The Mighty Mayan Karina, Leonna, Matt M., and Mike B.
Table of Contents • Location Page • Government Page • Religion Page • Agriculture Page • Cultural & Scientific Contributions Page • Bibliography Page
Location • The relative location of the Mayan empire around Central America. • The modern day countries are Southern Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, and Belize.
Government • The type of government the Mayans had was a Monarchy. • The leader of the monarchy was a Halach Uinic who has complete power over his people and when he dies, he passes on his power to his eldest son.
Religion • The Mayans were polytheistic, meaning they had many gods, Itzamma, Lord of life, Ali Kin, The sun god, Ah Puch, God of death, Chac, God of water and rain, Yomax, The corn god, And Ixchel, Goddess of the moon, of pregnancy, and of abundance • There practices were astronomy, divination, human sacrifice, elaborate burial for royalty, worship in stone pyramids and temples
Agriculture • One of the main crops of the Mayan civilization is corn or maize, but they also grew beans, avocado, and pumpkins. Along with those crops, the Mayans grew cocoa beans which they thought was very important because it symbolized life and fertility. • Turkeys and javelina (also known as peccaries) are two types of domesticated animals that the Mayan had. They also raised dogs. • They Mayan people hunted, fished, gathered fruits, nuts and vegetables. They also planted gardens. For irrigation they built dams and reservoirs.
Cultural & Scientific Contributions • The Mayans used pottery for every-day life, they made bowls, pots, and clay figurines. They also used hieroglyphics, or picture writing. • The Mayans made the first team sport, the solar calendar, the base-10-system, and the number 0.
Bibliography • Garcia, Guy, Spirit of the Maya, New York, Walker And Company, 1995 • Nicholson, Robert, The Maya, London, Chelsea House Publishers, 1993 • http://ebsms.wcs.k12.va.us/mexicotrip/hood.htm • Tutor, Pilaf, The Mayan Civilization, Chicago, The Childrens Press, 1993 • Victoria Sherrow, The Maya Indians, Philadelphia, Chelsea House Publishers, 1994
