The maya By Luka Withnall

Maya daily life The social structure in the Maya Empire was set. It was very difficult to move upwards. Status was usually hereditary. Occupations for Maya men was limited to their father's occupation. If your father was a farmer, you were a farmer. If your father made bricks, you made bricks. There were some exceptions, but they were rare. Women, however, could be involved in government, economics, and religion, as well as responsible for hearth, home, and children. Still, Maya women could not marry outside their social class.

More on daily life Rulers: Each city had a ruling family. That family lived a life of luxury. During religious ceremonies, rulers wore headdresses that were taller than they were. Rulers held hereditary positions. Sons inherited their right to rule from their fathers. The only way a new ruling family could take over would be by war. This is one reason fights and wars between Maya cities were common.

warriors Some of the warriors were actually more powerful than the nobles they served. The leaders of the warriors in each city might work with the city priests to determine if captives were needed for sacrifice. The Maya did not use metal weapons. They had stone weapons and weapons made of wood and shells. They also carried shields. Warriors fought battles only during the day. That's how things were done when Maya cities went to war. A temporary peace was called each night. A battle continued, day after day, until the leader of one army was hurt or killed.

education In the ancient Maya society, there was a special class of priest whose job was to teach the children of the nobles. That priest, or group of priests, taught math, science, astronomy, medicine, writing, and other subjects. But there was no formal school for the children of commoners. Most people in the Maya Empire were farmers. The job of a child was to help their parents. By the time a child turned 4 or 5, they were given daily jobs to do, so they would learn how to be a farmer or a farmer's wife..

farmers Craftsmen lived in the cities. They were a step up from farmers, but they were still considered commoners or peasants. Craftsmen worked very hard, but not nearly as hard as farmers. For one thing, craftsmen did not have to pay tax. Craftsmen were given raw goods to make their crafts, along with a home, clothing, food, and other necessities for their families. They paid for these things with their crafts. They typically worked for a nobleman.

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