The Maya

The Big Idea Maya civilization was characterized by great cities, trade, and warfare, but it disappeared for reasons that are still unclear The Maya

Mesoamerica Main Idea 1:  Geography affected early Maya civilization. The Maya civilization developed in Mesoamerica.  Another name for Mesoamerica is Central America.

Mesoamerica Thick forests covered the area, so people had to clear the land for farming.  The forests also brought valuable resources. Notice the Maya buildings that rise above the forest trees.

Mesoamerica The Maya lived in small villages that traded cloth, obsidian, & jade with each other.  Obsidian is a black, sharp, glasslike volcanic rock  Jade is a green gemstone often used in decorative art work. As trade grew, villages grew.  See the trade map on the next slide obsidian jade

The Maya Classic Age Main Idea 2:  The Maya Classic Age was characterized by great cities, trade, and warfare.

The Maya civilization reached its height in a period called the Classic Age.  During this period, the Maya civilization spread to the Yucatan Peninsula. It included more than 40 cities of 5, ,000 people each. The Maya Classic Age

Cities  The Maya built grand buildings, some of which honored Maya kings, such as Pacal. Pacal

The Maya Classic Age Cities  The Maya built structures such as temples, palaces, ball courts, and large plazas.

The Maya Classic Age The Mayans also built canals to control the flow of water. Farmers shaped nearby hillsides into flat terraces so they could grow crops on them.

Tulum Palace

Tourists walk past a Mayan temple in the Tikal National Park

The temple at Chichen Itza

Palenque Temple

Observatory

A Mayan Ball Court

The Mesoamerican Ballgame The Aztecs played a ball game. The ball was made of a solid rubber, called an olli. The players hit the ball with their hips, knees, and elbows and had to pass the ball through a stone ring to automatically win.

A Mayan Ball Court

The Mesoamerican Ballgame The ball game was extremely violent. Players wore heavy padding. Even so, there were often serious injuries, and occasionally death. On some occasions post-game ceremonies featured the sacrifice of the captain and other players on the losing side.

The Maya Classic Age Warfare was bloody, and warriors fought hand to hand.  Conflicts between Mayan cities were started over control of the land. This destructive warfare may have led to their end.

Maya’s Decline Main Idea 3:  Maya civilization declined and although historians have several theories as to why,no one knows for sure why it fell. Some Mayan buildings are still around today – like this observatory