Maya society Section 2 and 3 pgs.390-399

Section 2 By tessa D.

Early Development Maya civilizations developed in Mesoamerica. Early Maya lived in the lowlands around 1000 Bc Grew crops like Maize or Corn  Thick Forests made farming difficult, however they provided animals such as deer and monkeys as a food source Forests as well provided trees and other plants for building materials Lived in small Villages

Trade Traded with smaller villages Maya in the highlands traded with those in the lowlands, this way people all over Maya territory got valuables they didn't have nearby Traded cloth, cotton, rubber trees, cocoa beans, jade, and obsidian a sharp volcanic rock

Classic age Maya reached It height between 250 and 900 AD This period of time was called the "Classic age" During this time Maya civilization spread to the YucatÁn peninsula Included more than 40 cities and had around 5,000 to 50,000 people each

Maya Cities Maya cities included many grand buildings, large stone pyramids, temples, and palaces. Many buildings were decorated with carvings and colorful paintings. Maya also built buildings to improve daily life. For example the paved buildings for public gatherings, or built canals to control water flow

Maya ball game Often cities had a special ball game called "Pitz" Players could only use their heads, shoulders, or hips. The goal was to bounce a rubber ball in a stone ring above them. Winners were awarded with precious jewels or clothing Losers however were often killed

King Pacal Pacan became the king of the maya city Palenque when he was only 12 years old. Pacal had a temple built to record his achievements as king. They had decorated this temple with carvings and painting. Pacal had led many community events such as religious dances and public meetings Pacal had died August 28, 683 AD. He was buried at the bottom of a temple

Maya begins to decline Began to collapse around the 900's Researches agreed there were many reasons why Reasons why Increased warfare destroyed land As cities grew, Maya couldn't grow enough food to  feed everyone Growing the same crops could have weakened the soil  Demands by kings led to people rebelling Several dry periods and droughts that lasted around 150 years

Section 3 By riley c.

Upper Class Included the king, priests, warriors, and merchants. Had religious ceremonies.  Wore beautiful clothing and jewelry  The king wore a huge feather headdress and capes made of cotton, jaguar skins, and feathers.  Priests were born into their classes.  warriors fought against other Mayan cities!  Also warriors wore jaguar skins and Jade for jewelry.  Warriors painted their body red and black. Merchants controlled trade, organized transportation, and supervised other traders.

Lower class Were mostly farmers. Lived in small houses outside the city. Mothers taught their daughters how to cook, make yarn, and weave. Women cared for their children, while men crafted household tools like knifes, provided food for the family, and spent most of their time farming and hunting. Farmers and other lower class people had to some crops to the rulers and "pay" with cloth and salt. The lower class also had build structures such as palaces and temples. They had to participate in war, but if they were captured, they would usually become slaves.  When they became slaves, they had to carry goods during trade and/or serve upper class by working as a farmer or household servant.

religion The maya worshipped many gods and goddesses related to different aspects of daily life. Their gods were the creator (most important), sun god, moon goddess, and the maize god. They believed that the king could communicate with the gods. People tried to please the gods so they would get help by them. They also believed that the gods and goddesses needed blood to prevent natural disasters or the end of the world, so they pierced their skin and tongue a lot!  also they would give blood on special occasions like, weddings, births, funerals, and human sacrifices.

Art and architecture The mayan  showed their talent by making sculptures without using metal tools. The sculptures were made of stone and jade. Sculptors used obsidian, (a hard, dark, glass-like volcanic rock formed by the rapid solidification of lava without crystallization) tools to cut through limestone. They also moved giant blocks with logs and rope.

Science and math The maya made observations. They found out that a year is 365 days long. They discovered the cycle of the moon and how to predict echlipses. They created many calendars and they were more accurate than the European calendar in the time. They made a number system and made the first symbol for zero.

Writing and oral traditions The maya developed a writing system. It was similar to the Egyptian hieroglyphics. Their symbols represent objects or sounds. They created records, especially for the king by carving symbols into a large stone tablet. The maya also wrote on paper. Stories were passed down orally from generation to generation. They made a book about their history and legends called the popol vuh. The popol vuh contains valuable information about the maya.