  Central area of southern Mexico to the northern part of central America.  Thick Tropical forests with cleared areas where the Mayans farmed. Geography

  The Maya worshipped many gods, including a creator, a sun god, a moon goddess, and a maize god. Each god controlled a part of their daily lives.  Gods could be harmful and spiteful so the Mayans tried to appease them with blood sacrifices. They would pierce their ears, nose and tongues to prevent disasters. On religious holidays they would offer human sacrifices. These were mostly warriors who fought against the Mayans. Religion

  Maya Temples were shaped like mountains, which the Maya considered sacred because they allowed people to approach the gods. Religion Continued

  Observatories- buildings from which people could study the sky so the priests could watch the stars and plan for their religious festivals.  Astronomy- Developed two separate calendars, one with 365 days that guided planting and harvesting. A second to keep track of their religious holidays. Achievements

  Math- created a complex number system and were among the first to have a symbol for zero.  Writing system- Similar to the Egyptian hieroglyphs. Represented both sounds and objects.  Art- Jade and gold jewelry was exceptional and temple-pyramids were masterly built. They rolled the giant blocks on logs and then used ropes to pull them up. Achievements Continued

  The Mayans developed a hierarchical government ruled by kings and priests. They lived in independent city-states consisting of rural communities and large urban ceremonial centers. There were no standing armies, but warfare played an important role in religion, power and prestige. Politics(Government)

  The Maya did not use "money" in the modern sense:  Even valuable items, such as cacao seeds salt, obsidian or gold tended to vary in value from one region or city-state to anotherobsidian Economics

  There were two kinds of goods commercialized by the Maya: prestige items and subsistence items. Prestige items were things like jade, gold, copper, highly decorated pottery, ritual items and any other less- practical item used as a status symbol by upper-class Maya.  Subsistence items were those used on a daily basis: food, clothing, tools, basic pottery, salt, etc. Economics

  Maya society was rigidly divided between nobles, commoners, serfs, and slaves. The noble class was complex and specialized. Noble status and the occupation in which a noble served were passed on through elite family lineages. Social Structure