History of the Maya The Maya originated around

History of the Maya • The Maya originated around 3, 000 years ago in present-day Guatemala, Honduras, Belize and Mexico. – The empire in the south collapsed around 900 AD. No one knows the reason. – But the empire in the north flourished until the Spanish conquests of the 16 th century AD.

What the Maya were like • They were skilled farmers • They created a sophisticated language – 1 st written language native to the Americas. (see picture on left) • They developed a social class system which was well-ordered

What the Maya were like • Mathematicians – Their number system included the concept of zero – centuries before it was discovered in Asia and Europe! • Astronomers – They used their mathematical knowledge along with celestial observations (sun, moon, stars) to create a calendar. – They used their calendar to create structures to observe and commemorate movements of the moon, the sun, and Venus.

Mayan Calendar • Mayans invented a calendar of remarkable accuracy and complexity • Used among many Native American groups.

Mayan Calendar • The Maya calendar uses three different dating systems in parallel: – the Long Count, – the Tzolkin (divine calendar), – and the Haab (civil calendar). • The Haab was the civil calendar of the Mayas. • It consisted of 18 "months" of 20 days each, followed by 5 extra days, known as Uayeb. – This gives a year length of 365 days.

Chichen Itza • Chichen Itza is one of the ‘Seven Wonders of the World’ – What are some other wonders? • Were Mayans the only ones who built pyramids? • What were those pyramids used for?

Chichen Itza • The Pyramid of Kukulkan at Chichén Itzá • The pyramid was used as an observatory and a calendar: four stairways, each with 91 steps and a platform at the top, making a total of 365, equivalent to the number of days in a calendar year.

On the equinox, the sun casts a shadow on the steps that looks like a serpent. Serpents were sacred to Mayans.

Chichen Itza • Also used as a place for human sacrifice • Chichen Itza, like most Mayan centers, was primarily a spiritual, ceremonial site. • Mayans came together for offerings, sacrifices, and ceremonies in the town. • Exhumed from the sacred well were many ceremonial objects, skulls, and entire skeletons.

Ball Court at Chichen Itza • The Mayans were great sportsmen and built huge ball courts to play their games – similar to basketball – where they would throw 13 pound balls through rings in the ball court. • The Great Ball court of Chichén Itzá is 545 feet long and 225 feet wide overall and is totally open to the sky.

Ball Court at Chichen Itza • Legends say that the winning captain would present his head to the losing captain, who then decapitated him. • While this may seem a strange reward, the Mayans believed this to be the ultimate honor. • The winning captain would get a direct ticket to heaven instead of going through the 13 steps that the Mayans believed they had to go through in order to reach heaven.

MYSTERIES: • A whisper from one end can be heard clearly at the other end 500 feet away. – The sound waves are unaffected by wind direction or time of day/night. Lots have tried, but no one can explain how this is possible.

Piensen (Think)… • Why is it important for us to understand ancient civilizations? • What can they tell us about our own civilization?