,
Who were the Mayas
Found in Central America
During time of Greeks and Romans
Very advanced
Many inventions
Zero
Calendars
Chocolate
Maya Eras
First people inhabited
the area as early as
6000 B.C.
Called the Olmecs
Very advanced
Little is known of them
First Mayas appear in
2500 B.C.
Advanced very quickly
Maya Books
Were able to write both pictures and sounds
Similar to our language
Made a type of paper using fig tree bark
Hammered out the bark
Only three books remain
The Great Mayan Mystery
The cities were
suddenly abandoned
Left the cities in a
hurry
Possible Reasons
Famine
War
Rebellion
Spanish Invasion
The Spaniards were desperate for gold
A priest named Diego de Landa tried to convert the natives to Catholicism
Tortured those who refused
Burned all Mayan books
Wrote much of history we have today of the Maya people
Mayan Life
Kings and Nobles lived a life of luxury
Closer to center of city the wealthier
Peasants lived in small huts
Most were farmers
Had to give part of harvest to nobles
Men, women, and children had to help work
Celebrations
Attended by everyone
No one had to work
Played favorite game called pok-to-pok
Only nobles could play
Mayan Religion
The whole society centered around religion
Everything was done according to ritual
Everything was believed to have a spirit
Thought world was flat
When dead, a person went to one of 9 underworlds
Believed everything had its own god
gods could only be satisfied with blood
Mayan Afterlife
Mayas feared death
Only certain people went to paradise
Warriors who died in battle
Priests
People who hanged themselves
People who had been sacrificed
All others were left up to the whims of the gods