Rise+of+the+Mayan+Empire+Research+Notes

Rise of the Maya Notes Topics: 1. Climate and Geographic Factors 2. Events and Leaders 3. Socio-Political Structure 4. Industrial and Artistic Technology 5. Art, Literature, and Music 6. Science and Mathematical Contributions

 **__Mayan Society__**
 * **Society was divided into classes**
 * **Shaped by religion**
 * **Civilization rose in Central America**
 * __The Rise Of Mayan Culture__**
 * **1500 BC- Mayan people settled in villages**
 * **Farmed and traded**
 * **500 BC- rich villages had had religious centers**
 * __Classic Period (AD 250-900)__**
 * **Built city-states with temples and pyramids**
 * **Each independent and ruled by king**
 * **Traded salts, textiles and jade**
 * __Daily Life__**
 * **Society- king at top, priests and warriors, merchants, farmers and lastly slaves**
 * **Most Mayans were farmers**
 * **Grew beans and squash**
 * **Farmers used irrigation**
 * ** Built raised houses to keep them protected from floods**

· **Worshiped many Gods** · **Sacrificed animals, plants and sometimes other people for their Gods** · **Worshiped agricultural Gods** · **The rain God** · **Had to make offerings to Gods** · **Ceremonies held in temples · ****Rituals included dancing, ball games and prayers to God** __**Art**__
 * __Religion__ **
 * **Linked to religion- created for ceremonies**
 * **Used steles for religious dates and rulers reigns**
 * **Included: painted ceramics, clay figurines and sculpted stones**
 * **Artists were highly educated**
 * **Made basic jewelry**

Made weavings and masks > · Percussion- mostly drums made of wood, sometimes tortoise shell > · Maracas- ceramic materials > · Some flutes have been found > · Flutes made of bone, wood or reed** · **Used mainly for ceremonies** · **Used at funerals, following casket of important people** · **Musicians would break instruments into the tomb before it was sealed** · **Music also followed victories at war**
 * Men made stone tools, clay figurines, jade carvings ropes, baskets and mats
 * ** __Music__ **
 * **__Instruments__
 * **__Instruments__
 * __Functions of music__**

** __Writing__ **
 * **Had most advanced writing in ancient American history**
 * **Used pictographs in their writing**
 * **Sometimes used stones to carve writings into**
 * **Most commonly used books made from bark paper**
 * **Books bound with wood and deer hide**

· **Developed zero** · **Had accurate calendar** · **Use d calendar to mark plantings, attacks and religious dates** · **Used their math and science skills to make calendar**
 * __Math and Science__ **
 * **Used a base of 20 instead of 10 like we use**
 * **Used "bar and dot" for counting**
 * **dot=1, bar=5**
 * **Didn't use fractions**

· **Long count- measures time since the creation of the world** · **Calendar round- combines dates in 260 day cycle, and a 365 day year** · **K’in means day** · **Winal means 20 day month** · **Tun means 360 day long count year (18 winal)** · **Katun** **means 7200 days (20 tun)** · **Baktun** **means 144000 days (20 katun)**
 * Calendar**


 * __Astronomy__ **

**·** **Sun was directly overhead when the sun was passing over their latitude.**   **·** **Mayans able to view it**  <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">**·** <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">**Happened twice a year, around the time of the solstice**  <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">**·** <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">**Able to know these days because they wouldn’t have a shadow**  <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">**·** <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">**Believed the Earth was flat, had four corners**  <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">**·** <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">**Each corner had a colour.**  <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">**·** <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">**East- red, North- white, West- black, South- yellow**  <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">**·** <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">**Each corner was a jaguar that they believed held up their sky**  <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">**·** <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">**Universe divided into thirteen layers**  <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">**·** <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">**Each layer had its own God**  <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">**·** <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">**Tracked patterns in the sky, allowed them to know when the seasons change**  <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">**·** <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">**Used light and shadows to track time**  <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">**·** <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">**Used it to predict when floods and famines were going to happen.**  <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">**·** <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">**Knew when to plant and when to store food**


 * __Geography__ **
 * **Lived in Southern Mexico and Central America**
 * **Tikal- the largest Mayan city**
 * **Eastern third of Mesoamerica**
 * **Lowlands, highlands, small mountain ranges and volcanoes**
 * **Fields with crops**
 * **Lowlands had rainforest**
 * **Forests and swamps**
 * **Volcanic highlands**


 * __Leaders__ **
 * **Used Halach Uinic (Meaning a true man) as leader**
 * **When he died, would be passed to son**
 * **If he does not have a son, it would be passed to a male in the family**
 * **Halach Uinic’s relative would become Ah Cuch Cabob**
 * **Ah Cuch Cabob helped ruler with foreign affairs and domestic problems**
 * **Ah Cuch Cabob dealt with village chiefs and people from town**
 * **Priest told king what to do**
 * __Lord Pascal__ **
 * **Become king at age of 6**
 * **Took throne at age of 12**
 * **Priest/ruler/king fro 50 years before he died**

Sources Ayhche, Michelle. The Ancient Maya- History < [|http://www.digitalmeesh.com/maya/history.htm>]

Lesson 4 The Mayan Civilization <http://www.eduplace.com/ss/socsci/ca/books/bkf3/reviews/pdfs/LS_6_09_04.pdf>

Maya Civilization [|<http://encarta.msn.com/encyclopedia_761576077/maya_civilization.html>]

Mayan Geography < [|http://www.sheboyganfalls.k12.wi.us/schools/middleschool/library/Pups%20Class%20Web%20Page/Pups%20Mayan%20Civilization%20Final.htm>]

Mayan Geography < [|http://www.sheboyganfalls.k12.wi.us/schools/middleschool/library/Civilization%20Web%20Page/MAYAN%20Civilization%20Powers%20Final.htm>]

Maya Government [|<http://www.kidsnewsroom.org/elmer/infoCentral/frameset/civilizations/maya/gov/index.html>]

Musielak, Dora. Maya Astronomy [|http://www.kuxansuum.net/page8.php]

Maya Civilization [|<http://www.crystalinks.com/maya.html>]

Lemomick, Michael. Mayan Civilization [|<http://www.indians.org/welker/maya.htm>]

Mayan Society [|<http://www.lost-civilizations.net/mayan-society.html>]

Mayan Astronomy [|<http://www.mythome.org/mayanastro.html>]

Finely, Michael. Maya Calendar <span style="font-size: 150%; font-family: 'Arial Black', Gadget, sans-serif;"> <http://members.shaw.ca/mjfinley/calnote.htm>

Pre-Columbian Maya Music http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pre-Columbian_Maya_music Rise of the Mayan Empire Home

<span style="font-size: 140%; font-family: 'Arial Black', Gadget, sans-serif;">Maya Home <span style="font-size: 120%; color: rgb(255,0,0); font-family: 'Arial Black', Gadget, sans-serif;">