2. Maya Civilization Kings and Cities

3. Major Pre-Columbian Civilizations

4. Location of the Mayans The Yucatan Peninsula

5. Mayans  Location & Environment - Dry scrub forests of Yucatan - Dense jungles of southeastern Mexico & northern Guatemala - Highlands of southern Mexico to El Salvador

6. Mayans  Urban Centers - City states ruled by a God King (Theocracy) - Pyramids, temples, palaces, stone carvings - Residential areas

7. Mayans  Economy - trade and farming - used techniques such as planting on raised platforms above swamps – hillside terraces – milpa (slash & burn) - grew maize, beans, squash

8. Mayan Cultivation of Maize Chac, God of Rain 

9. Mayans  Social Structure - Mayan King seen as holy figure - noble class of priests & warriors - middle class of merchants & artisans - lower class of peasants

10. Mayans  Religion - Believed in many gods (polytheistic) - offered food, blood, human sacrifice - played ball game – believed would maintain cycle of sun, moon, rain Ach Puch – God of Death

11. Chichen-Itza - Ball Court

12. The God of Wisdom & Learning Quetzalcoatl: The God of Wisdom & Learning

13. Pakal: The Maya Astronaut

14. Overview of Tikal (Guatemala) Temple of the Masks

15. Mayans  Achievements - calendar Both a religious calendar (260 days), and solar calendar (365 days) Linked together, like gears –Each day could be identified in both cycles –Solar calendar is.0002 of a day short of our calendar! - math - astronomy - writing (glyphs) - water management Mayan Observatory

16. Mayan Number System

17. Mayan Calendar  Two calendars - one was a religious calendar – other was a solar calendar - showed when to plant crops, when enemies attacked, when to crown a new ruler

18. Mayan Glyphs Mayan Mathematics sky king house child city sky king house child city

19. Mayan Glyphs

20. Decline of Mayans  Mysterious decline –Around 800 A.D. the Mayan abandoned their cities  Possible reasons why: –War among city-states –Disruption of trade –Overfarming, food shortages, famine, disease  By time Spanish arrive (1500s), Mayans are living in small, weak city-states