MAYA TIMELINEMAYA TIMELINEOlmec 1200-1000 BCEEarly Preclassic Maya 1800-900 BCEMiddle Preclassic Maya 900-300 BCELate Preclassic Maya 300 BCE - CE 250Early Classic Maya 250-600 CELate Classic Maya 600-900 CEPost Classic Maya 900-1500 CEColonial period 1500-1800 CEIndependent Mexico 1821 to the present

MAYA GEOGRAPHYMAYA GEOGRAPHYLowlandsLowlands

West borders Pacific Ocean, fertile plainYucatan PeninsulaCenotes (excavated caverns) for water in east

HighlandsHighlands granite and volcanic area of Sierra Madre (Mexican

Chiapas, Guatemala, Honduras)Rich land, abundant waterConcentrated settlement

MAYA HISTORYMAYA HISTORYDid not record history or daily lives, so much

of what we know comes from archaeology and European (colonial) records.

Many holes in our knowledge, and educated guesses.

MAYA HISTORYMAYA HISTORYNever recognized themselves as one peopleRelated dialects – similar languageCity-states (Palenque, Copan, Chichen Itza)No king or emperor but nobilityCity-states tried to dominate each other

(sound familiar?)

MAYA HISTORYMAYA HISTORYOlmec lived in tropical lowlands of south-central MexicoProvided basis for Mesoamerican civilizationsBloodletting, glyphs similar to MayaDistinctive art (colossal heads)

MAYA ARTMAYA ARTStelae – carved stone

monumentsRulers in elaborate

costumesOften with texts that

described lineage and accomplishments

Headdress, ceremonial bar

MAYA ARTMAYA ARTPacal death

maskLove of jadePottery

popular

MAYA ARCHITECTUREMAYA ARCHITECTUREHouses of poles and thatch (cool)Tikal (left) and Palenque (right)

MAYA SOCIETYClass societyCaste (membership

hereditary and movement rare)

Little known about women, but evidence of city-state queens

MAYA CULTUREMAYA CULTURECorn (maize), beans, squash, chilies for

flavour, domesticated turkeyLoved dance, musicpok-a-tuk (pok-a-tok) Maya ball gameLosers (including coach) sacrificed

MAYA CULTUREMAYA CULTUREPierced ears,

tattoos, body painting, straight black hair,

Large headdress for importance (Pacal, leader of Palenque, to right)

MAYA TRADE AND ECONOMYMAYA TRADE AND ECONOMYSalt valued from Yucatan coast (preserve

food, medicine, religious ceremonies) from north

Granite from low mountains of BelizeJade, volcanic glass, and obsidian from

Chiapas highlands of western GuatemalaTikal and Copan ‘middlemen’ cities in tradecacao

MAYA ECONOMY/TRADEQuetzal

feathers for nobility headdress

Extensive trade over 1000 miles

Porters carry goods (no beasts of burden)

MAYA TEHNOLOGY/INNOVATION

Calendar 260 daysAlso tracked solar

365 calendar

MAYA TECHNOLOGY/INNOVATION

Math based on multiples of 20

0, 1, 2

5, 6

10, 11

15, 16

MAYA WRITINGWriting 800 glyphs (picture/symbol represents

an object, idea, or soundRead left to right and top to bottomOnly elite could read as writing considered to

be gift from the godsWrote many books (destroyed by Spanish)

MAYA RELIGIONDriving force behind every

aspect of lifePublic temples and household

shrinesOrganized religionEstablished schedule for

agriculturePolytheistic and revolved around

nature (eg. Chac – Rain God)

MAYA RELIGIONPriestly blood sacrifice Human sacrifice later in Post classic Period

(Mexican influence)Religious festival every 20 daysWorld 3 layers – Heavens, Earth,

Under(Other)worldPriest dressed as jaguars , scary masks to scare

demons of UnderworldBelief in afterlife

The OlmecThe OlmecFirst 'major' civilization in Mexico following a

progressive development in Soconusco. Lived in the tropical lowlands of south-

central Mexico, in the present-day states of Veracruz and Tabasco.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EYC9CopjFKQ