Maya Kings and CitiesChapter 16 section 2

Key Terms Tikal Glyph Codes Popol Vuh

Maya Create City-States Southern Mexico to

Central America Highland and lowland

regions Dry scrub to steamy

jungles Mountains stretch

from Mexico to El Salvador

Olmec 1200-400 BC

Urban Centers 250-900 Classic Period

of Maya civilization Tikal-a major center in

northern Guatemala Chichen Itza major city Each ruled by a god

king Center of religious

ceremonies and trade

Urban Centers Mayan cities featured

Giant pyramids, temples, palaces

Elaborate stone carvings

Tens of thousands lived in residential areas around the city

Archaeologists have identified 50 major sites

Urban Centers Temple IV in Tikal

stretched 212 feet into the sky

Ball court Stone sided field The game played

religious and political significance

Game maintains the sun and the moon and life giving rains

Agriculture and Trade Support Cities City-States

independent City-States linked by

alliances and trade Cities exchanged

Salt Flint Feathers Shells and honey Cacao (chocolate

beans were currency)

Agriculture and Trade Support Cities Traded craft goods

Cotton Textiles and jade

Mesoamerica had agriculture Maize Beans Squash

Agriculture and Trade Support Cities Slash and burn

agriculture Planted on raised

beds above swamps and on hillside terraces

Kingdom Built on Dynasties Successful farming

led to wealth Social classes

Noble priests and leading warriors

Merchants with specialized knowledge and skilled artisans

Bottom was the peasants

Religion Shapes Maya Life Polytheistic

Gods for weather Gods for crops Gods of good and evil Different directions

different colors Each day was a living

god whose behavior could be predicted

System of calendars

Religious Practices Prayed, offerings of

flowers, food , and incense

Pierced and cut their bodies

Offered blood to nourish the gods

Human sacrifice Usually captured

enemies

Religious Practices Chichen Itza- threw

captives down a deep sinkhole lake (cenote)

Also gold and other offerings

Believed human sacrifice pleased the gods

Never reached extremes of other Mesoamericans

Math and Religion Calendar,

mathematics, and astronomy

Time was a burden carried on the back of a god

End of day, month or year one good laid it down and another picked it up

Math and Religion 260 day religious

calendar (13, 20 day months)

Second 365 day calendar (18, 20 day months)

Separate period of 5 days at the end

Linked by mesh gears

Math and Religion Identified

Best time to plant crops

Attack enemies Crown leaders

Based on observation of the planets, sun and moon

Solar year 365.2420 They were only .0002

of a day short

Math and Religion Used the concept of

Zero Used a shell symbol

for zero Dots for numbers one

to four A bar for five Base 20 system Used numbers for

calendar and astronomical work

Written Language Preserves History Mayan had must

advanced writing system

Glyphs-800 hieroglyphic symbols Some glyphs were

words Some syllables

Used writing to record historic events Carving into stone

Written Language Preserves History Codex- glyphs

recorded on bark paper Only three ancient

books survived Popol Vuh- famous

book recounts Highland Maya version of creation

Calm and silence were the kings that ruled (pre-creation)

Mysterious Maya Decline 800’s Maya abandon

their cities 700’s warfare broke

out Trade disrupted,

economic hardship Growing population Over farming, famine 1500’s Spanish arrive

small weak city-states