Maya Study Guide Test Date ______________________
Geography:
Mexico Pacific Ocean Gulf of Mexico Yucatan Peninsula
Tropical Rain Forests/ Jungles
Government:
City-states each had a king
Social Structure:
Kings-Leader
Priests- Upper class
Farmers- Lower class (most of Mayan society)
Religion:
Believed in many gods
Believed in blood sacrifice, human sacrifice, and paying tribute (sacrificing belongings and gold)
Temples were a place of worship
Technology/ Achievements:
Writing System- glyphs
Calendar- solar and lunar- used to predict planting seasons and to plan religious festivals
Architecture- building design (temples and observatories)
Art- paintings, sculptures, jewelry
Math- the number zero
Agriculture (farming)
Grew crops like squash, beans, and corn (maize)
Corn was the most important crop
Grew cacao beans- used as money and to make a drink for religious ceremonies. The rich had the luxury of turning the beans into chocolate.
Used a planting stick
Slash/burn- cut trees and burn land to make room for farming
Terrace farming- cut steps into the hillsides to make more land flat and usable for farming
The End of the Maya Civilization
Remains a mystery but scientists believe the following could have happened:
Food shortages Overpopulation
Warfare Deforestation (cutting down the forests)
Drought Climate change
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