Maya Kings and Cities

1. Maya Kings and Cities Chapter 16 section 2

2. Key Terms • Tikal • Glyph • Codes • Popol Vuh

3. 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

4. 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

5. 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

6. 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

7. 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)

8. Agriculture and Trade Support Cities • Traded craft goods • Cotton • Textiles and jade • Mesoamerica had agriculture • Maize • Beans • Squash

9. Agriculture and Trade Support Cities • Slash and burn agriculture • Planted on raised beds above swamps and on hillside terraces

10. 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

11. 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

12. 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

13. 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

14. 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 god laid it down and another picked it up

15. 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

16. 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

17. 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

18. 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

19. Written Language Preserves History • Codex- glyphs recorded on bark paper • Only three ancient books survived • PopolVuh- famous book recounts Highland Maya version of creation • Calm and silence were the kings that ruled (pre-creation)

20. 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