Lili,+Chee+Eun+and+Ashley+Maya+Project

=__The Mayan Empire (250~900)__=

In this section, you are going to learn about the Mayan Empire, one of the most dominant civilizations of Mexico and Central America! So, let's begin!

**Location:**
Compare Map 1 (old map) and Map 2 (current map) below. The Mayan civilization covered what is now southern Mexico, Belize, Guatemala, and the western part of Honduras and El Salvador (in the Yucatan peninsula). The Mayan cities were located in dense jungles with a damp climate.


 * Map 1:**




 * Map 2:**

media type="custom" key="12168474" (Please zoom out for convenience in comparing)

Origins:
The origin of the Mayan empire **go back into approximately 1500 BCE**, when people changed from hunting to farming, and settled down in certain areas. During that time period, the Mayans started to from small villages that follow similar rules and social structure. The Mayans weren't necessarily united into one great empire all at once; rather, **it was a cluster of various city-states** later on.



Economic Systems:
The Mayan Empire contained the classic trade route that extended from current day Mexico to current day Guatemala. Major trade centers of the Mayan Empire include Kaminaljuyu and Tak'alik Ab'aj. The Mayan Empire **traded goods such as salt, cotton, cacao, clay, clothing, mirrors, and jewelry** with the other Mesoamerican regions. The trade of the Mayan Empire could expand due to the "specialization of certain trade routes" and amiable relationships with neighboring regions ("The Trade and Economy...Mayans"). Furthermore, the expansion of the merchant class and the abundance of natural resources promoted further trade. Trade and agriculture were prevalent in the life of the Mayas.
 * //Trade://**




 * So, in the case of the Mayan Empire, the expansion of the empire promoted trade to flourish.**

//**Specializations (Jobs):**//
 * 1) **Slaves:** They worked in the fields, cleaned the house, and took care of children under the house of the nobles.
 * 2) **Peasants**
 * 3) **Farmers:** Most of the Mayan population were farmers.
 * 4) **Craftsmen:** They made instruments such as drums and shell horns. Also, they built statues, monuments, and pottery, often for religious purposes.
 * 5) **Nobles:** They were considered important people as they considered themselves royal.
 * 6) **Priests:** They usually decided almost everything going around the empire. Priests would decide who to sacrifice, who to marry, and when to plant the crops.
 * 7) **Leaders:** The Mayans had different leaders for each city-state. The crown was often passed down to sons within the same family and they were considered to be the descendants of the Hero Twins, the rulers of the Earth from a legend.
 * 8) **Warriors**

(For more information, see the //Social Systems// section on this page.)

Once the Mayan civilization began more prosperous and they had the resources to feed their population, they were able to concentrate of improving their empire. **The specialization of labor helped increase their efficiency.** This allowed them to trade and expand.

Social Systems:
Social classes were developed by successful farming methods as people became more wealthy. At the top of the social system stood the king. This position was hereditary and was venerated as a holy figure. The noble class was made up of priests and warriors, which were at the top of the Mayan society. Next came the merchants, who were knowledgeable and skilled at certain arts. At the very bottom was the majority of the population: the peasants.

//**Religion/Ideologies:**//



They worshiped their gods by praying and offering food, flowers, and incense. //Did you know?**:** The Mayas cut themselves and offered their blood to the gods! They believed it would nourish them. Sometimes, to please the gods and keep the world in balance, they would even sacrifice the captured enemies.// They believed that the world was composed of 3 layers: the Heaven, the Earth, and the Underworld.
 * The Mayas believed in many gods such as the gods of corn, of death, of rain, and of war.** These gods were associated with directions and colors: white for north, black for west, yellow for south, red for east, and green in the center.
 * The Mayans also believed in afterlife;** for instance, peasants were often buried under their homes to let them live on with their later ancestors (which is creepy, in my opinion).

There was **no form of schooling**; however, the children were taught from a young age that presenting blood to the gods are important.
 * //E//****//ducation://**

Peasant boys and men were expect to help farming with stone axes or by hand as they did not have any particular advanced tools for farming. Boys were also taught fishing when they became of age.
 * //Expectations from Boys/Men://**

Peasant women were expected to cook, clean and sew. They were also expected to babysit their youngest siblings. Sometimes, they would carry goods from the fields and to marketplace.
 * //Expectations from Girls/Women://**

The Mayans loved to decorate themselves. They would pierce their ears, paint their skin, put on tattoos, bathed often to keep themselves clean, and wore decorative clothes adorned with jewelry. **Hats were v****ery important as they showed status**. For example, if a person wore a bigger hat, this meant that the person is in a higher status and had more power. The **Mayans also had games, music and dances**, which were usually for religious purposes. One of the known games is called pok-a-tok, a sport that somehow mixes current day soccer, kickball, and basketball. The winning team got to obtain all the jewelry from the losing team, while the __losing team was sacrificed and beheaded (!!!)__. Other horrible facts include that young infants were forced to strap boards around their heads to make their heads narrower; narrow heads were considered "special".
 * //Daily Life://**

Rise of Empire:
The Mayans ruled for nearly 2,000 years! Unlike many other civilizations, the Mayan Empire was centered in one geographical block, rather than being scattered. This concentration and their location helped protect the Mayans from invading forces in other parts of Mexico and Central America. Furthermore, the floodplains, which the Mayans had, brought rich nutrients and soil.
 * Thus, it can be said that geographic luck contributed to the rise of the empire.**

First of all, they created many great monuments which were used for ceremonial or religious purposes. One of these was named **stele**, which was a carved structure that marked a special date. Another feature of the ancient Maya cities were **ball courts**, which held games with deep religious significance. Similar to Egypt, the Mayas had **pyramids that were used as tombs**. The style of architecture was designed with complexity and had exterior and interior ornamental detailing.
 * //Technological Advancements://**

Also, the Mayans developed a **system of mathematics based on the number 20**, and understood the **concept of zero**. They had a **system of writing** (which were called hieroglyphs); each letter would represent a word or a syllable (making them phonetic). The Mayas would carve their glyphs in stone or record them in a paper book called a Codex. Three of these books have survived until now! Moreover, they tracked the progress of stars, considering them to be stories of gods' activities. They also used a **365-day calendar** (with 260 sacred days) based on the movement of the sun, like the one we use today. "Their civilization was so stable and established, they even had a word for a 400-year time period" (Cecil).



__** Watch this video to find out how the Mayan calendar works!!! **__ media type="youtube" key="qhWItvjk9Yg" height="283" width="504"

media type="youtube" key="1bhOCJ8eijU" height="324" width="432"
 * __Check out this video:__ __ Mayan Multiplication! __**

media type="youtube" key="1t5FALvtMQg" height="288" width="512"
 * __Here's a video of__ __ the Mayan script!!!!!! __**

The Mayans used an agricultural method called **slash-and-burn** agriculture. This method involved cutting down trees, burning trees, and planting crops in the remains of burned areas. They also built ridges on floodplains and farming lands.

Downfall of Empire:
In the late 800's, many of the great Mayan cities were abandoned. For years, archaeologists have come forth with different explanations for the sudden decline of the Mayans, **but no one knows exactly what happened**...

One theory states that by the 700's, the **50 major Maya city-states began fighting among each other**. This warfare created economic problems by disrupting trade. **The environment was also damaged by the increase of population and over-farming, which led to food shortages, famine, and disease.** Invaders from the north dominated the Mayan lands, and the civilization faded as the city-states were already weak.


 * When the Spanish arrived, the Mayans were already weakened; their development as a civilization stopped due to the inadequacy of the region from factors such as overpopulation and over-farming. The potential for the Mayans to further develop was lost; hence, conquest from other relatively strong invaders was to be expected.**

Impacts:
December 21st, 2012, is the end of one of these 400-year time periods that the Mayan calender is divided in. Based on a 1,300 year old inscription, some believe that the day the Mayan calender ends will be the end of the world. However, archaeologists and experts say that this date represents the beginning of a new era, rather than a global catastrophe. From, this, it is manifest that the calendars of the ancient Mayans still affect our world with the concept of "the end of the world".



Additionally, after their downfall around 900 CE, the people of the Mayans spread out and still live in parts of Guatemala, Belize, and southern Mexico, using dialects that relate to the ancient Mayan language. The Mayan dances are still passed on in some parts of Central America.

//**Fun Fact!**//
 * Until 1903, the Mayan pyramids were the tallest structures in all of the America!
 * The Maya developed the most advanced writing system in the ancient Americas!

"To Visit" List:

 * 1. ★[|BrainPOP: Mayan Civilization]★ (Username and Password Provided on School Website) **


 * 2. **** ★[|BBC Reading] **** ★ **


 * 3. **** ★[|Mayan Empire for Kids] **** ★ **

[] []
 * 4. **** ★ **** Other Websites **** ★ **

Bibliography:
Beck, Roger B.. //World History: Patterns of Interaction //. Student ed. Evanston, Ill.: McDougal Littell, 2005. Print.\ Bednarz, Sarah, Ines Miyares, Mark Schug, and Charles White. // World Cultures and Geography //. Illinosis: McDougal Littell, 2005. Print. Cecil, Jessica. "BBC - History: The Fall of the Mayan Civilisation." //BBC - Homepage//. 17 Jan. 2011. Web. 17 Jan. 2012. . Deary, Terry. // The Angry Aztecs //. London: Scholastic Children's Books, 1997. Print. "The Awesome Aztecs." // Mr.Donn.org Social Studies //. MrDonn.org, n.d. Web. 18 Jan 2012. < [] >. "The Rise and Fall of the Maya Empire" //History.com — History Made Every Day — American & World History//. Web. 17 Jan. 2012. . "The Trade and Economy of the Mayans." // Duende //. Adventure Travel Community, 20 May 2011. Web. 22 Jan 2012. .
 * Information:**

Howard Bloom. // Mayan Trade //. N.d. Photograph. RedditWeb. 22 Jan 2012. . // Mayan Map //. N.d. Photograph. Adishakti.orgWeb. 22 Jan 2012. . Philip Martin. // Aztecs Index //. N.d. Photograph. Mr.Donn.orgWeb. 18 Jan 2012. <[]>. // Slash and Burn //. N.d. Photograph. Firstscience.comWeb. 22 Jan 2012. . // The fall of the ancient Maya //. N.d. Photograph. Google BooksWeb. 22 Jan 2012. . // The Mayan Calendar //. 2011. Photograph. The Mayan Calendar PredictionsWeb. 22 Jan 2012. <http://buycheapestbooks.com/mayan-calendar-predictions/mayan-prophecy-2012-the-mayan-calendar-and-the-end-of-time.html>. //The Mayan Civilization//. 2012. Photograph. BrainPOPWeb. 18 Jan 2012. < [] >. // The Mayan Script //. 2007. Photograph. BloogerWeb. 22 Jan 2012. <http://pharmamkting.blogspot.com/2007/08/fda-at-mall-near-you-manchurian.html>. // 2012 Movie //. 2009. Photograph. BloggerWeb. 22 Jan 2012. <http://ricorant.blogspot.com/2009/10/2012-good-science-fiction-bad-mayan.html>.
 * Images:**

//Breaking the Maya Code #2: The Maya Script//. YouTube, 2011. Web. 18 Jan 2012. <[]>. //Breaking the Maya Code #4: The Maya Calendar//. YouTube, 2011. Web. 18 Jan 2012. <[]>. // Mayan Math //. YouTube, 2011. Web. <[]>.
 * Videos:**