Maya Civilization

300-900 A.D.

Yucatan Peninsula & Central America

Settled in dense rain forests and cleared land for living and farming

Chichén Itzá- Center of Mayan tradeWe don’t know much about Chichén ItzáArcheological evidence suggests collapse was

violent

Largest Mayan city- Tikal (modern day Guatemala)

Arranged into city-states

Every city-state had a ruling chiefRuling chief usually a man though sometimes

women served

Nobles under the chief led the military, collected taxes, and enforced laws

Traders – No carts or transportation, carried goods on backTraded honey, cocoa, and feathers

Farming MethodCleared rainforests and created raised fields

that caught rain waterChannels drained excess water

Polytheistic – Over 160 Gods

God of Death

God of Rain

Sacrifices took place on top of tall pyramidsSacrifice needed to keep order in the universe

Three planes: underworld, sky, and earthUnderworld reached through caves and ball

courts

No clear concept of good or bad – decided by season

Suicides, sacrifices, women who died in childbirth, and warriors went straight to heaven

Chief at the topConsidered god-likeMoved on to sons – when sons born,

blood sacrifice of chief’s bloodTo be king, have to take a captive and

use captive as part of ceremonial sacrifice

Ruling nobles

Priests – important because only they could perform religious ceremonies needed for success in war and good harvests

Majority of Mayas were farmers – grew corn, beans and squashMen cultivated while women made foodPaid taxes in food and helped build templesBeauty standards – skull deformation,

piercings, and tattoos

Hieroglyphs – just recently deciphered

Books kept on bark

Ball gamesRubber ball – forbidden to use open

hands or feet – usually used hipsCaptain of losing team or other

members sometimes sacrificed

MathPriests decided

ceremony timesNumbering

system included zero

Calendar365 day solar

calendar260 day calendar

based on the orbit of Venus

Mayan 365 day calendar with 260 day calendar added

Around 900 A.D., Mayan cities abandoned – don’t know whyFrequent warfare causes Mayans to

abandon homesOverpopulation = over farming =

abandoning homesPeasant revolts from heavy taxing