MAYAN EMPIRE

mayaN EMPIRE

EMMA RODRIGUEZ 3ºB

EMMA RODRIGUEZ 3ºB

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01

THE MAYAN CIVILISATION

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INTRODUCTION

The Mayan civilisation was a people who lived in Mesoamerica 4000 years ago. They lived there for a long time and some of the Mayas live there even today. The Mayan history is divided into three periods:

• PRECLASSIC: from 1,500 BC to 317 AD.
• CLASSIC: from 317 to 889.
• POSCLASSIC: from 889 to 1696.

02

MAYANS' LIFE

SOCIETY, CLOTHES, FOOD

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SOCIETY

LIFE AS PEASANTS

LIFE AS NOBLES

The life of the Mayan peasant was full of hard work.

• The men spent their afternoons working on handicrafts such as tools.
• The women wove clothes.

The king and the noble Mayans had a very easy life, they had all their needs covered by the peasants.

• They didn't have to work and the peasants wanted to be like them.

PEASANT MAYAS

NOBLE MAYAS

FOOD

The basic aliments of the Mayan diet were cultivated.

BEANS

CORN

CHILLIES

PUMPKINS

CLOTHES

MEN

WOMEN

• Long skirts
• Big cotton shirts usually with flowers

• A bare-breasted underwear called "patí".

WOMEN's CLOTHES

men's clothes

03

ART AND ARCHITECTURE

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ARCHITECTURE

PYRAMIDS

Mayans are famous for their pyramids. They were built with religious purpose. They were 2 types of pyramids:

CHICHEN ITZÁ

• 1st type: a temple in the top so that the priests could go up and make sacrifices to the gods.
• 2nd type: built for a god, these pyramids mustn't be climbed. Sometimes tunels, secret doors and traps were included.

Caana Pyramid

LA DANTA

04

Language and HIEROGLIPHicS

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LANGUAGE

Peninsular Maya or Yucatec is a Mayan language spoken mainly in Yucatán, Campeche and Quintana Roo. In the Yucatan Peninsula, a lot of people speak this language (about 800,000).

ALphabet

mayan script

• They developed a writing system based on glyphs. The illustrations were complex and used many signs (about 800).
• It originated due to the need to record astronomical data, numerical data, proper names, places, dates, mathematical data, medicine, art, historical events, laws.
• To read Maya glyphs, you read downward, left to right, in pairs.

HIEROGLYPHICS

05

numbers, calendar and astronomy

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NUMERS, CALENDAR aND ASTRONOMY

The Maya used a numerical system. They were good at art, construction and mathematics. Their priests studied the stars and planets, which helped them make calendars.

NUMBERS

CALENDAR

ASTRONOMY

03

RELIGION AND BELIEFS

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MAYANS' RELIGION

They were polytheistic. Mayans' most important gods were Hunab Ku and Itzamná. They also worshipped gods of nature. These are some examples:

• Ah Mun: god of corn
• Ahau Kin: god of the sun
• Ah Muzenkab: god of bees and honey
• Buluc Chabtan: god of war and human sacrifices
• Chac: god of rain

GODS

VOCABULARY:

• Handicrafts: artesanía
• Wove (weave): tejer
• Bare-breaster underwear: ropa interior con pecho descubierto
• Trap: trampa

WEBS THAT I USED TO GET INFORMATION:

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