Chapter 22: The Mayas: What Led to The Rise, Flourishing, and Fall of the Mayan Civilization?
slash-and-burn agriculture
a farming technique in which vegetation gets cut away and burned to clear land for growing crops
sacrifice
a gift of an animal for slaughter to honor the gods
ceremonial center
a large plaza in a city center, surrounded by temples and palaces, where religious rituals and other public ceremonies took place
ritual
a set of actions that always gets performed the same way as part of a religious ceremony
social pyramid
a social structure in the shape of a pyramid, with layers representing social classes of different rank
When did girls come of age?
age 12
When did boys come of age?
age 14
Who negotiated marriage?
atanzahab, or matchmatcher
solar calendar
calendar based on the cycles of the sun
Identify similarities between the Olmecs and Mayas.
civilization based on agriculture, permanent settlements, ceremonial centers, solar calendar, building techniques, observatories for studying the sky
What united the Mayas?
common culture, their social system, languages, calendar, religion
Who ruled the state with the help of his advisors?
halach uinic, or "true man" whom the Mayas considered a god-king
How could children become slaves?
if their parents sold them to feed the rest of the family
Which animal proved especially important to Mayas?
jaguar
Explain the role of priests.
maintained favor of the gods, led rituals, offered sacrifices, foretold the future
Identify their primary food source.
maize
When did men and women marry?
men at age 20, women at age 14
How did the Mayas honor their gods?
offerings such as plants, food, flowers, feathers, jade, shells, blood
Who could read the hidden meaning of the Sacred Round?
only the priests
Sometimes the Mayas sacrificed humans. Who might they have sacrificed?
orphans, slaves, nobles captured in war
Who acted as the backbone of the Mayan society?
peasants
Describe Mayan religion.
polytheistic
Why did the Mayan civilization collapse?
possibly long droughts, uncontrolled warfare, invaders from the Central Mexico
Explain the role of the ruler.
ruled, made decisions regarding war
Describe the social pyramid of the Mayas.
ruler, nobles and priests, merchants and artisans, peasants, slaves
Describe the Sacred Round.
sacred, or ritual, calendar based on 13 months of 20 days each, making 260 days total
Explain the role of the nobles.
served as scribes and officials, oversaw administration of states, gathered taxes, supplies, and labor for projects, led peasant armies in times of war
What made the high level of civilization possible?
stable food supply
Which farming technique did the Mayas develop to tackle the challenges of the mountainous highlands?
terraces
Mayas
the people of an important Mesoamerican civilization that lasted from 2000 B.C.E. to 1500 C.E.
Mesoamerica
the region extending from modern Mexico through Central America
hieroglyphic
writing that uses pictures as symbols
Did the Mayas live under one unified nation?
The Mayas lived in many city-states with their own governments.
Why did boys undergo a ceremony at four months of age.
The number four symbolized the four corners of the plot of land where he would farm and hunt.
Why did girls undergo a ceremony at three months of age?
The number three represented the three stones of the hearth, or fireplace, where she would spin, weave, cook, and grind maize.
How many days did their solar calendar have?
365 days (like ours)
Describe pok-a-tok.
Players tried to hit a rubber ball through a stone ring using their elbows, wrists, and hips. Losers got sacrificed!
