Unit 2 Lesson 3

Great Civilizations Emerge

Maya
Religion and social hierarchy
 Organized Religion:

- the lives of the Maya

centered around their
religion and gods of
nature

- the Maya believed in a

large number of nature
gods
 Organized Religion Continued:
- Most Important
Mayan god: Itzamna
- god of fire who
created the Earth
- believed Itzamna
ruled both day and
night
- believed that Itzamna
gave them the
calendar and writing
 Activity #1
Create a Venn Diagram to
compare and contrast how the
Mayan religion and a religion of
today
(pick anyone you like)
 Social Hierarchy: King and Nobles

- lived an easy life

because every need
was provided for by
the commoners
- were carried around
from place to place by
slaves “Pakal” was the most famous of
all the Mayan kings
Social Hierarchy:
- filled the priesthood, or became government
officials, court officers, town rulers,
scribes, tribute collectors, military leaders and
administrators; wealthy and powerful
 Social Hierarchy: Commoner
an ordinary person, without rank or title
 Social Hierarchy: peasants
- a poor farmer of low social status who
owns or rents a small piece of land for
cultivation
 Peasant
- peasant - worked as a
farmer; in the evening,
made crafts such as
tools
- farmer’s wife - washed
clothes, tended to
children, cooked, wove
cloth to make clothing
 Activity #2
How is the Maya social
Hierarchy similar to the one we
have in the United States today
 quipu

an ancient Inca device for recording information,

consisting of colored threads knotted in different ways
 chinampas

small, stationary, artificial islands built on a freshwater

lake to grow crops
 terracing

make or form sloping land into a number of level areas

resembling a series of steps to create a flat area to farm
 maize
- corn
•
•

•
 Activity #3
Explain the differences
between the modern farmer
and the Mayan farmers
Technology:
- considered one of the most
scientifically advanced
societies of Mesoamerica
- created various weapons
with a brittle mineral called
obsidian (ex. spears, clubs,
blades)
obsidian -
a shiny, usually black, volcanic glass
 Technology Continued:
● skilled at mathematics
○ created a numerical system based on the number 20
○ the first to develop the concept of zero
● Irrigation system
 Activity #4
Nearpod- The Maya