1. Aim: Did the Mayans achieve a Golden Age?
Do Now: What do you know about the Mayans? What do you want to know?

2. I The First Americans
Bering Strait Theory: During the last major ice age (11,000+ years ago), the ocean level was lower, revealing a “land bridge” connecting Siberia (Northeast Russia) and Alaska, allowing people to walk across.
People from Asia may have also arrived in the Americas by boat.

4. I The Olmecs 1200 BCE – 200 CE
The Olmecs were a pre-Columbian civilization in Mesoamerica known for their massive carved stone heads.

5. II The “Classical” Mayans 300 – 900 CE
Geography:
1. The Mayans lived in the Yucatan peninsula (rainforest)
2. Built irrigation canals, terracing (carving steps into mountains) and used slash and burn agriculture (cut down trees and burned remains to fertilize the soil).
3. Their main crops were potatoes and corn. Used cacao beans as currency!
Cacao beans

6. Modern Day Slash and Burn Agriculture A Mayan irrigation canal
Mayans Continued…
Modern Day Slash and Burn Agriculture
A Mayan irrigation canal

7. The Mayans Continued…

8. Chichen-Itza, a Mayan City-State
The Mayans Continued…
B) Government:
Due to the dense rainforest, the Mayan civilization was made up of independent city-states ruled by a king-priest.
Chichen-Itza, a Mayan City-State

9. The Mayans Continued… C) Religion: Polytheistic.
Human sacrifice and ritual blood letting ensured the sun would rise the next day.
Priest-kings often would insert jade into their teeth as a status symbol.

10. Mayan Temple of Kukulhan, Chichen Itza

11. Ms. Glass at Tikal, a Mayan city-state in modern day Guatemala.
The Mayans Continued…
Ms. Glass at Tikal, a Mayan city-state in modern day Guatemala.

12. Above is an actual hoop that the ball was supposed to go through.
The Mayans Continued…
3. Mayans played the Mesoamerican ball game. Historians are not sure if the winners or the losers were sacrificed.
Above is an actual hoop that the ball was supposed to go through.

13. The Mayans Continued… D) Science and Technology: Mayan Hieroglyphics
3 calendars based on astronomical observations.
Writing system of hieroglyphics
Number system that included zero!
4. Irrigation canals for farming.
Mayan Hieroglyphics

14. Why did the World not End in 2012??
The Mayans invented 3 calendars. The Long Count Calendar calculated long cycles of time. On Dec 21, 2012, the Long Count calendar completed a major cycle, believing the cycle would just begin again!

15. The Mayans Continued…
The Mayans placed a board on the back of babies heads; they believed flat heads to be beautiful. On the right is a modern Mayan woman making tortillas the traditional way.

16. The Mayans Continued… E) Decline of the Mayans:
The Mayans did NOT disappear, but they did abandon their cities. Why?
3 Main Theories:
Climate change and drought
Warfare
Due to the Mayan practice of slash and burn, they eventually had to move as the soil needed time to replenish its nutrients.

17. Summary Questions * Fill in your Classical Civilization Chart
Choose at least 2 achievements of the Mayans and describe them. Explain why they were important achievements.
Why do historians believe the Mayan civilization declined?
Do you think that the Mayans deserve to be called a “Classical” civilization? Explain.

18. Key Vocabulary Chichen Itza Yucatan Peninsula Codices
Long-Count Calendar
Mayans
Mesoamerica
Olmecs
Pre-Columbian
Slash and burn
Terrace farming