RISE AND FALL OF THE MAYA EMPIRE

Latin American Studies9/20/2010

WHERE WERE THEY LOCATED?

YucatanPeninsula

Time breakdown

Preclassic Classic Postclassic

FAMOUS CITY STATES

Palenque

Tikal

Copan

Chichen Itza

POLITICAL ORGANIZATION OF THE MAYANS

At least 50 interdependent city states

Each city state has own ahau and nobility

Alliances through marriage

Divine authority; “Overkings”

A NEW SYSTEM OF WRITING…

Records of genealogies

Proof of religious rituals and lives of warriors/artisans

CALENDAR

2 versions Solar: 365 days (Haab) Ceremonial: 260 days (Tzolk’in)

Long Count—to recordlonger amounts of time

K’atun=20 years

RELIGION

Universe in which the heavens were divided into 13 compartments arranged into 7 levels Each ruled by a god

Itzamna—associated with earth and sky; reptilian

Ah Kin: sun; Ix Chel: moon Chac: rain god (givers of rain)

POPOL VUH

Creation story of the Maya

Story of the hero twins

Passed down through oral tradition

Written down in 16th century

MAYAN ART AND ARCHITECTURE

Known for their step pyramids (thought to originally have had smooth sides similarly to Egyptian ones)

Use of monumental architecture as a show of power and divine authority

MURALS AT BONAMPAK

Murals depicting religious sacrifice and conflict

Located inside temple at Bonampak site in present-day Chiapas, Mexico

FALL OF THE MAYAN EMPIRE

Decline of city states in central heartland began around 800 CE

Many theories, no historical decision on what actually happened Environmental? Political? Wars?