The Mayans
by: Abigail, Jessika, Paige, Jay, Phillip, Ivy, Sarah Grace
Origins
Abigail Chaney
● The Mayans settled in what is now known as modern
day Mexico
● And Also dominated what are now the mexican states
of Chiapas, Tabasco, and most of Yucatan peninsula,
which spread into northern central America including
Guatemala, El Salvador, western Honduras, and Belize.
Technology
Phillip
● Mayans used tools made out of black jadeite, and
blades made from obsidian.
● They also built bridges in order to reach cities in the
middle of the water(Yaxchilan).
● Mayans developed cement and arches to build
structures.
Education
Phillip
● The only people educated were high class
people.
● Mayan mothers taught the children who
didn’t go to school, and the fathers trained
the boys.
Sports
Jay
● Pok-a-tok
o use a 2 pound ball
o goal was to hit the ball into a stone hoop without using your hands or
feet
o the game could go on for a long time
o played to honor gods
o winner of the game got jewelry and the losers were sacrificed
Religion
Worshipped many gods and goddesses
Played a central part in their daily life
Many of their gods represented different forms of nature
Each day in the Maya year had special religious importance
Many religious festivals took place throughout the year in honor of
particular gods
● They fasted, prayed, offered sacrifices, and held many religious
ceremonies
● Deer, dogs, and turkey were sacrificed to satisfy the gods
● They also offered their own blood spattered on bark paper
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Paige
More Religion
Paige
● Practiced some human sacrifice such as throwing victims into wells or
killing them at the funerals of great leaders
● Built tall pyramids out of limestone with small temples on top
● Priests performed ceremonies in the temples
● Corpses were painted red and were wrapped in straw mats with a few of
their personal belongings
● They were buried under their houses that they lived in
● Important people, such as Maya rulers, were buried in their best clothes
within the pyramids
● Their servants were killed and buried with them
Jessika & Sarah Grace
Culture
★ Dominant Languages:
○ K’iche’
○ Yucatec
○ Lacandon
★ Dress:
○ Public Events
■ large, lavish
■ reflects important position in society
■ hairdresses, jewelry, skins
○ Dance Costumes
■ made of jade, feathers, or other exotics
■ quite large
■ light wooden frame
○ Protective Armor
■ used for wars and conflicts
■ padded mantle often covered in animal skins
Culture
★ Dress:
○ Sporting Attire
■ yoke was worn around the waist
■ padding was worn around the knees and elbows
■ distinctive hairdresses used to separate teams
○ Everyday Clothing
■ loincloth or short skirt for men
■ huipil or long skirt for women
■ often embellished with jewelry
■ hair would be tied up with decorative bands
Culture
★ Food:
○ Chocolate: They did not add sugar or milk to the cacao. Cacao was seen as
a sacred gift of the gods. They used the beans as currency.
○ Poc Chuc: Slow-cooked pork combined with orange juice and vinegar.
○ Traditional breakfast: Scrambled eggs, black beans, fried plantains,white
cheese, and a cup of coffee
○ Coffee: the coffee beans are harvested off of a plantation, dried, and
then processed.
○ Tamales: Made from corn flour and filled with chicken, pork, vegetables,
or cheese. They are wrapped in corn husks and then steamed. Then they
are unwrapped and topped with salsa.
○ “Dog Snout” Salsa: It is a very spicy salsa. It is called dog snout because
it’s so hot that it makes the inside of your nose moist. It’s made of
tomatoes, onions, cilantro, and lime.
Government
Ivy Pennell
● Ancient Mayan government was an hereditary absolute monarchy
● The provincial governors were nobles of the four royal families, and were
supreme within their own governments.
● Each Maya city governed the areas around it, and larger cities may have
control over smaller cities
● The rulers consisted of chiefs and priests
● A supreme chief had both religious and political power
● In late Mayan times, the rulers of cities as Chichen Itza and Mayapan
controlled large parts of the population
Work Cited Page
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"Mayan Civilization." Mayan Civilization. Aztec-History.com, 2006. Web. 26 Mar. 2015.
Okon, James A. "Maya Technology." Maya Technology. Joomlashack, 2012. Web. 26 Mar. 2015.
The World Book Encyclopedia “Maya”
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"Maya Government." Maya Government. N.p., 2015. Web. 26 Mar. 2015.
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McGlade, Cameron. "Mayan Education." Prezi.com. Prezi, 8 Apr. 2013. Web. 26 Mar. 2015.
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Kidspast.com. “Mayan Sports - World History for Kids- By Kidspast.com.” Mayan Sports. KidsKnowIt
Network, 1998. 25 Mar. 2015
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Shapiro, Michael. "Top 10 Foods of the Maya World -- National Geographic." National Geographic.
National Geographic, 26 Mar. 2015. Web. 26 Mar. 2015.”