1 / 12

Mayan Civilization

Mayan Civilization. Madison Kneis 7 th period. Dates.

benard
Download Presentation

Mayan Civilization

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. Mayan Civilization Madison Kneis 7th period

  2. Dates • The Mayan civilization was founded by 250 A.D in southern Mexico, Guatemala, and Belize. The Mayans rose to prominence as the Olmec civilization declined around 1100 BC. Some of the reasons for that had to do with warfare, crop failures, and disease leading possibilities. They reached the peak of its power and influence around the 6th century AD.

  3. Religion • The Mayans were polytheistic, meaning they believed in many Gods. • Ixtabwas the Goddess of sacrificial suicide. She was always represented with a rope around her neck. The Mayans believed that suicide would lead you to heaven. They would sacrifice lives for God. • KinichAhau was the sun God. Also God of the city Itzamal. • Yum Cicil is the God of death, also called Ah puch, God of the underworld. It was told that he only had sockets and no eyes. • Chac-God of rain. He was associated with the creation and life. Kakulcan- wind God, also known as the feathered- serpent God.

  4. Economy/Trade • The Mayan did not use money; universally accepted form of currency which could be used anywhere in the Maya region. • Even valuable items, such as cacao seeds, salt, obsidian or gold tended to vary in value from one region to another, often rising in value the farther away these items were from their source. As the Maya cities began to grow, they outstripped their food production and food trade increased. Different sites in the Maya region produced gold, jade, copper, obsidian and other raw materials: items made from these materials are found at nearly every major Maya site, indicating an extensive trade system. One example is the famous carved jade head of Sun God KinichAhau.

  5. Social Classes • The Mayans depended on their social classes to keep order and structure within their society. • Lower and Middle classes believes the upper class had been granted the right to rule by the Gods. • Women probably were members of all 3 social classes depending on their family position and/or by marriage. • The hierarchy of the Maya was completely dependent on slave labor • People with the most power were the nobles and priests • These higher classes were often rich in power and wealth, but few in number

  6. Art/Architecture • Mayan people were very much so skilled farmers. • They built larger undergrounds under the tropical rain forests. There was a lot of groundwater in these areas. • A lot of them would weave and make pottery. They also cleared routes through jungles and swamps. • When the Mayans created trade routes, this allowed them to sell and trade the goods they had made.

  7. Location

  8. Agriculture • Maya agriculture was the foundation to the civilization. They mostly relied on the slash- and-burn method. Even the rainforest experiences an annual dry season; the trees hang on by reaching groundwater. the Mayan empire stretched out from its center in Guatemala’s Petén region across the lowlands of the Yucatán Peninsula. The Maya cultivated cacao in forest gardens and every tree had a function. As a result, the trees that provided shade for the cacao also provided thatching and building material, fodder, oilseeds, wood, medicines, fruit and allspice.

  9. Government • Government was an important part of the Maya civilization. Priests ran governments, ruled cities, led ceremonies and performed many other jobs • One of the most famous Maya rulers was Lord Pacal. He became a king at the age of 6 and legally took the throne when he became 12.

  10. Decline/Collapse • They abused their land in trying to produce agriculture, which lead to the lack of resources. • The Mayans also used a slash and burn method when clearing the forest in order to produce ground for crop growing. This was an extremely wasteful method, created a lack of natural food for the local wildlife, and forced migration and scattering. • Nobles and priests did not know how to work the land when Mayan workers all gave their life away and retreated into the PuterJungle.

  11. Achievments • They are very strong in planting and harvesting; mayansdeveloped two calendars that are as precise as those we use today. • Maya managed to build elaborate temples and great cities with a number of “modern” innovations and tools • They figured out how to grow corn, beans, squash and cassava in sometimes-inhospitable places

  12. Works Cited • "The Mayans." The Mayans. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Oct. 2012. <http://www.u-s-history.com/pages/h433.html>. • http://www.google.com/imgres?q=mayan+civilization+map&num=10&hl=en&safe=active&biw=1024&bih=454&tbm=isch&tbnid=aScbf1TPqGaP8M:&imgrefurl=http://www.ushistory.org/civ/11.asp&docid=DHzdsQN0VlqF4M&imgurl=http://www.ushistory.org/civ/images/00020947.jpg&w=400&h=268&ei=ln-AUJelLtH_rAGwloCoDw&zoom=1&iact=rc&dur=4&sig=117239799905748106516&page=2&tbnh=147&tbnw=219&start=9&ndsp=15&ved=1t:429,r:0,s:20,i:134&tx=99&ty=88 • "Mayan Religion." ReligionFacts. N.p., 2004. Web. 18 Oct. 2012. <http://www.religionfacts.com/mayan_religion/index.htm>. • Nelson, Miranda. "The End of Mayan Civilization." End of Mayan Civilization: C. 1300. N.p., 21 Sept. 1999. Web. 18 Oct. 2012. <http://www.thenagain.info/webchron/americas/endmaya.html>. • "Maya Agriculture." Maya Agriculture. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Oct. 2012. <http://www.authenticmaya.com/maya_agriculture.htm>. • "Ancient Maya Economy And Trade." About.com Latin American History. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Oct. 2012. <http://latinamericanhistory.about.com/od/Maya/p/Ancient-Maya-Economy-And-Trade.htm>. • http://www.google.com/imgres?q=maya+civilization&um=1&hl=en&sa=N&biw=1024&bih=454&tbm=isch&tbnid=kiyQZiAkXil9RM:&imgrefurl=http://www.myanmars.net/myanmar-history/mayan-civilization.htm&docid=_Y_GM5m-j0ssSM&imgurl=http://www.myanmars.net/myanmar-history/images/mayan-civilization2.jpg&w=300&h=206&ei=PraAULThDsurqQHBroCQDQ&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=269&vpy=2&dur=190&hovh=164&hovw=240&tx=184&ty=104&sig=117239799905748106516&page=2&tbnh=144&tbnw=234&start=8&ndsp=12&ved=1t:429,r:13,s:0,i:176 • http://www.google.com/imgres?q=mayan+government&um=1&hl=en&biw=1024&bih=454&tbm=isch&tbnid=mtnb5pIhJhH0DM:&imgrefurl=http://www.travelmexicoplus.com/mayan-temples.html&docid=faO-bboNDKR0ZM&imgurl=http://www.travelmexicoplus.com/mayan-temple.jpg&w=507&h=347&ei=n7iAUITxKsyoqQHc74HAAQ&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=109&vpy=125&dur=1007&hovh=186&hovw=271&tx=180&ty=107&sig=117239799905748106516&page=1&tbnh=147&tbnw=212&start=0&ndsp=9&ved=1t:429,r:0,s:0,i:95 • "Mayan Scientific Achievements." History.com. A&E Television Networks, n.d. Web. 18 Oct. 2012. <http://www.history.com/topics/mayan-scientific-achievements>.

More Related