Warm-up #1 When was the height of the Mayan society? Name at least two modern countries that the Mayan society existed in.

What were key aspects of Mayan life? Essential Question What were key aspects of Mayan life?

I. Geography The Maya lived on the southern tip of Mexico and into central America (on the Yucatan Peninsula) The land was heavily covered in rain forests. This provided some advantages to the Maya but also some challenges.

A. Pros and Cons Good land for farming. Plenty of water. Lots and lots of trees for wood. Used wood, vines, and mud to build homes. Not much usable land. Sometimes floods! Little open space. Dangerous animals. Difficult transportation.

B. Agriculture How could you clear land to farm in dense forest? How do you farm on a hill?

Problem

Solution Problem

Solution Problem

C. Adaptations Changing your environment so it is better for you. The Mayans adapted by using “milpa” Slash and Burn agriculture. Slash and burn – cutting down and burning trees to clear room and replenish soil nutrients Used crop rotation Terrance farming – flat surfaces in a hill.

D. Crops Maize (corn) was the staple crop. It had religious, social, and economic value. Used in products like fuel and baskets etc… The creation story said people were made from maize and Maize gods. Also grew chili peppers, beans, squash, chewing gum (Sapodilla tree), medicines etc.. Cocao beans used as money (chocolate was popular food for upper class and gods)

II. Society

A. Slavery Slaves were usually captured warriors. They were often used as sacrifices or made to play the Mayan Ball Game. This was in part to humiliate and scare potential enemies. Female slaves worked as servants.

B. Mayan Beauty

The Mayans had a very different idea of what was beautiful… They found flat foreheads to be very attractive…

How and Why Basically from birth babies would have boards strapped to their heads (skull modification). This was done (we think) to make the heads look like a piece of corn.

How about hats?

More Feathers = More Beauty

Other options: Jade teeth or pointy filed teeth. Scarification – designs in scarring. Get lots of tattoos. Pierce lips and ears.

C. Writing

Historians didn’t understand the written language until the 1970s! Codex - accordion folding books containing history of the Mayans. Only four exist today. Stela – stone monuments from between 200-910 about wars, kinship, and important royal accomplishments.

Read left to right, up and down in a zig-zag pattern. Wrote using syllables and sounds not just pictures. Only people in the west to write like that. Only a few of their books remain, the Spanish burned most of them.

Sound Guide a e i o u x ‘ah’ ‘eh’ like effort ‘ee’ like feet ‘oh’ like open ‘oo’ like moon ‘sh’ like bush

Common Phrases Bix a belex? (Hi, how are you?) Maloob. (I’m fine) Yum botic. (Thank you.)