warriors
Craftsmen: The Maya wove beautiful fabrics. They
made musical instruments like drums, shell horns,
and castanets. Their statues were detailed and
huge. Their art honored their gods and leaders.
Warriors: The Maya were
often at war. Some scholars
say they were always at war.
Well-trained warriors were
important to the Maya
way of life. The job
of warrior was
highly respected.
Preparing for Battle
Before a big battle, warriors
created a “confidence-building
shield.” This was a flat circular
shield covered with pictures that
represented all the wonderful
things they had accomplished
and all the battles they had won.
Before going into battle, warriors
would dance around, holding their
shields and shaking rattles to
gear themselves up to fight.
Nobility
Maya nobles were of royal
blood. They were the
brothers, sisters, cousins,
aunts, and uncles of the ruling
family.
Nobles believed that they
were so important that their
attendants would hold a cloth
in front of their face when they
appeared in public. That way,
no one could talk to them
directly.
Really High Hats
Maya nobles spent a great deal
of time on their personal
appearance. They bathed often.
They pierced their ears and
covered their bodies with paints
and tattoos. They added colorful
embroidery to their clothing.
They wore lots of jewelry. Most
of all, they loved tall hats. Some
nobles wore hats that were taller
than they were!
Slaves
Slaves were people who
were captured from warring
tribes. Slaves worked in the
homes of noble families.
Slaves cared for the
children, cleaned the
house, and worked the
fields.
Daily Life Questions
1. Why are the Maya
called the “People of the
Corn”?
2. Name a member from
each of the three classes
in Maya society.
City-States
The Maya did not have a central
government. They governed
themselves as a system of citystates. A city-state is a region under
the control of a city, headed by a
ruler or group of leaders.
Extremely well-built roads ran for
miles through the jungle and
swamps, connecting the city-states
that made up the Maya empire.
Ruling Families
One noble family ruled each
city. The job of ruler was
hereditary: when a ruler died,
his son took over.
A council of elders and
warriors helped to rule. Other
people were selected for
government jobs, such as
enforcing the law or acting as
judges.
Maya Law
All Maya people spoke the same language,
worshipped the same gods, and wore the same style
of clothing. All Maya city-states enforced the same
laws.
Maya law was strict. If you were
accused of a crime, a trial would be
held in which a judge would
hear the evidence. If you
committed a small crime, your
hair would be cut short. Short hair was a sign of
disgrace. Punishments varied, but the laws applied
to everyone, rich and poor alike.
Government Questions
1. What is a city-state?
2. Who helped a ruling noble
run his city?
Maya Hieroglyphics
The Maya had a written language of
hieroglyphics made up of about 700
“glyphs.” A glyph is a picture or a
symbol used to represent a sound, a
word, or a syllable.
The Maya wrote books about their
gods, leaders, daily life, and events.
Maya books were made of soft bark
and were folded like a fan. The reader
had to unfold them to read them.
These books are called “codices.”
Codices/Stelae
When the Spanish arrived, about
600 years after the Maya
civilization had disappeared, they
found many Maya artifacts,
including codices. The Spanish
burned all the codices they found.
Fortunately, the Maya also wrote
things down on temple walls,
pillars, and huge stones called
“stelae.”
Language Questions
1. Did the Mayas have a written
language?
2. What are codices?
3. What is a glyph?
Mysterious Maya
One day, after 1300 years of
civilization, the Maya abandoned their
cities. No one knows why, or where
they went. Their cities fell into ruin,
and were swallowed by the rain
forest. For this reason, scholars
call these people “the mysterious
Maya.”
Today, about two million
people of Maya descent
live in Middle America.
Achievements/
Inventions
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A system of writing
A 365-day calendar
A system of government
Fair laws and trials with judges
Pottery
Pyramids and temples
Ball courts
Corn tortillas
Chocolate
Over 1000 dances
Masks
Fabrics and embroidery
Fabulous headdresses
Huge earrings