Borrowed from Mrs. Valenti’s
World History Class
Saddleback Valley, CA
http://bit.ly/1qPNkMk
Thanks Mrs. Valenti!
The Maya– Life and
Society
Maya Life and Society
7.7.2
7.7.4
7.7.5
The Big Idea
People played different roles in Maya society,
but
together they made great achievements
in art, science, math, and writing.
Social Structure
Main Idea 1:
Roles in Maya society were based on a complex class structure.
Social Structure
The people of the upper classes were very
different from the lower classes.
The upper class was
made up of kings, priests,
nobles, and merchants
and artisans.
Most Maya belonged
to the lower classes,
which included peasants
and slaves.
Social Structure
The lower class supported the upper class
with food and labor, while the upper class led
religious ceremonies for them in return.
Mayan Upper Class
- shown in blue
the ruler
Mayan Lower Class
- shown in red
priests & nobles
merchants
& artisans
peasants
slaves
The Ruler
 The Maya believed their
rulers were related to
the gods.
 He was often involved
in religious
ceremonies
 He led the battles.
 He was the richest
member of society. He
had beautiful clothing
and jewelry.
Priests
 Priests were the most educated people.
 They used their knowledge of astronomy & math
to plan religious ceremonies, which they led.
 They were
usually born
into their role
in Mayan
society.
Nobles
Some nobles were
professional warriors
who fought battles
against other cities
and led their armies.
Nobles gathered
taxes, supplies, and
labor for important
projects.
Merchants
 Merchants organized
the transportation
and distribution of
trade.
 They traveled by sea,
river, and roads to
trade with other citystates.
 They traded such
goods as obsidian,
jade, copal, and
quetzal feathers.
Peasants
 Most Maya belonged to the lower classes.
 The lower classes lived outside the city.
 The women worked in the house preparing food,
weaving,
& sewing.
Peasants
 The men hunted and farmed in the fields. They had
to “pay” their rulers with goods such as cloth and salt.
 Peasants also built temples and pyramids, or
served as soldiers.
Slaves
Criminals, orphans, and people who owed
money could also become slaves.
Slaves were often sacrificed when their
master died.
In the movie Apocalypto,
captured neighbors had
their body painted blue
and were then sacrificed.
Slaves
Slaves were the lowest class.
If captured in battle, a lower-class man
usually became a slave.
The Inca – Life and Society
Religion in the Inca Empire

The Inca Empire had an official religion.

The god of the sun was the most important god to the Incas.
They believed their kings were related to the sun god.
Religion in the Inca Empire

The Inca religion was polytheistic, which
means they worshiped many gods other
than just the sun – like the earth goddess,
corn god, etc.

The Inca called the sun god Inti.
Inti
Religion in the Inca Empire
Inca rulers were mummified after death and it was
believed that they could talk to the priests.
 Mummies were brought out during important
ceremonies held
during the harvest and planting
seasons

Religion in the Inca
Empire

The Incas rarely sacrificed
humans. Instead, they sacrificed
llamas, cloth, or food.
Society and Daily Life
 Main
Idea 1:
– For the Incas,
position in
society affected
daily life.
– Inca society had
two main social
classes—an
upper and a
lower class.
Society and Daily Life

Upper Class
– Kings, priests, & govt. officials
made up the Inca upper class.
– Men worked for the govt., &
women had household duties.
– Sons went to school.
– Upper-class families had many
privileges, such as private
schools, stone houses, and the
best clothes.
Society and Daily Life

Lower Class
– The lower class was made up of farmers, artisans, and servants.
There were no slaves in Inca society.
– They worked on government farms, served in the army, worked
in mines, or built roads.
– Most children did not go to school, but instead learned to farm.
Society and Daily Life

The Inca were expert farmers. They developed various
techniques for producing crops, including terrace farming
– Terrace farming:
the building of
raised banks of
earth on steep land
for farming
Terrace farming in Peru