THE MAYANS

• Mayan culture


  • Vibrant
  • Enjoyed life to its fullest extent
  • Religion had dancing and singing as essential elements despite some unpleasant aspects like human sacrifice
• Major economic activities of the Mayans

  • Farming
  • Trading
• Mayan farmers


  • Did not own land separately, worked their fields as one community
  • Each member of a tribe given a portion of corn-land called Milpa
  • Cultivated corn, beans, squash, pumpkins, chili peppers, sweet potatoes, sweet cassava, papayas, avocado pears
• There existed a brisk trade between the Mayan city-states. The Mayan traders (Ppolms) even traded with states that were not part of the Mayan empire.
• Religion in Mayan life


  • Very important in every part of Mayan life
  • Festivals, games, music and dance were all part of religious ceremonies
• Polytheistic


  Worshipped 166 gods of all kinds - some underworld, some walked the earth, others ruled the sky and heavens
• Some important Mayan gods

  • Hunab Ku (chief god)
  • Kinich Ahau (sun god)
  • Chac (rain god)
  • Yum Kax (corn god)
  • Ah Kinchil (god of the earth)
• Mayan gods could be good or bad so they were treated with great respect and were worshipped regularly
• Mayan sacrifices


  • Offered to the gods regularly, including crops, animals and humans
  • Believed the gods had to be nourished so they could fight off evils like drought, disease or pests
• Ah Kin


  Mayan priests, very important within Mayan society
• Mayan historians mistook the Mayan priest as rulers
• Mayan ball game Pok a Tok

  • A kind of basketball, had ritual significance, losers could be sacrificed
  • Played on a long, narrow court with spectators sitting above, a rubber ball had to hit a marker or be propelled through a high stone ring without using hands
  • Had religious significance, heavy betting involved, also played as recreation by children and women
• Halach Uinic


  Head of each city-state, an absolute ruler, hereditary office, wore elaborate robes, headdress of rare feathers, jade and semi-precious stones
• Ah Kin


  Mayan priests, controlled learning, made calendar calculations, observed stars and planets, kept records, decided when events in life should take place
• Batabs/Batabobs


  Government officials who assisted with running city-states, controlled division of land and work, road maintenance, tax collection, exempt from paying taxes, entitled to portion of crops
• Nacoms


  War chiefs, belonged to nobility class, exempt from taxes, led soldiers into battles, wars fought to add territory and get prisoners for slaves or sacrifices
• Ppolms


  Mayan merchants, connecting link between city-states, traded items like corn, salt, smoked meat, dried fish, honey, wood, animal skin, as well as luxury items like jade, carved shells, fine pottery and textiles, exempt from taxes
• Mayan artisans


  • Skilled workers, belonged to working class, exempt from taxes, produced murals, sculptures, pottery, codices
• Mayan peasants/farmers


  • Main economic activity, burdened with paying taxes, set aside part of corn crop for taxes, gathered forest products and made tools, ornaments, household goods to sell to pay taxes, wives gathered honey, wove cloth, made pottery, also had to work on building projects and serve as soldiers
• Mayan slaves


  Made up of surplus children, war prisoners and criminals, forced to do "grunt work" like grinding maize and chopping trees, not poorly treated but often killed and buried with master
• Mayan city states: Uxmal, Tikal, Chichen Itza, Mayapan, Palenque, Copan

  
• Political units ruled by kings who were religious leaders, cities surrounded by walls, built around central plaza where temples stood, population ranged from 10,000 - 50,000 people, some cities had satellite towns that paid tribute
• Mesoamerica: A term used by archaeologists to describe a large area of Central America, including parts of southern Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras and Belize

  
• Mayan City-States:

  1. Uxmal
  2. Chichen Itza
  3. Palenque
  4. Copan
  5. Mayapan
• The Ah Kin:

  1. They set and organized festivals.
  2. They made sacrifices.
  3. They determined which days on the calendar was suitable for planting and harvesting.
  4. They decided when a couple should marry.
  5. They decided when trading ventures should take place.
  6. They decided when wars should be waged; when new temples should be built.
• The Halach Uinic: (True Man/Real Man)
• The Mayas feared drought and starvation.
• The rulers acted as intermediaries between the gods and the peoples, using elaborate rituals that were believed to please the gods.
• Bloodletting-When worshippers cut themselves to offer up their blood to the gods.
• Human Sacrifice- Using captured prisoners-of-war as victims.
• Mayans had an extensive system of writing called hieroglyphics
• Mayan Hieroglyphics was used on stone monuments, pottery, codices, and other objects.