Development of Maya civilization
About 40
Who was at the top of the social pyramid?
About how many gods did the Maya believe in?
160
Before Farming, what did the Mayans do for food?
Hunted and Gathered
Where in Mexico were the Maya located?
The Yucatan Peninsula
Who did the Mayans inherit ideas from?
The Olmecs
At what age were girls considered adults/ At what age were boys considered adults?
Girls:12
Boys:14
What is a sacrifice?
a gift of an animal for slaughter to honor the gods
What is Slash and Burn agriculture?
a farming technique in which vegetation is cut away and burned to clear land for growing crops
Why did the Maya build their towers so high?
What is a hieroglyphic?
Writing system that uses pictures and symbols
________ knew how to read and write. They gathered taxes, supplies, and labor for important projects. They led peasant armies in times of war
Nobles
________ means to believe in many gods
Polytheism
Name three crops the Mayans grew
- Maiz/corn
- Beans
- Squash
North: Lowlands
South: Highlands
When the classic civilization collapsed, what end of the Yucatan peninsula was abandoned?
They abandoned their cities in the Southern Lowlands
Describe the roles of men vs the roles of women
Women: Cared for children, Kept home clean, Cooked
Men: Hunted, Worked the fields
What did the Maya believe the gods could do?
1. Influence the world
2. Destroy the world
What did farming allow the Mayans to do?
Create permanent settlements
The Mayan civilization can be found min current day what? (name at least 3 countries)
Mexico
Belize
Guatemala
El Salvador
Honduras
What was the time span for the
1. Pre-classic
2. Classic
3. Post-classic
period?
1. Pre-Classic (2000 B.C.E. to 200 C.E.)
2. Classic (200 C.E. to 900 C.E)
3. Post-Classic (900 C.E. to 1500 C.E.)
At what age did men and women typically marry? How did they pair together?
Women as young as 14
Men around 20
With the help of a matchmaker
The Maya used their knowledge of _______ and ______ to create the solar calendar. However only _______ knew how to read the sacred calendar.
The Maya used their knowledge of mathematics and astronomy to create the solar calendar. However only priests knew how to read the sacred calendar.
Name the three agricultural techniques the Mayan used
• In the mountainous highlands, the Maya used terraces to create more flat land on which to farm.
• In the swampy lowlands, the Maya used raised earthen platforms surrounded by drainage canals.
• In the densely forested lowlands, the Maya used slash-and-burn agriculture to clear land for farming
Name at least two reasons it was believed the Mayan civilization fell
• The population of Maya cities grew faster than their farming systems (or food supplies) could sustain.
• There was uncontrolled warfare.
• Maya city-states were invaded by groups from central Mexico.
• Drought may have caused massive crop failure