MayaCiviliza*on

Loca*on

MesoamericanCulturalRegion Maya-YucatánPeninsula

TheMaya

•  Civiliza*onlastedmorethan2,000years

•  300to900A.D.(theClassicPeriod)wastheirheyday

•  Civiliza*onmysteriouslydeclinedaround1000A.D.

CulturalAchievements

•  Builtcomplexci*eswithoutmachinery/metalorthewheel

•  Grewcorn,beans,andsquash,inaninhospitableenvironment

•  WriMenlanguage•  Accuratecalendars•  Independentlyinvented

Zero

TikalCapitalCity

•  Loca*on:Guatemala

•  10,000peoplelivedinits6squaremiles

•  3,000temples,manypalaces,ceremonialplaTorms,ballcourts,andplazas

Tikal

hMps://youtu.be/YaUIR2QIx54

AmazingArchitecture

•  TheGreatJaguarTemple

•  Builtin870AD

JaguarinMesoamericanCulture

•  Strong,quick,andagile,it’sthebiggestcatintheAmericas

•  Jaguarpossessedtheabilitytocrosstheworldsofnightandday

•  ThelivingandtheEarthwereday,thespiritworldwasnight

TheBallGame

•  KnownasPokatok•  Religioussignificance•  Par*cipantswereodenPOWs

•  Losersweresome*messacrificed

HowdoweknowwhatweknowabouttheMaya?

MayanCodex•  Glyph:Inarchaeology,a

glyphisacarvedorinscribedsymbol

•  Pictograms:apictorialsymbolforawordorphrase

•  MayanCodices:ancientmanuscripttextsinbookform:madefrombark

•  DresdenCodex:oldestAmericanbookknown