Myan

toc Made By:Tyler, Jesse, Issac, Brett

=__Religion__=

**The Mayans practiced blood-letting and sacrifice. The blood-letting was not of their prisoners or criminals but of themselves. They thought that the gods needed their servant's blood and the Mayans believed that it was an honour to give blood to their gods. Other practices done by the Mayans were astronomy, divination, human sacrifice, elaborate burial for royalty and worship in stone pyramids-temples. The type of gods that the Mayans worshiped were natural gods, meaning they were gods of rain, sun, earth and other things. The most worshiped gods were the gods of rain, sun, earth and corn. Those gods were Itzamná, Quetzalcóatl, Bolon Tzacab and Chac.** **The Mayans were Polytheistic which means they worshiped many gods. They had many gods from corn to darkness. All of their gods were nature except the evil gods.**


 * The Mayan's religion and government were combined because there was a preist for every city-state or town and then there was the head preist who was in charge of all. Even though there was a king of the Mayans, the preists could over through him. The king was mostly in charge of war. The preists were head worshipers and honchos. The preists were beleived to be agents between the gods and the people, thought to be demi-gods them sleves.

The Mayans believed a lot when it came to the after life. They thought after you died you went on a dangerous voyage of the soul through the underworld. The underworld was home to sinister gods, represented by the jaguar, the symbol of night. Most Mayans icluding rulers went to the underworld. Heaven was only for those who were sacrificed or died in childbirth.

Chaac was the rain god. With Chaac's lightning axe he would strike the clouds to produce thunder and rain for the Mayans. There were 4 Chaacs one for the North and the South and one for the East and the West. To make one of the Chaacs to make it rain the Mayans had to to a traditional rain dance. This included 4 boys acting like frogs, while young men and women were lowered into wells and left there to drown. The young men and women enetered the rain relm and they open up the doors in the sky to let it rain.(Chaac below) Quetzalcoatl was a god that was created at the begining of time. He was the ruler of the mythico-historico city of Tollan. In art he was described as a feathered-serpent. Quetzalcoatl is the god of wind, Venus, dawn, merchants, arts and crafts and knowledge. **

Itzamna was the supreme god, ruler of the heavens and of day and night. In Mayan art he was shown as a pleasent, toothless old man with a very large nose. Itzamna was the son of Hunab Ku, the creator god. Itzamna taught the Mayans to grow corn, write, use calenders and the practice of medicine. His wife was the moon goddess Ixchel.
 * The Mayan's religion all started in 250 AD. When the spanish came to the Mayans territory, they forced them into believing in Roman Cathilicism but had many traditional elements of Mayan religion. The Mayan's religion still lives on though through books that were actually writen by ancient Mayans, like Dresden, Madrid, Paris Codices, Books of Chilam Balam, Popol Vuh and The Ritual of the Bacabs.**

=__Economy__=

**The role that trade played on the life of the Mayan people, was they were able to trade with other cities and within their own city. By doing this, they were able to get things from other cities that their own could not produce. Trade lead to contact with other civilizations and access to different technology.**


 * The major trading goods for the Mayans were salt, cloth, honey, fruit, domestic animals (cows, pigs, goats and chickens, unknown to the Mayans)(turkeys, guniea pigs, ducks and dogs known to Mayans), bees used for honey, forself and trade, beans, sweet potatoes, pumpkins ,chili pepper, avacadoes, squash, tomatoes, corn(largest)(Maize to Mayans)depended heavily on by Mayans, Breadfruit planted in case corn crop failed, Cacao and cotton were used to trade.**
 * Their geography location affected their abillity to trade because it took awhile to get to another civilization outside of the Mayans own people. Were seperated by the Atlantic Ocean from Europe, Asia and the Middle East.**

**Economy for the Mayans was based on a system of social classes. The lowest of classes were the Farmers and slaves but they did all the hard labour. The Highest classes did nothing. The Middle class though traded goods of clothes, baskets and tools.**

**The Mayan's farmers were probably a bigger part than anyother part like the middle or highest because the farmers got them food. To make a corn field the mayan farmers used a technique called Slash and Burn. First off the Mayans choose a jungle area, then they burn as amny trees as possible. The dead trees were good fertalizer for the crop. Then they planted the crop. To hunt the mayans used blowpipes, bow'n'arrows and knives. They hunted deer, birds and wild boar but they also caught fish.**

= **__Technology__** =


 * The Mayans, having no contact with Asia or Europe, were still able to make an accurate calendar, a form of writing, musical instruments, sports, huge water systems and a type of math. The Mayans had a very simple numerical system. The Mayans used a small number of three lines. Mayan numbers were dots representing ones, and lines representing fives and strange circles representing 20 that looked somewhat like a zero.**

Mayans had a very accurate calendar that has predicted many natural disasters and the arrival of the Spaniards. This calendar is supposed to predict the end of the world in December 12 2012. This calendar has even been put into a movie called 2012. The Mayan calendar was built August 11, 3114 BC

The Mayans had very large irrigation systems that helped them Breed Guinea pigs to eat along with dogs, turkeys, and ducks. If you can believe it or not the Mayans had no ledge of a wheel and had to use basalt axes to defend them self’s. The Mayans used a plumb bob they see how accurate they were when measuring.

Mayan homes were not that complex they were made of mud or stone walls the walls were covered with wooden poles and the roof was made of hay. On the other hand Mayan temples were made of lime stone pulled from the quarries and left to dry in the sun and sine they had no ledge of wheels or pulleys this was very had. They also were able to build roads by cutting down all the trees in the area and having many people walk along this path making it smooth and over time looking like a road

=__Art and Architecture__=


 * The role that art played in the Mayan civilization was important. Art was important in religion in trading. The Mayan warriors dressed up in artistic decorative feathered suits that represented the warriors status.**

**The Mayans would dance for the gods to show their love. music, dance, and drama was used as relaxation, and occurred in public ceremonies. Like the Egyptians, and Greeks, the Mayans used art to record history and tell stories.**


 * The Mayans main form of art was pottery, rock carvings, and painting. Popular forms of these styles of art was displayed was on a stela (an upright stone pillar carrying a design, being used as a monument, marker). Wall murals were also created displaying the Mayans famous color turquoise.**

**Art was displayed in or on any permanent surface like on their pyramids and temples. This art was made in the fresco style, and is the earliest type of painting.**


 * The Mayan architecture is most famously known for the temples where they sacrificed people to the gods. Mayan statues created, today are seen as part of the reminder of what a great civilization once lived there.**

The architecture of the Mayans ranged from small mud huts, to huge stone temples. Most homes were made from wood, mud/stone, or lime. The Mayans though are best known for their artistic headdresses, and intricate calender.


 * From the Mayans art we have learned they loved their gods by looking at their magnificent temples made in their honor. People had time on their hands to create art, meaning they did not have to stress over getting food because they had reliable farmers. We know that they had many resources to create their art, colors for paints, rock for carving, and birds of paradise for their headdresses.**


 * Monkey Art **
 * Mural **
 * Temple **
 * Mayan House **