The Maya

Classic Period Either 250 BC to 950 AD Or 10 AD to 1190 AD

The Mayas  We know they were not called Mayas  When Spaniards arrived, the major city was MAYAPAN (thus the name the Mayas)  The only great civilization to be located in the “jungle”  Primarily the Yucatan peninsula and northern central America

MAYAS MAYA KINGDOM

Bishop Diego de Landa  Bishop Diego de Landa is best known for two reasons:  1 st – He thought the Maya books were inspired by the devil, so he had them all destroyed  2 nd – Recognizing his mistake, several years later returned to Yucatan and wrote ““Relacion de las Cosas de Yucatan.”  This book based on the three Mayan books that survived

Maya Civilization  Expert Astronomers

Astronomers  Calculated Lunar and Solar Eclipses –Used that information to have “Festivals”  Understanding of the Solar Position in the sky

Maya Civilization  Expert Astronomers  Great Mathematicians

Mathematicians  Had a system based on 20  Recognized the zero (unlike the Romans for instance)  One two  three four five  six eight nine  ten nineteen twenty

Maya Civilization  Expert Astronomers  Great Mathematicians  Good architects though were not able to complete the arch

Maya Civilization  Expert Astronomers  Great Mathematicians  Good architects though were not able to complete the arch  Great warriors

Maya Civilization  Expert Astronomers  Great Mathematicians  Good architects though were not able to complete the arch  Great warriors  Active Merchants (Used Cocoa as currency)

Mayan Economy  A trade system existed through which salt, obsidian, jade, cacao, animal pelts, tropical bird feathers, luxury ceramics and other goods flowed.  Goods from the highlands were traded with those of the lowlands. Obsidian was made into tools and weapons.  People either bartered goods directly or exchanged them for cacao beans

Commonly Bartered Items

Maya Civilization  Expert Astronomers  Great Mathematicians  Good architects though were not able to complete the arch  Great warriors  Active Merchants (Used Cocoa as currency)  Social Structure

Social Structure  The Social Pyramid –Priests –nobles wealthy –commoners and low-level govern officers –slaves and servants Priest

Maya Civilization  Expert Astronomers  Great Mathematicians  Good architects though were not able to complete the arch  Great warriors  Active Merchants (Used Cocoa as currency)  Advances In Medicine

Maya Medicine  1. ULCERS, GASTRITIS Mineral crystal stone. Put in water and drink the water every day. For sores in the mouth, put directly on affected area. No side effects. For thousands of years the Mayan elders have been using this practice. Prepared by thegreat grand niece of H'me Elijio Panti. $7.50 (US)

Maya Medicine  9. DIABETES, HYPOGLYCEMIA, BLOOD SUGAR STABILIZER Billy Webb Bark Tea. Boil one hand full of bark. Drink 1/2 cup of tea twice daily, until blood sugar stabilizes. $7.50 (US)  10. DIARRHEA Traveler's Tonic. Take 3 tablespoons every hour for as long as condition persists. $7.50 (US)

Maya Civilization  Expert Astronomers  Great Mathematicians  Good architects though were not able to complete the arch  Great warriors  Active Merchants (Used Cocoa as currency)  Advances In Medicine  Games

GAME  The Maya had a ball game called Pok-A- Tok. It was played on an odd shaped field.  The object of the game was to move a hard rubber ball without the use of hands or feet through a hoop.  There is debate whether it was the losing team or the winning team that was sacrificed.

GAME Decapitation scene at ball court,

GAME

Mystery Question:  Debate over why several sites are shown to have been abandon? –They left site due to Natural Disasters –They left site due to over crowding –They abandon Commercial and Religion sites but did not move

Architects  Build Magnificent Temples and Places for Commerce and Games

Demise of the Mayas  Natural –Ecology  Soil Exhaustion (Cook and Sanders)  Water Loss and Erosion (Cooke and Ricketson)  Savana Grass Competition (Cook and Morley) (Continual burning of soil led to end original forest and converted into man-made grass land. Problem, Mayas did not have toil equipment).

–Catastrophism  Earthquakes (Mackie)  Hurricanes –Evolution (Meggers)  Main idea was that social collapse occurred due to over population and lack of food supply –Disease (Meggers) Demise of the Mayas (continuation)

 Social –Demography (Cowgill and Hutchinson)  Higher rate of female to male ratios led to a collapse of social order –Social Structure (Thompson, Altscheler, and Kidder) –Invasion (Adams, Cowgill, Sabloff and Willey)

Abandon Commercial and Religious Centers Commercial and Religious Center (CRC) Various Households New CRC

Demise of the Mayas (continuation)

Economic Trade Collapse led to Rebellion and Invasion Maya Core Teotihuacan Core Maya Buffer Zone Teotihuacan Buffer Zone Towns in Buffer Zone