Final Destination
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maya_civilization
http://www.indians.org/welker/maya.htm
http://www.history.com/topics/maya
http://www.incredibleart.org/lessons/middle/maya.htm
http://facstaff.gpc.edu/~shale/humanities/literature/world_literature/classprojects/mexico/maya.html
http://www.atitlan.net/maya/mayan-civilization.htm
http://arapaho.nsuok.edu/~kracht/mayancourse/home.html
http://www.webpages.uidaho.edu/arch499/nonwest/mayan/geography.htm
http://www.theoldexplorer.com/index.php/maya-technology
http://library.thinkquest.org/J0112511/religion.htm
http://www.lost-civilizations.net/mayan-society.html
Agriculture
- There is no true reason on why the Mayan empire vanished.
- Hit there carrying capacity
- To much war
- Catastrophic environmental change
- Cut down to many trees, and didn't have crops from the method of farming.
- They experienced a sudden decline in population around 850-950 AD.
- Their staple crop was Maize (but they also grew corn, squash, pumpkin, & chili peppers).
- They traded with 5 main areas in Central America and Southern Mexico:
- Wastek
- Yucatec
- Tzeltalan
- Mamean
- Quichean
- They participated in slash and burn
Religion
The Basics:
- Found in parts of Southern Mexico and Central America.
- They were well known for their calendar systems and their architectural buildings.
- The peak of their civilization was from about 300-900 A.D.
- Since they were isolated from the rest of the world, they relied on their agriculture.
- Practiced human sacrifice
- Would invade other civilizations to obtain victims
- Worshiped all of nature
- Believed that everything happened because of the Gods
- They believed the world was made of heavens and underworlds
- They believed that the world was linked together by a giant tree
- The branches in the heavens and the roots in the underworld
- They believed the world was a giant crocodile or a turtle
- Communicated with the Gods by prayers, sacrifices, or visions that they had.
Economy:
The Geographic features were unlimited including mountains, volcanoes, jungles, coastal plains, and swampy lands.
- Mayans did not use "money" nor did they have a currency.
- They traded with each other and there were two kinds of goods commercialized by the Mayans. Prestige items, which jade, gold, copper, highly decorated pottery, and ritual items.
- There were subsistence which were used on a daily basis, food clothing, salt, tools, and basic pottery were all apart of the subsistence trading.
Society
- They had a hierarchical government ruled by kings and priests
- Lived in an independent city-state
- Had rural communities
- Had large urban ceremonial centers
- No standing armies
- Warfare was very important
- Theyre first written language was written in 3114 BC
- In school mayan children learned how to write and read hyrogliphics
- Outside of school, Young girls were to stay at the house and perform houshold duties
- Outside of school, Young boys are to help theyre dads on the farm
The Calenders:
- In many pieces of art work the Mayans used hieroglyphics
- The Mayans are responsible for building and creating the bridge
- The first bridge they built was the longest bridge in the ancient world
- Later this record was broken by Italian engineers
- The city of Yaxchilan is were the bridge was first built
- The Mayan Empire's first recorded written language was in 3114 B.C.
The Long Count:
Used for historical purposes.
- The Mayan empire played a ball game called Pitz.
- Played with a volleyball sized rubber ball
- They would bounce the ball into stone hoops without using their hands.
The Tzolkin:
Used for ceremonial purposes.
Had 20 periods of 13 days.
The Haab:
A civil calendar based on a year of 360 days with 18 periods of 20 days.
- Mayan Civilization did not have the advantage of available sources on iron ore.
- Mexican iron ore is found 1000 miles to the north in the state of Colima.
- Archaeologists have determined that Maya used stone tools.
- These tools included various sizes and shapes of chisels, gouges, adzes, axes, and hoes.
The Mayan Empire