Maya Kings and Cities Chapter 16 section 2

Key Terms Tikal Glyph Codes Popol Vuh

Maya Create City-States Southern Mexico to Central America Highland and lowland regions Dry scrub to steamy jungles Mountains stretch from Mexico to El Salvador Olmec 1200-400 BC

Urban Centers 250-900 Classic Period of Maya civilization Tikal-a major center in northern Guatemala Chichen Itza major city Each ruled by a god king Center of religious ceremonies and trade

Urban Centers Mayan cities featured Giant pyramids, temples, palaces Elaborate stone carvings Tens of thousands lived in residential areas around the city Archaeologists have identified 50 major sites

Urban Centers Temple IV in Tikal stretched 212 feet into the sky Ball court Stone sided field The game played religious and political significance Game maintains the sun and the moon and life giving rains

Agriculture and Trade Support Cities City-States independent City-States linked by alliances and trade Cities exchanged Salt Flint Feathers Shells and honey Cacao (chocolate beans were currency)

Agriculture and Trade Support Cities Traded craft goods Cotton Textiles and jade Mesoamerica had agriculture Maize Beans Squash

Agriculture and Trade Support Cities Slash and burn agriculture Planted on raised beds above swamps and on hillside terraces

Kingdom Built on Dynasties Successful farming led to wealth Social classes Noble priests and leading warriors Merchants with specialized knowledge and skilled artisans Bottom was the peasants

Religion Shapes Maya Life Polytheistic Gods for weather Gods for crops Gods of good and evil Different directions different colors Each day was a living god whose behavior could be predicted System of calendars

Religious Practices Prayed, offerings of flowers, food , and incense Pierced and cut their bodies Offered blood to nourish the gods Human sacrifice Usually captured enemies

Religious Practices Chichen Itza- threw captives down a deep sinkhole lake (cenote) Also gold and other offerings Believed human sacrifice pleased the gods Never reached extremes of other Mesoamericans

Math and Religion Calendar, mathematics, and astronomy Time was a burden carried on the back of a god End of day, month or year one god laid it down and another picked it up

Math and Religion 260 day religious calendar (13, 20 day months) Second 365 day calendar (18, 20 day months) Separate period of 5 days at the end Linked by mesh gears

Math and Religion Identified Best time to plant crops Attack enemies Crown leaders Based on observation of the planets, sun and moon Solar year 365.2420 They were only .0002 of a day short

Math and Religion Used the concept of Zero Used a shell symbol for zero Dots for numbers one to four A bar for five Base 20 system Used numbers for calendar and astronomical work

Written Language Preserves History Mayan had must advanced writing system Glyphs-800 hieroglyphic symbols Some glyphs were words Some syllables Used writing to record historic events Carving into stone

Written Language Preserves History Codex- glyphs recorded on bark paper Only three ancient books survived Popol Vuh- famous book recounts Highland Maya version of creation Calm and silence were the kings that ruled (pre-creation)

Mysterious Maya Decline 800’s Maya abandon their cities 700’s warfare broke out Trade disrupted, economic hardship Growing population Over farming, famine 1500’s Spanish arrive small weak city-states