By Helen and Mark Warner. Teaching Packs - Ancient Maya - Page 1

Transcription

1 By Helen and Mark Warner Teaching Packs - Ancient Maya - Page 1

2 In this section, you will learn about... The Maya were an advanced ancient civilisation that lived thousands of years ago. The first Maya settled in Central Mexico around 800 BC. A map of Mexico. 1. When and where the Maya people lived. 2. How Maya settlements changed. 3. Why historians believe the Maya were an important civilisation. Teaching Packs - Ancient Maya - Page 4 A map of the world. Images ThinkStock

3 Palaces and temples At the heart of each city usually stood palaces and temples. These buildings were built on raised ground so that they towered above the surrounding city. Buildings were carefully planned by skilled architects and built out of strong stone by labourers. Only the most important people in the city lived in this area. Chichen Itza is a famous complex of Maya ruins. The elaborate temples stood at the highest point and they were either covered in white stucco and polished (so they shone in the sun) or painted red and blue. These huge buildings were sometimes up to 70 metres tall and constructed by hand without machines. Many had giant steps leading up to them and they were carved with elaborate images of gods and mythical creatures. The top of the temple was flat so the priest could stand there to perform ceremonies and sacrifices in honour of the gods as the people watched. Palaces built for the King and the ruling classes were built around a central courtyard and separated by arches. Administrative buildings were constructed near to the palace so that the king had his advisors nearby. Ball-courts were also built in this part of the city. A special ball game called pok-a-tok was played there and this was an important part of their religious beliefs. Teaching Packs - Ancient Maya - Page 9 Image ThinkStock

4 Nobles Nobles in Maya society were those born to wealthy families who owned land and held positions of responsibility and power. They included administrators, generals and scribes. Noble families could trace their ancestors back over many generations. Children born in noble families were taught to read and write by educated priests. Warriors, merchants and craftsmen These people were an important part of society. Warriors were respected for their strength and courage, merchants traded between city-states and craftsmen made and sold crafts and other goods. Children born into a craftsman s family were given different responsibilities. Boys were taught craft skills from their fathers whilst girls were taught how to weave, cook and care for the younger children in the family. Teaching Packs - Ancient Maya - Page 15

5 Pok-A-Tok One of the main stories in the Popol Vuh is a creation myth about twin brothers called Hunahpu and Xbalanque who were the sons of the maize god. The story explains how the twins had annoyed the gods by playing a ball game too loudly. They were then forced to play a game to save their lives. In their anger, the gods of the underworld knocked Hunahpu s head off to use as a ball, but Xbalanque managed to whack the head back onto his brother s neck. As a result of this myth, the Maya treated ball courts as holy places. The Pok-a-tok ball courts were built out of stone and painted bright colours. The game was played as part of religious ceremonies between two teams who had to pass the ball without touching it with their hands. Elbows, forearms, hips or knees could be used and points were scored by striking the ball through a stone ring. The ring was placed at one end of the court and it was usually 10 metres high. It was very hard to score! Historians do not fully understand the rules and are unsure how the winning team was rewarded. Some think that they were killed so they could enter the afterlife. Others believe the losing team was killed and used as a sacrifice to the gods. Did You Know? ilisation to play a team sport The Maya were probably the first civ ball! These balls were made as they were the first to make a rubber The sap was mixed with the using sap collected from rubber trees. enabled the Maya to mould it juice of the Morning Glory vine which uld have weighed up to 3.5kg! into the shape of a ball. Each ball wo Maya playing Pok-A-Tok with photos of a ball court. Teaching Packs - Ancient Maya - Page 23 Photos ThinkStock

6 Abandon To leave a place forever. AD / CE After the birth of Jesus Christ / Common Era. Absolute ruler A person who rules and does not need to consult with anyone else to pass laws or rules. Administrator A person responsible for helping the King to run the city-state. Afterlife Life after death. Ah Kin The high priest. Ahau (or Ahaw) The king of a Maya city-state. Alliances An agreement and union between two or more citystates that is beneficial for all and leads to the sharing of resources. Ancestor A person related to you who lived a long time ago. Aqueduct A system of pipes or channels to carry water over a long distance. Archaeologist A person who studies the remains left behind by past civilisations. Architect A person whose job it is to design buildings. Architecture The practice of designing buildings. Artefact An object made by people from the past. Astrology The studying of the stars and planets and their movement to predict how they might affect people. Astronomy The study of the stars and planets. Astronomer A person whose job it is to study the stars and the movement of the planets in our solar system. Atanzahab A matchmaker who decided whether a new couple would get along. Atlatl A spear thrower. Authority The power or right to make decisions. BC / BCE Before the birth of Jesus Christ / Before the Common Era. Bacabs Four gods who were thought to hold up the sky. Baktun A period of about 400 years. Ball court The place where the sacred game of Pok-a-tok was played to honour the gods. Batab A lord who usually ruled over a small town. Barter To exchange goods or services without using money. Birth chart A map that shows the position of the planets when a person was born. Bloodletting A ritual that involved a person shedding their own blood to honour the gods. Cacao The seeds of the cacao tree which are used to make cocoa and chocolate. Calendar A chart that shows the days, weeks and months of the year. Canal A man-made waterway used to carry water away from or to something. Carving Creating an object by cutting or shaping a material (e.g. wood or stone). Causeway A raised roadway built across a marsh. Teaching Packs - Ancient Maya - Page 55

7 Can you answer these calculations using the correct symbols? 1) = 11) = 2) = 12) = 3) = 13) 18-6 = 4) = 14) 14-1 = 5) 5-2 = 15) 19-8 = 6) = 16) = 7) 9-9 = 17) = 8) 7-6 = 18) = 9) = 19) = 10) 10-5 = 20) 20-4 = Images: ThinkStock

8

9 A Maya ball court. Images: ThinkStock

10 A replica of the fresco found at Bonampak. Images: ThinkStock

11 w z b j d v n x c o d e x d g b l l x o a b a c a b s z n p g r o u d j g l y p h r d q x q h t k b j a o v o i d p d a l y h f o v c m m t t k p k o o c a r i n a h z q a s n g u z n w g h i v a f q v k o v m c p a c j k m c u k r g s r t l b q u o n g e i n r t c e r t m c b a t d q c a w t u n z o a o p w u g b m s b s k b u c u p o c p q u e t z a l w a n n l t t m h s v w e l f o z r Ahua Aqueduct Bacabs Cacao Codex Glyph Itzamna Logogram Ocarina Quetzal Stela Tun Images: ThinkStock

12 Thank you for looking at our preview resources. We hope that they are useful to you. Join us today to download thousands of resources from our popular Teaching Packs! Mark and Helen