Central and South American Natives8 History

Maya Empire

HistorySettlements formed about 1800 BC, the height of the empire came about 250-500 AD with about 2 million Mayans in the Cities of Stone, they mysteriously declined and disappeared by 900 AD

Territory

Home, religion and school• Worshipped gods of nature • Believed in an afterlife • Had temples, places, pyramids,

statues, and plazas in honor of the many gods

• They practiced human sacrifice• They used a hieroglyphic writing

system

Appearance• Bathed often• Pierced their ears• Covered their bodies in tattoos and paint• Dressed colorfullywith lots of jewelry and hats• Loved straight black hair with high

cheek bones

Social Structure• Top – leaders, nobles and priests• Middle class - craftsmen, traders, and

warriors• Bottom – farmers, peasants, and other

workers • Slaves were captured from warring

tribes, worked in nobles’ homes caring for children, cleaning, working fields

Government• Kings or “Holy Lords,” claimed to be

related to the Gods• They decided when to plant crops,

when to marry, and who to sacrifice• The Holy Lords were thought to serve

as mediators between the gods and people on earth

• Noble families controlled the city states

Overviewhttp://www.history.com/topics/maya/videos#the-mayans

Encounterhttp://www.history.com/topics/maya/videos#mayan-encounter

Dooms Dayhttp://www.history.com/topics/maya/videos#ask-history-did-the-maya-predict-2012

Videos