maya civilization. maya timeline olmec1200-1000 bce early preclassic maya 1800-900 bce middle...
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MAYA CIVILIZATION
MAYA TIMELINE
Olmec 1200-1000 BCEEarly Preclassic Maya 1800-900 BCEMiddle Preclassic Maya 900-300 BCELate Preclassic Maya 300 BCE - CE 250Early Classic Maya 250-600 CELate Classic Maya 600-900 CEPost Classic Maya 900-1500 CEColonial period 1500-1800 CEIndependent Mexico 1821 to the present
MAYA GEOGRAPHY
Lowlands– West borders Pacific Ocean, fertile plain– Yucatan Peninsula– Cenotes (excavated caverns) for water in east
Highlands – granite and volcanic area of Sierra Madre (Mexican
Chiapas, Guatemala, Honduras)– Rich land, abundant water– Concentrated settlement
MAYA HISTORY
Did not record history or daily lives, so much of what we know comes from archaeology and European (colonial) records
Many holes in our knowledge, and educated guesses
MAYA HISTORY
Never recognized themselves as one people
Related dialects – similar language City-states (Palenque, Copan, Chichen
Itza) No king or emperor but nobility City-states tried to dominate each other
(sound familiar?)
MAYA HISTORY
Olmec lived in tropical lowlands of south-central Mexico Provided basis for Mesoamerican civilizations Bloodletting, glyphs similar to Maya Distinctive art (colossal heads)
MAYA ART
Stelae – carved stone monuments
Rulers in elaborate costumes
Often with texts that described lineage and accomplishments
Headdress, ceremonial bar
MAYA ART
Pacal death mask
Love of jade Pottery
popular
MAYA ARCHITECTURE
Houses of poles and thatch (cool) Tikal (left) and Palenque (right)
MAYA SOCIETY
class society Caste (membership
hereditary and movement rare)
Little known about women, but evidence of city-state queens
NobilityPriests
WarriorsCraftsmen
Traders
FarmersWorkersSlaves
MAYA CULTURE
Corn (maize), beans, squash, chilies for flavour, domesticated turkey
Loved dance, music pok-a-tuk (pok-a-tok) Maya ball game Losers (including coach) sacrificed http://www.ballgame.org/main.asp
MAYA CULTURE
Pierced ears, tattoos, body painting, straight black hair,
Large headdress for importance (Pacal, leader of Palenque, to right)
MAYA TRADE AND ECONOMY
Salt valued from Yucatan coast (preserve food, medicine, religious ceremonies) from north
granite from low mountains of Belize Jade, volcanic glass, and obsidian from
Chiapas highlands of western Guatemala Tikal and Copan ‘middlemen’ cities in
trade cacao
MAYA ECONOMY/TRADE
Quetzal feathers for nobility headdress
Extensive trade over 1000 miles
Porters carry goods (no beasts of burden)
MAYA TEHNOLOGY/INNOVATION
Calendar 260 days Also tracked solar
365 calendar
MAYA TECHNOLOGY/INNOVATION
Math based on multiples of 20
0, 1, 2
5, 6
10, 11
15, 16
MAYA WRITING
Writing 800 glyphs (picture/symbol represents an object, idea, or sound
Read left to right and top to bottom Only elite could read as writing considered to
be gift from the gods Wrote many books (destroyed by Spanish)
MAYA RELIGION
Driving force behind every aspect of life
Public temples and household shrines
Organized religion Established schedule for
agriculture Polytheistic and revolved around
nature (eg. Chac – Rain God)
MAYA RELIGION
Priestly blood sacrifice Human sacrifice later in Post classic Period
(Mexican influence) Religious festival every 20 days World 3 layers – Heavens, Earth,
Under(Other)world Priest dressed as jaguars , scary masks to
scare demons of Underworld Belief in afterlife
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