MAYA, MESOAMERICA

MAYA, MESOAMERICA

• Time Period - 300-1400CE

Untitled Slide

ADVANCED CITIES
-Tikal
one of the largest cities, still standing today
it was known for its beautiful stone pyramids and other artifacts
still exists today
-El Mirador
El Mirador was one of the first large city-states of the Maya civilization. It is thought that, at its peak, over 100,000 people lived in the city. The central center of the city covered ten square miles and had over a thousand buildings. Archeologists have found three large temple pyramids
still exists today (parts)

ADVANCED CITIES

-Kaminaljuyu
Kaminaljuyu was a major city-state located in the Southern Mayan Area in the Guatemala highlands. The city was occupied for around 2000 years from 1200 BC to 900 AD. The city was a major trade location for products such as cacao, fruits, pottery, and obsidian.
yes it still exists today

SOCIAL STRUCTURE: NOBLES

• best of the best, "elite"
• passed through family lineage
• government officials, rulers, high priests, etc.
• literate and wealthy
• lived in the main/central ares of Mayan cities

SOCIAL STRUCTURE: COMMONERS

• could become wealthy through work (artisans/merchants)
• farmers, laborers, and servants
• become Noble through military services
• forbidden to wear clothes & symbols of Nobles
• could not purchase luxury/exotic items

SOCIAL STRUCTURE: SERFS & SLAVES

• serfs worked lands of local/head Ruler
• active slave trade in Mayan Region (Nobles and commoners owned slaves)
• slave was form of punishment: not paying debts, P.O.W., poor people
• slave status not passed to children but passed though marriage
• unwanted orphans sacrificed in religious rituals

Religon
They had there own religion called the Mayan religion
It was polyester
Their main gods were - Itzamná, Kukulcá, Bolon Tzacab, And Chac
It was founded in southern Mexico
Mayan religion was characterized by the worship of nature gods (especially the gods of sun, rain and corn), a priestly class, the importance of astronomy and astrology, rituals of human sacrifice, and the building of elaborate pyramidical temples.

GOVERNMENT

• developed hierarchical government ruled by Kings and Priests
• lived in independent city-states, each w/ own government
• lived in independent city-states, each w/ own government
• rural communities with large urban ceremonial centers
• no standing army; warfare important in religion, power, & prestige
• each city-state ruled by king- "halach unic" or "ahaw"; given right to rule by Gods

GOVERNMENT

• powerful council of leaders ran govt (nobles called "batab"
• priests powerful in govt (Kings came to them for advice)
• strict laws: acts against Gods= death unless accident
• appeared before court w/ leader or noble as judge and had trials
• no prisons; shaved head for shunning

TECHNOLOGY



They created a material called Jadeite, which is a very hard material made of stone, they used it to carve art, or a written language onto stone walls.
They created the Maya Arch, basically meaning they created buildings and houses that could go many stories up, but it was all based on the structures being formed in a sort of "V" shape
They also created long large bridges across rivers.

TECHNOLOGY
They also constructed paved concrete roads for travelers across forests valleys and areas with very harsh traveling or walking conditions
Had amazing knowledge of astronomy and were very good at mathematics
major achievement
they created and used most of our math today that we still use in school and to make bridges we build, buildings etc

SYSTEMS OF WRITING

• complex hieroglyphic writing system
• logograms- expressed meaning
• syllabograms- denote sound waves
• could write anything they say
• glyph blocks: grid; read in paired coulmns (a1, b1, a2, etc)

Glyph Blocks

SYSTEMS OF WRITING

• used same numeric system we have now
• 365 solar calendar: 260 ritual
• "Jaab": 18, 20 day months w/ 5 unlucky days at end- "Wayeb"
• grew from Olmecs writing system (1000 BCE- pre classic period (300 BCE- 300 CE))

Codex style vase found in Northern Guatemala: shows glyphs of the God Itzam, scribes, and "learned man", "sage", "artisan"

Carved bowl from about 539 A.D.-Guatemala; carved with feathered serpents, and human figures in front of their beaded jaws

This is a wood carved mirror bearer found around present day Mexico City from about the 6th century. Mirrors were very treasured items so this artifact most likely belonged to a ruler or very high noble.

This is a ceremonial handle, found in the Guatemala region from around the 6th century. This artifact was most likely used a lever or some other useful purpose in a form of a ceremony.

Conclusion
They invented an accurate 365-day calenders of sorts, and also the concept of zero. They were also keen on movements of the moon, sun, and other space bodies (astronomy) and they developed a number system (mathematics). so to sum it up, they were important for the calender, concept of zero, astronomy, and the impressive advances in mathematics.

Social Structure:
"Maya Social Structure." Tarlton Law Library. N.p., n.d. Web. 21 Sept. 2014. .
Government:
"Maya Civilization." For Kids: Government. N.p., n.d. Web. 21 Sept. 2014.
"Mayan Government." Mayan Government. N.p., n.d. Web. 21 Sept. 2014. .

Systems of Writing:
N.p., n.d. Web. .
Primary Source/Artifact 1:
"Exploring the Early AmericasReading Pre-Columbian Artifacts." Codex-style Vase with Mayan Scribes. N.p., n.d. Web. 21 Sept. 2014. .

Artifact 2:
"Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History." Carved Bowl [Mexico or Guatemala; Maya] (2000.60). N.p., n.d. Web. 22 Sept. 2014. .
Artifact 3:
"Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History." Mirror Bearer [Mexico or Guatemala; Maya] (1979.206.1063). N.p., n.d. Web. 22 Sept. 2014. .

Artifact 4:
"Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History." Ceremonial Handle (?) [Mexico; Maya-Toltec (?)] (1979.206.1132). N.p., n.d. Web. 22 Sept. 2014. .

Religon:
N.p., n.d. Web. .