1. THE AMERICAS
The Maya – Part 1

2. Geography: A Growing Civilization
THE MAYA
Geography: A Growing Civilization
The Maya lived in the Yucatan Peninsula.
Spread out over 125,000 square miles in the highland mountains & lowland valleys.
Archaeologists believe the Maya began working the land as early as BC
They built small farming villages with houses made of wood poles, vines, and mud.
By 200 AD some of these villages had grown into cities.

3. An Economy Based on Agriculture
THE MAYA - farming
An Economy Based on Agriculture
As Mayan cities grew, farmers needed to produce more food. They found ways to farm places they had not farmed before.
They farmed the sides of hills by carving the hillside into flat terraces
They built raised fields in the wet lowlands.
Slash and burn agriculture - They cut down and burned trees and plants in forests to clear the land for farming. This practice was a fast way to clear the land, but only provided soil that was good for about 10 years. After that, it was prone to erosion.
They moved good soil to areas that had poor soil.
They dug systems (irrigation) to bring water to dry areas.
By using these techniques, they grew corn, beans and squash.

4. THE MAYA - trade
They traded food between the highland and lowland people & with people in Central America and Mexico.
In return, they received goods that they couldn’t produce themselves, such as jade, feathers and cacao beans.
Cacao beans held great value (used as money) and was restricted to only the most important Mayan.
Obsidian – A glass like volcanic rock was also traded/used as money.

5. THE MAYA Religion Polytheism - The Maya worshipped many gods.
The also worshipped their rulers. They thought their rulers could influence the gods.
The Maya wanted to keep the gods happy and prevent disaster. They believe that the gods needed blood.

6. THE MAYA
Leadership
Blood letting was common for Mayan rulers. Mayans believed that royal blood would keep the gods happy. Every year the king and queen offered a public pain and blood sacrifice.
Kings were priests as well as warriors.
Pacal the Great – became king at age 12 and ruled the Maya for 68 years.
Priest-kings like Pacal killed animals and sometimes people as offerings to the gods.
The city of Palenque built a temple that was used to record his achievements.
Pacal & Palenque

7. Cities and Temples/Pyramids
THE MAYA – Chichen Itza
Cities and Temples/Pyramids
Mayan cities were built around religious centers.
Some cities had great palaces. The Maya built flat-topped pyramids made of limestone. At the top of these pyramids were temples. That was where the Mayan priest-kings held religious rituals.
The temple at Chichen Itza is particularly famous for the serpent shadow cast twice a year.
Serpent shadow
10 Facts