Ancient+Maya

Ancient Maya: A survey of Mayan geography, society, culture and politics Eric Lee and Sam Sze (Robert J. Sharer)


 * The maya people created one of the most brilliant and successful of all ancient civilization"(Robert J. Sharer)**

= Geography = Maya were spread by lowland and high land with volcano, the climate in highland they were separate in dry season from Jan-April followed by the rain season from May-December, there were warm tropical climate in the lowlands unlike the highland with many mountain ,the lowland are hilly. there were also many rain forest in the ancient maya. The pacific ocean were surrounded. That is the map of maya:
 * || [[image:3.jpg caption="http://0.tqn.com/d/ancienthistory/1/0/Y/M/2/MayaMap.jpg"]] ||
 * || [[image:3.jpg caption="http://0.tqn.com/d/ancienthistory/1/0/Y/M/2/MayaMap.jpg"]] ||

The Economic effect:
The high land and low land were both important in the trade in the Ancient Maya, food were supplied through the rain forest, they produce a lots dangerous animal but they also provided a variety kind of animal for food. Because of the tropical climate the crops in the Ancient Maya were grow nicely. The volcano in the Maya produce many precious metal this become a very important part of the Ancient Maya Economic trade.

The social effect:
The Pacific Ocean of Maya have provide a good way for transportation.And also,the maya people believed each weather and something have a god.For example,they have believed rain god,sun god,moon god,and another grain god ,and corn god. That is the significate point for Maya sociality. = = = = = = = Society = The mayan were rule by male, the society could be separated in the four different classes(text book) Four different classes: The lowest level of Mayan society were slaves. The slaves were made up of orphans, criminals, prisoners of war and other enemies, and the children of slaves. Slaves were not necessarily mistreated, but they had no privileges, provided almost all manual labor in Mayan society, and were the most common victims of human sacrifice.

The next level was made up of the peasants. They also became human sacrifices occasionally, and were not allowed to own any quetzal ( ket-zal) feathers, jade, or anything else that showed status. The peasants worked extremely hard and gave the governing priests large tributes and taxes.

The next level was the nobility. Nobles were chosen for all the positions of importance, such as craftsman, merchant, civil servant, military officer, etc. Also, the nobility was not required to pay taxes or tributes.

Warriors were a special group of nobles that fought in battles. The warriors would fight the enemy warriors all day, and a temporary treaty was called at nightfall that lasted until morning. Warriors fought with such weapons as flint knives, spears, clubs, and hornet nests, which were thrown into enemy ranks. If the leader of one army was wounded or killed, the battle ended and the army without a leader would retreat.

The highest level in Mayan society was made up of priests. Priests were supported entirely by peasants, who paid them large tributes and provided them with free manual labor. Priests controlled government, religion, warfare, and trade. While priests and nobles tended to live in the large Mayan cities and peasants lived in the surrounding country and villages, ruler-priests did live in the villages, and lived a luxurious lifestyle with several servants and assistants and kept themselves distanced from their subjects. While it may not have been impossible to move up the ranks, it was incredibly difficult and status was usually hereditary.

If I live in the ancient Maya I would probably be in the peasant level, and my only entertainment will gonna be playing music and doing stuff about artistic, besides of playing video game.(Eric) If i live in the ancient Maya I would probably in the warriors level,and i need to keep our country save.And also i have responsibility to attack the enemy.(Sam)

This is an art work in the ancient Maya ([]) = = = Culture = The statue of god in the anicient maya

Language:
The ancient words spoken by the Kekchi and Mopan Maya were probably a dialect of Cholan, the language of the Classic Maya heartland. This ancient way of speaking has developed into several distinct languages. Linguistically, the Mopan are separate from the Kekchi. The two groups even have different words for such common entities as "sun" and "tortilla". Because of the language ndifferences, and the mixing of the two cultures, most Maya in Toledo are tri-lingual in Kekchi, Mopan, and English. Many Maya also understand Spanish. This shows that the the different language in the ancient MAYA mix different culture in the mayan. Because the different languages has their own culture, when people have to communicate they had to mix these culture together. The advantage of mixing the culture is that people know each and others culture, the disadvantage is that mixing the culture destroy the original idea of the original culture.

Art:[[image:maya1206d.jpg caption="http://www.crystalinks.com/maya1206d.jpg"]]
The art of the Maya, is a reflection of their lifestyle and culture. It was an important trade merchandise. The art was composed of delineation and painting upon paper and plaster, carvings in wood, [|__Obsidian__], bone, shells, [|__Jade__]and stone, clay and stucco models, and terracotta figurines from molds. The technical process of metal working was also highly developed but as the resources were scarce, they only created ornaments in this media. Music was very appreciated and there is also proof of Theater plays being held in the public ceremonies. The Maya Kings commissioned finely crafted works to furnish their palaces and attest to their sovereignty and [|__Warfare__] victories, among them, carved thrones and throne backs, where a king might reign supported by depictions of ancestors or gods. Figural mirror holders served as “perpetual servants” who revealed the king’s dazzling but fractured image in polished pyrite and hematite, mosaic mirrors, artists working in stucco achieved realistic portraiture that captures age and wisdom. Painted cups and vases for the elite depict scenes of court life, while clay figurines portray members of the retinue that attended the king. Representing [| __ball players__], servants, dwarfs, [|__hunchbacks__], musicians, messengers, and [|__priests__], along with elegantly coiffed women, these figurines all come from tombs, where they also served their lords in death. Although, The Maya Art was not only for the royalty, as the multiple findings in households shows. On the other hand in [|__Aguateca__], every one of the elite residences excavated so far has included a workshop—a sign that Aguateca's sculptors, painters, ceramic artists, and [|__scribes__] came overwhelmingly from the ranks of nobility. A sampling of clay figurines shows their range of inspiration. The enigmatic and extremely fine sculptures from an Unknown Site, named Q for Qué? in Spanish (What?), has been identified as [|__La Corona__] in [| __Northwestern Petén__].

The art in the ancient Maya is very important because it collect a lots of data in the ancient Maya. Some of the art work had draw down some life of the emperor's life at the time. This also causes the development on the economic of the ancient Maya because of selling the art work to the other, this also helped at the develop on combining the culture of people talking different language, because when they have to trade they have to communicate to other people .the artistic work also provide a entertainment for people at that time .So that the art work in the ancient Maya was very important at the time.

= =

The religion:
As we mention in the first part of this page the Mayan's believe in many different god such as rain god,sun god,moon god,and another grain god ,and corn god.they believe them because of the geography feature in the Maya. The main effect of the Maya religion is that people in the ancient maya has more and more different culture their religion are usually allow people to believe in other god, this make the reunion of maya. = =

= Economic = = = ==

= =  Mayan economics were based primarily on trade and agriculture. Here are some details of some of that system. Currency:Cacao beans, copper bells, marine shells, jade beads were used as exchange media, although calling them "currency" is a bit strong, since the production of any of them wasn't controlled by a specific government  Mines and quarries:Obsidian, jadeite, limestone   Lapidary arts: jadeite, marine shell, turquoise, specialized workshops, schist, in an elite context   Metallurgy: Didn't develop in Mesoamerica until 600 AD (Late Postclassic), and then it was west Mexico that developed it   Trade systems:The Maya had a fairly extensive trade network, with obsidian, jade, serpentine, feathers (quetzalcoatl birds), and ceramic vessels being traded throughout Mesoamerica. Trade connections were established with [|__Olmec__] and [|__Teotihuacan__] ; there were markets in most of the cities. Polychrome Ceramics: Prudence Rice [|__argued in 2009__] that during the Late Classic period, elite personages were the painters of the figural specialized polychrome wares, and the painting of them represented a specialized expression of state control. Agriculture: Begins in the highlands about 3000 BC, with maize and beans, the Maya were arranged into small communities of farmers by ca 900 BC. First villages had pole and thatch houses and a few community buildings. Fields were slash-and burn at first, then home gardens and raised terraces. In the Maya highlands, irrigation canals and terraces were constructed to adapt the local environment to agriculture; in the the lowlands, the people grew crops on raised platforms called chinampas. Cultivated crops: [|__maize__] (domesticated ca 7000 BC), beans (5000 BC), cucurbits (squash), [|__chili peppers__], manioc (3000 BC), amaranth, chenopodium, palms, [|__cacao__] , [|__vanilla__] ; ramon, avocado (500 BC), agave; Domesticated animals: hairless god, [|__turkey__] , honeybee (http://archaeology.about.com/od/mayaarchaeology/qt/maya_economics.htm) = = We can see that the overall economics in the ancient Maya was developed very well, that was mainly because the people use their resource very well. They spend almost every resource on their island.And also we can know their state control and Mines is very well. = = = =  Government Priests ran governments, ruled cities, led ceremonies and performed many other jobs.Maya priests were also the rulers of cities. Every day they would perform services after climbing the hundreds of temple steps. Maya priests might have caused the collapse of the Maya when the lesser Mayas (farmers) got tired of having to obey the commands of the priests and abandoned the cities. One of the most famous Maya rulers was Lord Pacal. He became a king at the age of 6 and legally took the throne at 12. Pacal was a priest/ruler/king for about 50 years before he died. When his tomb was discovered he was wearing a jade death mask. To the left is a picture of a recreation of the death mask.

= Change =

During B.C 200-A.C 800 is most prosperous period of Maya culture.But in 19th century the classical Maya civilization city decline suddenly.It is because l ed to Chichen Itza, Yucatan Peninsula, north of the rise of some of the Mayan city-states, when called on historians began after the classical period of Mayan civilization. Chichen Itza city-state regime was overthrown in 1224 A.C, followed by Mayapan city led coalition. 1450 Mayapan regime collapse due to civil strife. When the Spaniards boarded the American continent, the Maya area is actually in the state of disintegration. Chichen Itza and Mayapan, after the classical period of Mayan civilization, with the Tikal, Copan and Palenque period compared to the classical civilization, in all respects very different, can only say that the last remnants of the Mayan civilization. People belive that the ending of Maya is still a mystery.

Although the Maya do not even know how to use metal or a wheel, but still they make a lot of high quality building at that time. This show their high technology on building.they can build the highest building in the ancient time without cattle, wheels or any metal.They are the one who find out the symbol of collecting data every 5 or 20 some of the people in the world still uses some of these method on math. ======

citation: ancient Maya geography(n.d)//Daily life in Maya civilazation 27/11/11// anciect maya society(n.d// ) http://library.thinkquest.org/5891/society.htm // web 27/11/11 ancient Maya culture-language(n.d) // http://www.southernbelize.com/hist_mayan.html // web 27/11/11 ancient Maya culture -art(n.d) // http://www.authenticmaya.com/maya_art.htm27011011 // ancient Maya economic(n.d)//web// [] ancient Maya government webN.d)

By ERIC and SAM