The Rise of Maya The Rise of Maya CivilizationCivilization

Building a Civilization in the Building a Civilization in the RainforestRainforest

What do you see here?What do you see here? Think about the landscape. What do Think about the landscape. What do

you think the weather is like here?you think the weather is like here? Think about the structures. What are Think about the structures. What are

they made out of?they made out of? Why were they built? What were they Why were they built? What were they

used for?used for?

Challenges of the Rain ForestChallenges of the Rain Forest

Classic Maya settled in GuatemalaClassic Maya settled in Guatemala Dense rain forest made farming Dense rain forest made farming

difficultdifficult Climate – hot & humidClimate – hot & humid Depended on seasonal rainfall for Depended on seasonal rainfall for

waterwater Very little surface water due to Very little surface water due to

limestone bedrock – rain soaked right limestone bedrock – rain soaked right throughthrough

City CentersCity Centers

Built huge Built huge ceremonial centers ceremonial centers and city states at and city states at different sitesdifferent sites

At Tikal, built At Tikal, built Temple I – a 130 Temple I – a 130 foot high step foot high step pyramidpyramid

Classic Maya AdaptationsClassic Maya Adaptations

Used slash & burn techniques to farm Used slash & burn techniques to farm in rain forest along with system of in rain forest along with system of raised fields and irrigated gardensraised fields and irrigated gardens

Created irrigation networks to Created irrigation networks to support urban centerssupport urban centers

Planted and harvested corn, squash, Planted and harvested corn, squash, beans and other crops in fieldsbeans and other crops in fields

Pre-classic PeriodPre-classic Period

Sedentary lifestyleSedentary lifestyle Developed farmingDeveloped farming

Classic PeriodClassic Period

Greatest era of building, writing, and Greatest era of building, writing, and sculpturesculpture

Post-Classic PeriodPost-Classic Period

Increased warfareIncreased warfare

Maya Social and Political Maya Social and Political OrganizationOrganization

What are these people wearing?What are these people wearing? What might be happening?What might be happening? What makes some different from What makes some different from

others?others? Why do you think their differences Why do you think their differences

are important to the artist who are important to the artist who painted the mural?painted the mural?

LordLord

Was considered a god-kingWas considered a god-king Responsible for political leadershipResponsible for political leadership Lords mostly men, but women had Lords mostly men, but women had

great influence on political decisionsgreat influence on political decisions

NoblesNobles

Lived near ceremonial center and Lived near ceremonial center and helped lords run citieshelped lords run cities

Gathered taxes, supplies and labor Gathered taxes, supplies and labor for construction projectsfor construction projects

Served as war captains who led Served as war captains who led peasant armies during warpeasant armies during war

PriestsPriests

Were powerful because they Were powerful because they maintained favor with the godsmaintained favor with the gods

Led religious rituals, calculated Led religious rituals, calculated positions of stars, and treated the positions of stars, and treated the sicksick

Practiced human sacrifice on a Practiced human sacrifice on a limited scalelimited scale

Merchants/ArtisansMerchants/Artisans

Merchants traded salt, cotton, fish, Merchants traded salt, cotton, fish, and animal skins for obsidian, jade and animal skins for obsidian, jade quetzal feathers, copal and cocoa quetzal feathers, copal and cocoa beans over long distancesbeans over long distances

Artisans produced sculptures, Artisans produced sculptures, codices, and murals to pay tribute to codices, and murals to pay tribute to godsgods

PeasantsPeasants

Men worked in fields; women Men worked in fields; women managed householdmanaged household

Rewarded for their loyalty by being Rewarded for their loyalty by being allowed to attend royal marriages allowed to attend royal marriages and important religious ceremoniesand important religious ceremonies

SlavesSlaves

Recruited from surplus (extra) Recruited from surplus (extra) children, war prisoners, and criminalschildren, war prisoners, and criminals

Required to do difficult or Required to do difficult or undesirable tasks like grinding maizeundesirable tasks like grinding maize

Not badly treated, but sometimes Not badly treated, but sometimes were killed and buried with masterwere killed and buried with master

Noteworthy Achievements of the Noteworthy Achievements of the MayaMaya

What are the figures doing in this What are the figures doing in this picture?picture?

What sport(s) does this remind you What sport(s) does this remind you of?of?

What do you think the rules of the What do you think the rules of the game are?game are?

LegendsLegends

Legends were Legends were recorded on recorded on stelae, urns, stelae, urns, murals and murals and codicescodices

No Classic Maya No Classic Maya literature literature survives, but survives, but legends in legends in Popol VuhPopol Vuh

What is the Popol Vuh?What is the Popol Vuh?

Only surviving (kinda) Mayan Only surviving (kinda) Mayan document. document.

We do not have the original We do not have the original document, but do have a copy document, but do have a copy created by a Dominican Friar in the created by a Dominican Friar in the 1818thth century who wrote it in both it’s century who wrote it in both it’s original text and in Spanishoriginal text and in Spanish

Passed down by Mayan royaltyPassed down by Mayan royalty

What does it say?What does it say?

In short, it discusses early creation of In short, it discusses early creation of the world and early legends.the world and early legends.

In it we find the first ball game In it we find the first ball game played between two sets of twins played between two sets of twins (royal of course) and the Lords of the (royal of course) and the Lords of the Underworld. One twin accidentally is Underworld. One twin accidentally is decapitated but his twin is able to decapitated but his twin is able to get his head back on. The Lords of get his head back on. The Lords of the Underworld lose the ball game.the Underworld lose the ball game.

ArchitectureArchitecture

Structures not as massive as in other Structures not as massive as in other culturescultures

Noted for its decorative stonework, Noted for its decorative stonework, graceful statues, intricate facades, and graceful statues, intricate facades, and ornamental roofsornamental roofs

Distinctive feature was the corbeled archDistinctive feature was the corbeled arch

Ball GameBall Game

Splendid courts still stand at many Maya Splendid courts still stand at many Maya sites (Tikal, for example)sites (Tikal, for example)

Game played both for recreation and Game played both for recreation and religious purpose religious purpose – Most historians believe that when human Most historians believe that when human

sacrifice was involved, it was the losers or the sacrifice was involved, it was the losers or the captain of the losing team who lost his or their captain of the losing team who lost his or their heads.heads.

– Carvings clearly indicate decapitation in Carvings clearly indicate decapitation in accordance with the story from the Popul Vuhaccordance with the story from the Popul Vuh

CalendarsCalendars

Religious obsession Religious obsession with time led to with time led to development of development of calendarscalendars

Calendars were Calendars were complex systems complex systems using several using several interlocking cycles interlocking cycles of timeof time

AstronomyAstronomy

Had exact knowledge of moon Had exact knowledge of moon phasesphases

Able to predict eclipses of the sun Able to predict eclipses of the sun and moonand moon

HieroglyphicsHieroglyphics

Only Native Only Native American people to American people to develop a develop a complete writing complete writing systemsystem

Represented ideas Represented ideas and objects with and objects with block-like symbols block-like symbols or glyphsor glyphs

MathematicsMathematics

Sophisticated number system based Sophisticated number system based on units of twenty (base 20). Written on units of twenty (base 20). Written with:with:– Bars for 5s, Bars for 5s, – dots for 1s dots for 1s – symbol for 0symbol for 0