Topic: The Maya

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Maya Geography •  The Mayas lived in a

jungle environment in present-day Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, and Belize.

Mayan City-States

•  They lived in independent cities like Copan, Tikal and Palenque. Each city-state had a king.

Mayan Society •  Mayan society was

made up of classes: •  The Ruler •  Nobles and

Priests •  Merchants •  Peasants •  Slaves

Mayan Religion •  The Mayas were

polytheistic. •  Their gods included:

•  Itzamna- Creator of the world

•  Kukulcan-God of the wind.

•  Chac-The rain god.

Mayan Math •  They used dots and

dashes to count. •  They had a concept

for zero.

Mayan Agriculture •  Mayan agriculture

was based on corn or maize.

•  Some foods, like chili, cocoa beans, and avocados, were unknown to Europeans.

Because they lived in a jungle, the Maya practiced slash and burn farming.

The Maya practiced terraced (stepped) farming.

Pok-a-Tok •  The Maya had a ball game called Pok-A-Tok.

•  The object of the game was to move a hard rubber ball through a hoop without using hands or feet.