The Maya
16.1
Chapter 16
Section 1
Geography
• Reaches from central Mexico to
northern Central America.
• 1000 BC- settled in Guatemala.
• Tropical Forest
– Farmed: beans, squash, avocado, maize
(corn)
– Forest: deer, rabbit, monkey, building
materials
• Lived in small, isolated villages
– Connected through trade
– Trade increased, villages grew
• By AD 200 Mayans had huge cities
Classic Age
• AD 250-900- height of Mayan
civilization
• 40 large city-states
– Own government, own king
• No ruler brought all cities together
– Trade held cities together
• Example- forest goods, cotton, cacao beans for
obsidian, jade, bird feathers
• Grand buildings, palaces, temples
– Temples honored kings
• Example Pacal
– Canals
– Large plazas
• Open squares
• Open court for ball game
Mayan Social Structure
- Kings were highest
- Believed to be related to the gods.
- Had religious and political authority
- Upper Class
- Priests, merchants, noble warriors
- All held power in society
- Lower Class
- Farming families
- Had to “pay” their rulers part of their crop
- Slaves
Mayan Religion
• Polytheistic
– Sun god, moon goddess, maize god
– Each controlled different part of daily life
– Could be harmful or helpful
• People tried to please
– Mayans believed blood was needed for gods
to prevent disasters
• Every person offered (piercing tongue or skin)
• Human sacrifices on special occasions
Achievements
• Advances in science
– Observatories
• See stars, plan festivals
– Developed calendars
• 360 day for planting
• 260- religious
– Accurate time
• Writing system
– Symbols represented objects and sounds
• Created amazing art and architecture
– Jade and gold jewelry
– Temples and pyramids exceptionally built
• No metal tools, no wheeled carts
• Decorated with paintings
Decline of Civilization
• AD 900- started to collapse
– People stopped building, moved to
countryside
– Reasons
• 1. Burden of the common people
• 2. Increase of warfare between cities
• 3. Couldn’t produce enough food
• Collapse happened gradually
– Later revived in Yucatan Peninsula
– Mayan power had faded before Spanish
arrived