The Maya, 200 BCE – 900 CE

The Maya, 200 BCE – 900 CE

Regions of the Maya

• Chiapas, Campeche, Tabasco, Quintana Roo, Yucatan peninsula (Southern Mexico)

• Guatemala• Honduras• Belize• El Salvador

Characteristics• No central government• About 50 independent city-states• Constant competition

http://images.google.com/url?sa=i&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&docid=lVz2SwiDPzlVrM&tbnid=QRjrH2XF-wU1xM:&ved=0CAgQjRwwAA&url=http://www.div1grade7.com/studentp/karlrick/website/Website%20Pages/Art.html&ei=45gfUtGsLePoigLfiYHoBA&psig=AFQjCNGn55p5nA4-mKF0lQi0XMFFzma86A&ust=1377888867808027

Tikal

• Guatemala• Established

around 219 CE• 40,000 people

at its peak

Copàn• Honduras• 600 – 700 CE• Astronomical

conferences

http://images.google.com/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=copan&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&docid=jGiseReR9JrCGM&tbnid=_P8iLY3wkxPBMM:&ved=0CAUQjRw&url=http://www.patoczka.net/Guatemala%201/pages/13%20Copan%20-%20Altar%20G%20and%20Stela%20F.htm&ei=95IfUtzZFsmsiQK3x4D4Bg&bvm=bv.51495398,d.cGE&psig=AFQjCNErvF3A-Wo_uRtzI1Uk54KN-gGdhw&ust=1377887330198085

http://images.google.com/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=copan&source=images&cd=&docid=urC4lgNglR6VWM&tbnid=9kbhdpKbWJjcMM:&ved=0CAUQjRw&url=http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Cop%C3%A1n_Ballcourt.jpg&ei=QZMfUo-BHOSViAKq34GwCg&bvm=bv.51495398,d.cGE&psig=AFQjCNErvF3A-Wo_uRtzI1Uk54KN-gGdhw&ust=1377887330198085

Palenque• Chiapas• Peaked

between 600 – 700 CE

• Pacal the Great & Mother Queen Zac-kuk

http://images.google.com/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=palenque&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&docid=jlaR-2xQPV9PoM&tbnid=VTrPGlrUI3nijM:&ved=0CAUQjRw&url=http://www.pasthorizonspr.com/index.php/archives/01/2013/palenques-red-queen&ei=vpMfUqzDMeWgigKS4IH4Bg&psig=AFQjCNG6qukNnBP0YiO7fbGkrMrYIdVruw&ust=1377887519460006

Pacal’s Sarcophagus

http://images.google.com/url?sa=i&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&docid=UtIPfUKAKTc3GM&tbnid=yYZWawfnpKI9qM:&ved=&url=http://www.delange.org/PalenqueTomb/PalenqueTomb.htm&ei=tpQfUpSkI6a5iwKfrYHoBw&psig=AFQjCNHHnrCFbiHZ727DP0pZSMERhvYDBg&ust=1377887798623215

http://images.google.com/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=pacal%E2%80%99s+sarcophagus&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&docid=_PRB-bELv0qyTM&tbnid=HRMFSQH8dlZu8M:&ved=0CAUQjRw&url=http://www.abovetopsecret.com/forum/thread587917/pg1&ei=ppUfUr-WLeLIigLUoID4Cg&bvm=bv.51495398,d.cGE&psig=AFQjCNGnTK50oPuDMOdZ2sVYK_VXXq8hiA&ust=1377888004162614

Writing• 90% of the symbols have been defined• Books made out of bark paper• Most destroyed during colonial period

http://images.google.com/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=maya%20hieroglyphs&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&docid=Dhl9rhxRWeg3DM&tbnid=mH9HozJwLHTA2M:&ved=0CAUQjRw&url=http://www.bmaf.org/node/253&ei=-5cfUr_DL8WdigLU3YHgAQ&psig=AFQjCNH1biMy63Wsj-FrMWFmFokbmZif6g&ust=1377888603444707

http://images.google.com/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=maya%20hieroglyphs&source=images&cd=&docid=Dhl9rhxRWeg3DM&tbnid=mH9HozJwLHTA2M:&ved=0CAUQjRw&url=http://www.bmaf.org/node/253&ei=EJgfUufaMamajALg5ICwAw&psig=AFQjCNH1biMy63Wsj-FrMWFmFokbmZif6g&ust=1377888603444707

Mayan Society• Ahau (king)• Tribute system• Strict gender roles• Monogamy vs. plural marriages• Extended families• Bloodletting• Musicians

Mathematics• Role of priests• 260-day religious

calendar• 365-day solar

calendar

http://images.google.com/url?sa=i&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&docid=x040VlxzUC_-RM&tbnid=2jbpxEBHxdW3YM:&ved=0CAgQjRwwAA&url=http://kaptinkobe15.edublogs.org/&ei=KJYfUuDqJOKdigL9pIDgAw&psig=AFQjCNGGqhoX3XDM0G221AEcUTPYdrjDWw&ust=1377888168680455

http://images.google.com/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=maya%20calendar&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&docid=fTLYhCOlYUbmVM&tbnid=I8obvF0OMkZWPM:&ved=0CAUQjRw&url=http://www.revuemag.com/2012/12/more-about-the-new-cycle-of-the-maya-calendar/&ei=npYfUsupEMKZiQKRrIDoCg&psig=AFQjCNHJ5qDsnHGq606AZOIBVCDwLuqAaQ&ust=1377888153481274

What happened?

• Collapse of city-states began in 800 CE• 12 million people in 700 CE• Population drops to 2 million

Documents

The Maya, 200 BCE – 900 CE