The Mayans

Rulers and Classes

At the apex (small) of mayan society were the kuhul ajaw
or holy lords. They claimed to be descendants of the gods and
followed their ancestors in taking leadership. They hosted many
religious ceremonies that were an integral part of the Mayan
culture and were believed to have communicated with the
Gods.

Where They Lived

The Mayans lived down in Central America.
The Mayan Empire is now Guatemala. Within the
Mayan Empire there was lots of Rainforests with
tropical Rainforest climate.

When They Flourished

The earliest evidence of the Mayan culture was dated to be around 1800 B.C.
They were very agricultural, and that lasted until 300 B.C when the began to
expand and have more of a building oriented existence. They lasted until about
900 A.D.

Farming
The early Mayan civilization was extremely agricultural, planting many crops
such as: corn (maize), beans, squash and cassava (manioc). Mayans used a
technique called slash and burn. They would cut down all the vegetation and then
burn it to put the ash in the soil because it makes great to grow crops. They were
very good at creating a surplus of food which allowed them to thrive and have
more time to build and create culture.

Trade
The mayans traded many items such as food, obsidian,
gold, salt, and a ton of other items. They did not have any
currency in their times and traded objects for objects. There
were two kinds of go things traded by the Mayans, prestige
items, and subsistence items. Prestige items were things like
jade, gold, copper, highly decorated pottery, and any other
less-practical item for the richer people. Subsistence items
were those used on a daily basis: food, clothing, tools, basic
pottery, and salt.

Wars and Battles

Mayans fought in wars for political
reasons. Many people thought that the
mayans were a very peaceful, but it turns
out that they fought in some wars. Mayans
often fought wars, especially during the
Late Classical era of 600 to 900 A.D. The
wars were fought for land, human
sacrifices, and trade routes. They had long
distance weapons and melee weapons.

Art & Culture

Mayan art was very important as it served multiple uses as a trade
merchandise, a decoration, and as an offering to the Gods. Mayan art was
composed of sculpture from stones and shells, Paintings on paper and parchment,
and carvings in wood. Music was also heavily appreciated, and there is proof of
large gatherings and ceremonies with music being presented and celebrated.

Religions
The Mayans were very religious and worshipped many Gods. Their Gods
were all related to nature, and included Gods of corn, water, grass, and the sun.
Their deep religious beliefs guided the Mayans through many great advances in
fields such as astronomy and mathematics and were also the first civilization to
incorporate the use of the zero. Torture and sacrifices were also an extremely
prevalent part of the Mayan religious culture.

Why They Disappeared

In the eighth century Maya civilizations mysteriously started
disappearing. One by one cities and lowlands were abandoned and by the
ninth century Maya civilizations in that region collapsed. Some people believe
that these cities were being abandoned because the used the area so much
that the land couldnt support the population. But there is still no for sure
reason why the mayans disappeared.

Bibliography
http://www.history.com/topics/maya
http://latinamericanhistory.about.com/od/Maya/p/Ancient-Maya-Economy-AndTrade.html
http://www.religionfacts.com/mayan-religion
http://www.authenticmaya.com/maya_art.htm http://www.historymuseum.
ca/cmc/exhibitions/civil/maya/mmc09eng.shtml
http://www.historyonthenet.com/mayans/mayans-at-war

The End!

By: Brody Jeanson, Ryan Green, Mitchell Chayer John Meyer.