Mayan Social Life!
Getting Food:
Mayan social life wasn't that easy back then. Mostly, it wasn't easy for the lower class because they had to do all of the work. Most people were farmers, and grew maize (corn), beans, and rice. Besides farming, they would go hunting for deer, fish, and birds. After the Mayans killed the animals they would sit down by the body and pray for what they had done. They would pray because they are telling the gods that they have found food.
Men and Women:
The men and women were very different for their daily life. They never did the same things. The women and daughters would stay in the house and mostly clean and cook. In the mornings the women or daughters would make breakfast.The men and sons would be out in the field for most of the day. Sometimes they would grow trees and flowers in the forest.
The Ball Game:
It seems like when you hear the word ball game you think of basketball,football,baseball, ect. but no, this ball game is very complicated. It is like basketball but you can only use your leg,feet,and head. And the ball was heavy and made of metal and rubber. OUCH! If you won the ball game then you would get clothing,jewels, and gold. If you lost the ball game then you would be sacrificed.
Mayan social life wasn't that easy back then. Mostly, it wasn't easy for the lower class because they had to do all of the work. Most people were farmers, and grew maize (corn), beans, and rice. Besides farming, they would go hunting for deer, fish, and birds. After the Mayans killed the animals they would sit down by the body and pray for what they had done. They would pray because they are telling the gods that they have found food.
Men and Women:
The men and women were very different for their daily life. They never did the same things. The women and daughters would stay in the house and mostly clean and cook. In the mornings the women or daughters would make breakfast.The men and sons would be out in the field for most of the day. Sometimes they would grow trees and flowers in the forest.
The Ball Game:
It seems like when you hear the word ball game you think of basketball,football,baseball, ect. but no, this ball game is very complicated. It is like basketball but you can only use your leg,feet,and head. And the ball was heavy and made of metal and rubber. OUCH! If you won the ball game then you would get clothing,jewels, and gold. If you lost the ball game then you would be sacrificed.
The Mayans built lots of temples and many cities. They also built pyramids and palaces that were very large.
Temples
Temples were painted either bright blue or red. they used rocks to make temples. The temples were also polished with stucco (fine shiny plaster made from ground up limestone) so they would shine in the sun. the priests carried out ceremonies in temples too. the temples had raised tops to make them as tall as they could. the temples were usually 200 feet tall (70 meters tall).
cities
the mayans built cities with temples, and pyramids that were huge! roads in cities ran from one city to the next. they were also used for processions which were big during important ceremonies. four major mayan cities were: palenque(pa-len-kay), copan(co-pon), chichen itza(chee-chen eet-sa), and yaxchilan(yash-chee-lan). some mayan cities like tikal made buildings , temples, and pyramids to honor their gods and leaders.
how the buildings were made
the mayans built their temples and cities with rocks or stones. they stacked rocks on one another to make temples and cities. since the wheel had not been invented, they had to use horses, donkeys, and oxen to carry building materials. they sometimes had to carry building materials by themselves too. all the work was done by humans so they had to build all the temples and cities. it took thousands of men to build just one temple. the rocks or stones weighed many tons.
Contributions to Society
The Mayans have made many contributions to modern day society. They have so much in common with us, that if you think about it, we aren't that different other than the fact that now we have more advanced technology.
The Contributions
~The Mayans had Hieroglyphics meaning more than just words, but also Hieroglyphics meaning sounds. (Writing)
~The Mayan society had more than one type of calendar, but like us they also had a 365 day calendar. (Calendar)
~The Mayan society also had a sophisticated mathmatics system. In this system a dot meant one, a line meant ten, and a dot(s) on top of a line meant 10+ the amount of dots. (Math)
~They had Astronomy like we do, but for a different purpose. They had it for Religion, and they also used the stars to make predictions about the weather, prophecies, and volcanic eruptions. Their predictioins were normally very accurate. (Astronomy)
Fun Facts
* The so called "Mayan prediction calendar" was unflawed for 6,000 years.
* The Mayans too first believed earth was flat, like we originally did.
* One of their calendars could be divided into segments of 3 million years.
* The Mayans were very gifted mathmaticians.
* The Mayans independently created the concept of zero.
There are many other contributions the Mayans made. They were an advanced civilization that should atleast be expected. The Mayans made so many contributions I couldn't possibly list all of them, so I highly encourage you to go to these links below, and to learn what you can about the Mayan culture not just from this measly paragraph but from other things too.
Links to Websites with Mayan Information
http://www.experiment-resources.com/mayan-astronomy.html
http://www.lost-civilizations.net/mayan-history.html
The Mayans have made many contributions to modern day society. They have so much in common with us, that if you think about it, we aren't that different other than the fact that now we have more advanced technology.
The Contributions
~The Mayans had Hieroglyphics meaning more than just words, but also Hieroglyphics meaning sounds. (Writing)
~The Mayan society had more than one type of calendar, but like us they also had a 365 day calendar. (Calendar)
~The Mayan society also had a sophisticated mathmatics system. In this system a dot meant one, a line meant ten, and a dot(s) on top of a line meant 10+ the amount of dots. (Math)
~They had Astronomy like we do, but for a different purpose. They had it for Religion, and they also used the stars to make predictions about the weather, prophecies, and volcanic eruptions. Their predictioins were normally very accurate. (Astronomy)
Fun Facts
* The so called "Mayan prediction calendar" was unflawed for 6,000 years.
* The Mayans too first believed earth was flat, like we originally did.
* One of their calendars could be divided into segments of 3 million years.
* The Mayans were very gifted mathmaticians.
* The Mayans independently created the concept of zero.
There are many other contributions the Mayans made. They were an advanced civilization that should atleast be expected. The Mayans made so many contributions I couldn't possibly list all of them, so I highly encourage you to go to these links below, and to learn what you can about the Mayan culture not just from this measly paragraph but from other things too.
Links to Websites with Mayan Information
http://www.experiment-resources.com/mayan-astronomy.html
http://www.lost-civilizations.net/mayan-history.html
The History of The Mayan Civilization
There is a lot of history about the Mayan Civilization, let's begin with the sacrifices. Sacrifices were part of Religious Rituals in Mesoamerica.The Incas and Aztecs held special ceremonies that involved sacrifice in temples or on mountaintops.The Mayans did something a bit different. Instead of having ceremonies on mountaintops, they had ceremonies in a deep limestone well called a "Cenote." Now let's go to the real history of the Mayan Civilization. About three thousand years ago, people settled in what we know today as Central America.They built their villages in the Rainforest of the Yucatan Peninsula. These people came to be called the Mayans. The Mayans had a sculpture of the head of the Maize God that wears a headdress depicting ears of corn. The Priest of the Mayan Civilization became very powerful because he connected people to the Gods. Since we covered the Religion of the Maya, let's go on with the Warriors of the Mayan Civilization.The warriors were very important to the Mayans' history. They had a lot of weapons such as Flint knifes, Obsidian wooden clubs, and Obsidian spears. The people who joined the Mayan Army were very young, so usually people joined at age 17. Here are some interseting facts about the Mayans. They tracked cycles of the sun, moon and other planets. By 700 B.C, they invented a writing system. They also invented chocolate. They also made thousands of paper books.When the Spanish arrivied the remaining Mayans lived in small scattered villages,and the great Mayan Cities were over grown ruins. From 1500 years of literature, only four books still exist that the Mayan wrote. Many priests also understood the complicated writing and calender systems, explained important events, and predicted the future.They also invented Herbal medicine, basketball, and they built thousands of cities. By 600 A.D, the Mayan capital Tikal had schools,libaries,hostpitals,and huge sports arenas. However, by 1000 A.D, the Mayas abandoned most of their cities.
MAYAN FOOD! CROPS: Red/green chili peppers, sweet potatoes, avocado, green tomatoes, maize, peanuts, cactus leaves, bananas, papaya, water mealon, and coca beans.
DISHES, YUM!
In the morning they ate Saka, a type of porrage. For lunch, they ate Tamales which are corn dough dumplings with meat or vegetables inside, wrapped in leaves from the corn plant. Finally, early in the evening for dinner they often had tortillas with a spicy meat or bean stew, with squash and sweet potatoes.
animals hunted
tHE MAYAN'S HUNTED DEER, TURKEYS, MONKEYS, HUMINGBIRDS, PARROTS, AND SEVERAL KInDS OF WILD CATS IN THE JUNGLE. tHE MEN HUNTED THESE ANIMALS AND THE WoMeN PRePARED The DISHES.
watering
the mayan's made a comlex watering system's including irigation canals that brought water from the swamps to the crop feilds.THESE CANALS PROBALY SAVED THE CROPS AND THAT SAVED THEIR LIVES.
Traditions: The ancient Maya believed that before the world began there was only the sea and the empty sky. They also believed that the Heart of Heaven created the mountains, the plants, and more land. Creators decided that there was something missing, human beings. The ancient Mayans did sacrifices for the gods they worshipped. The Mayans offered gifts to their gods by throwing gifts into a well, called a cenote. They believed that the more corn they grew the more people they had. The Mayan loved music and dancing. The Mayans made their own instruments, and had over 5000 dances. The high priest called Ah Kin Saton was the council of the state. The low priest predicted the future and helped with the smallest problems.
On their clothing they would weave the ancient designs/symbols of their ancestors. The patterns and colors represent history and stories from the past. Sometimes they wore cape-like squares of cotton (both men and women).
MEN:
When the climate was hot or humid, there wasn't much clothing for men. At these points, they would usually wore loincloths. Loinclothes are a strip of cloth wrapped around the hips and passed in between both of their legs. They also wore sandals that were made of untanned deer hide to go along with this "outfit". The sandals they wore grasped the foot by two straps. The upperclass men wore clothing made of cotton fabric, with leather and sandals. The nobles and royalty often dressed in large squares of cotton cloth along their shoulders.
WOMEN:
Women usually dressed in tunics, skirts, or a loose sleeveless gown that was so long it reached down to their ankles. Upperclass women wore finer clothes designed with embroidery and ornaments, and headdresses made of bright feathers. The wealthy women often wore jewelry carved with green jade and colored shell. They also wove and wore huipiles (we-pee-lace) to festivals and celebrations.
MATERIALS: cotton, leather, feathers, jade, shell, bone, wood, stone, obsidian, coral, gold, and copper.
MEN:
When the climate was hot or humid, there wasn't much clothing for men. At these points, they would usually wore loincloths. Loinclothes are a strip of cloth wrapped around the hips and passed in between both of their legs. They also wore sandals that were made of untanned deer hide to go along with this "outfit". The sandals they wore grasped the foot by two straps. The upperclass men wore clothing made of cotton fabric, with leather and sandals. The nobles and royalty often dressed in large squares of cotton cloth along their shoulders.
WOMEN:
Women usually dressed in tunics, skirts, or a loose sleeveless gown that was so long it reached down to their ankles. Upperclass women wore finer clothes designed with embroidery and ornaments, and headdresses made of bright feathers. The wealthy women often wore jewelry carved with green jade and colored shell. They also wove and wore huipiles (we-pee-lace) to festivals and celebrations.
MATERIALS: cotton, leather, feathers, jade, shell, bone, wood, stone, obsidian, coral, gold, and copper.
lower class
SACRIFICES
The lower class made up most of the population. The class is made up of famers, women, and at the bottom of the lower class were slaves. Only the lower class was sacrificed, mainly slaves, but sometimes famers were also sacrificed!
WOMEN
The women had to make clothes for the upper class.Women wore tunics and skirts or loose sleeveless dresses. They also had to make the food.
FARMERS
The famers had to grow the crops. Their main crop was maize or corn. They also grew other crops such as: beans, squash, chilies, maguey, manioc, and cacao. The Maya had a Rain God that grew the crops. The Maya made sacrifces to the rain god so that the crops will grow and they will grow faster. The famers had simple houses made out of, sticks, leaves, poles, ropes, and stone. The farmers had to pay "tax" to the king and instead of money they gave the king food.
SLAVES
The slaves held the worst part in the Mayan society. They had to work for everyone and do everything. They did not get much food and were used for sacrifices. They did not have much clothing.
The lower class made up most of the population. The class is made up of famers, women, and at the bottom of the lower class were slaves. Only the lower class was sacrificed, mainly slaves, but sometimes famers were also sacrificed!
WOMEN
The women had to make clothes for the upper class.Women wore tunics and skirts or loose sleeveless dresses. They also had to make the food.
FARMERS
The famers had to grow the crops. Their main crop was maize or corn. They also grew other crops such as: beans, squash, chilies, maguey, manioc, and cacao. The Maya had a Rain God that grew the crops. The Maya made sacrifces to the rain god so that the crops will grow and they will grow faster. The famers had simple houses made out of, sticks, leaves, poles, ropes, and stone. The farmers had to pay "tax" to the king and instead of money they gave the king food.
SLAVES
The slaves held the worst part in the Mayan society. They had to work for everyone and do everything. They did not get much food and were used for sacrifices. They did not have much clothing.
UPPER CLASS
http://www.mrsk.net/Chapter%2015/Sec%203%20-%20Maya%20Life%20and%20Society.pdf
click on this link to see a slide show
~The upper class was made up of the King,Priest,Rich Merchants,Nobles, and Warriors
~ Nobilty were in charge of trade
~ The Mayans thought the King was related to the gods
~The upper class held all the power and positions in Maya society
~The Mayans believed there was a god for every aspect
~The Mayans believed Itzamna, was the creater of the universe
If the King failed, the kingdom failed. Everyone relied on the King.
Each city-state had a capitol where the King, his court, and the advisory council lived. Different people in the
upper class performed sacrifices to please the gods. The upper class collected taxes from the lower class. Also, the upper class made the lower class serve them.
When the King died, his part got past down to his oldest son. "NOT FAIR"
click on this link to see a slide show
~The upper class was made up of the King,Priest,Rich Merchants,Nobles, and Warriors
~ Nobilty were in charge of trade
~ The Mayans thought the King was related to the gods
~The upper class held all the power and positions in Maya society
~The Mayans believed there was a god for every aspect
~The Mayans believed Itzamna, was the creater of the universe
If the King failed, the kingdom failed. Everyone relied on the King.
Each city-state had a capitol where the King, his court, and the advisory council lived. Different people in the
upper class performed sacrifices to please the gods. The upper class collected taxes from the lower class. Also, the upper class made the lower class serve them.
When the King died, his part got past down to his oldest son. "NOT FAIR"