Ancient Mayans
Introduction
The Mayan civilization began around 1000 BCE and lasted until 1697 CE. This civilization grew to
be 10 to 20 million people at one time. The land they settled was difficult to live on but by 250 CE they
became experts in farming, trading, architecture, and self-government. They developed sophisticated
calendar and writing systems. In the 20th century, the hieroglyphics they wrote were decoded and
historians were able to learn a great deal about their culture and civilization. Hieroglyphics are writing
system that uses symbols to represent sounds or words. Mayan hieroglyphics are so complex that it has
not been completely decoded and as a result there is still much to learn.
Physical Characteristics and Dress
The Mayans left behind many statues and paintings of their culture. These primary sources
provide important information about the way the Mayans looked and dressed. The average Mayan was
short with dark, slanting eyes and black hair. Mayan men wore decorative bracelets, large earplugs,
sandals, and fancy headdresses. Most of the statues that are still around are of rulers or nobles who
were the only ones allowed to wear jewelry. A noblemen or noblewoman is someone who belongs to a
higher social class. Mayan women are shown to wear leather bracelets and feathers in their ears like
earrings. Women often walked barefoot and their clothes were made from cotton or other plant fibers.
Clothing garments were simple: a piece of cloth wrapped around the body. Ponchos were commonly worn.
Noble men and women used shells to decorate their clothing or the shells were used for jewelry. Mayans
wore their hair pulled back like a ponytail. Working men were loincloths and no shoes. Tattoos and body
paint were a very common part of their culture.
Farming and Diet
Farming was a skill the Mayans were great at. As a result they had a variety of foods to eat. The
most important crop was maize (Indian corn), but they also grew other crops such as squash, pumpkins,
beans, tomatoes, peppers, avocados, and peanuts. For meat, they raised turkeys and enjoyed dog. They
also caught fish to add variety to their diet. Most people ate two simple meals a day.
A key food that was also part of the Mayan diet was tortillas. These were eaten at every meal.
To make a tortilla, women grinded maize until it became flour and then mixed the flour with water. This
mixture was flattened and put over a fire to cook.
Religion
The Mayans were polytheistic. Polytheistic means the belief in many gods. They worshipped the
sun, the moon, and the wind. Priests believed that they could receive messages from their gods that
would warn them of natural disasters, tell them when to plant crops and get married, as well as the best
time to perform rituals.
Large, elaborate structures and temples were built to observe events in the sky. One structure
called the Caracol is a huge temple with windows positioned in just the right places to allow Venus (the
planet) and the sun to shine through on special occasions. The Mayans were fantastic astronomers. This
is how they knew what days and time Venus could be seen from the window.
The Mayans believed that human blood was the most precious gift to offer their gods. They
would injure themselves during rituals that would cause them to bleed. Often captives (people who were
captured) were killed as offerings to the gods.
Government
The Mayan Empire was made up of many city-states. A city-state is a city that has its own
government or ruler. Each city-state is ruled by a noble family. Control of the city-state was passed
down from father to son. When the father died, the son became the next ruler. The ruler had many
government officials that helped him rule the city. The officials were made up of elders, retired
warriors, and members of the family.
Even though there were many different city-states, each one spoke the same language (Mayan),
followed the same rules and laws, the people dressed the same way, and were connected by a series of
roads that were maintained.
Economy
The Maya didn’t use money to buy things the way we do today. Instead, they traded items of
value. Obsidian (black igneous rock), gold, salt, and cacao seeds (chocolate) had a very high value to the
people. Items like these became even more valuable the farther away they were traded from their
source. Other items called subsistence items (things used on a daily basis) were also traded. These
include food, clothing, tools, and pottery, etc. Most city-states produced their own subsistence items.