1. Maya
Kings & Cities

2. Major Pre-Columbian Civilizations

3. Location of the Mayans
The Yucatan Peninsula

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

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

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

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

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

9. 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

10. Chichen-Itza - Ball Court

11. Quetzalcoatl: The God of Wisdom & Learning

12. Pakal: The Maya Astronaut

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

14. Mayans Achievements - calendar - math - astronomy - writing (glyphs)
- water management
Mayan Observatory

15. Mayan Number System

16. 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

17. Mayan Glyphs
sky king house child city
Mayan Mathematics

18. Mayan Glyphs

19. Decline of Mayans War among city-states Disruption of trade
Overfarming, food shortages, famine, disease
Abandoned cities in
800s