The Mayans

By Finn, Noah, Jake, Ellie,

and
ByAlexis
Alexis, Finn, Ellie, Jake, and
Noah
 At the top of the pyramid is the halach uinic,
or the ruler.

Was considered a god-king. When he died,

Class Structure another male relative became the ruler.

Next on the pyramid were nobles and Priests.

Only ones who knew how to read and
write

Nobles acted as officials, administered the

state, and were scribes.

Priests tried to favor the gods, led

ceremonies, and foresaw the future and
the best days to go into war.

Were astronomers, healers, and

mathmeticians

Inherited position from their fathers

 On the next layer were merchants and artisans.
Class Structure Merchants were traders and traveled by sea, roads, and
Continued rivers
Imported goods from the highlands like stones, tree sap, and
birds
Artisans crafted things to honor the gods. Painted books,
murals, sculptures, and designs on walls
Next were peasants. Important because they worked on the
land and crops to help feed the population. Women peasants
worked at home. Prepared food and sewed.
Built temples and pyramids and were soldiers in war.
Sometime got to go to royal weddings and religious
ceremonies in exchange for working
Last layer were slaves, who did labor for their owners.
Usually were born into slavery, but could also be sold into
slavery
Were not mistreated and could have easier lives than
peasants. Were not free and would be sacrificed when
owners died
 Religious Beliefs and
Practices
Religion was very important to the Maya, who built their
cities around religious and ceremonial centers.

The Mayan religion was polytheistic,
They worshipped over 160 gods.
Mayan gods were forces or objects in nature
that could influence peoples daily lives.
The jaguar was an essential god for the
Mayans. Many gods had animal
characteristics.
Priests read and consulted sacred
books and omen interpreted signs,
and predicted the future.
They honored and pleased their
gods by giving offers, like plants,
food, feathers, shells and blood
The Mayans sacrificed animals, and sometimes
humans. People who were sacrificed were
usually orphans, slaves, or nobles.
The Mayans played bloody games, like Pok-a-
tok (explain)
They made 2 calendars for religion, one of
them was the daily calendar for the year,
and the other was the sacred, ritual
calendar for each god. (explain)
The calendar reflects a highly advanced
civilization, along with their art and
architecture.
 Agricultural Techniques``
The Mayans used their knowledge of
calendars to help them grow food

The primary food was corn, beans,squash,
and chili peppers
Difficult to feed population due to where
they lived and there was poor soil
Developed different ways to cope with the
various environments they lived in
For mountains they created terraces into
hills to make more land for planting
In swamps they created platforms above the
earth so that they didnt have to take up land
In forests they had a term called Slash and Burn
where they would burn and cut the plants and
trees to clear land and then plant their crops
This technique wears out soil so the land would
only last for 2-4 years
Had to be left without use for 10 years before it
could be used again
With the growing population people believe the
Mayans could not feed the people and that was
the downfall of the civilization
Family life
Families live in one room huts built of
interwoven poles covered with dried mud.
Families worked very hard but celebrated
important events
Maya women would light the fireplace with
their daughters, as they did many things
with them.
Women would care for children and their
animals.
Father and son would work on the fields and
hunt animals.
When a child was born a priest would predict
the baby's future.
At three months of age a girl would be
introduced to the tool they will use when
they get older.
Men had one to four months where they were
given axes, planting, spears and knives.
Big moment of their lives were when they got
married, usually at 20 for men and at 14
for women.
Would put their house behind their parents
house.
The Development of the Maya
Civilization
- Maya culture spread over a great deal
of Mesoamerica.
- Mayan lives varied greatly.
- They got ideas from people called the
Olmecs.
- The civilization developed in eastern
southern Mexico
- As the population grew, settlements
became larger
Interesting Facts
There are still many Mayans living in their regions
to this day.

When children were born, their name depended on

what day of the year they were born.

Sometimes, the Mayans liked to make their children

have abnormal features for beauty purposes.

Medicine was only mastered or practiced by few who

were well educated.

Instead of human sacrifices, as they did before, they

do chicken sacrifices.

They believe that the end of their calendar means

the end of an age and the creation of a new one.
 Thanks for
Watching!!
Links:
http://listverse.com/2009/09/21/top-10-fascinating-facts-about-the-mayans/