1800 B.C.-1520 A.D.

1st civilization created in Mesoamerica “Mother Culture” Influenced neighboring societies

(ex: Mayans, Zapotecs) No system of writing (Not technically a civilization)

Everybody

TSB

The Mayans had very advanced math system only using 3 symbols: a dot a bar and a symbol for zero. They needed to use their math for building there great pyramids and to make a very accurate calendar that ends on 12-21-2012! The end of the World!...or not! This calendar was off by only 0.002, which is close.

Were polytheistic. Mayans worshiped everything in nature.

(trees, sun, moon) They believed that they were a tree. The branches reached

to the heavens and the roots reached the underworld. Certain people prayed to certain gods. E.X- Farmers

prayed to rain and sun gods.

M.F Period 2

The Mayans were located in Southern Mexico into Central America.

They had the forest of the Yucatan Peninsula and the steamy jungles of Central America.

Some Mayans stayed in the highlands of El Salvador.

MF

250 A.D. – 900 A. D. Population: about 2,000,000 Mostly

farmers They built many plazas, palaces,

temples and pyramids (Step Pyramids) and courts for games

Widespread

ABM

The Mayans used glyphs as there writing and they were 1 of the three written languages that developed all by itself with no outside help or copying (the others being sumeria and mesopotmia). The language was invented about 2300 years ago.

TSB

Started somewhere in the 8th or 9th century

Possible Causes: Overpopulation Deforestation Plague

End of the Mayans lead to the rise of the

Aztecs ABM

http://www.andaman.org/BOOK/chapter54/text-Olmec/MapOlmecInfluence.jpg

http://www.history.com/topics/maya http://newdeserttimes.com/?tag=el-

castillo http://library.thinkquest.org/J0112511/

religion.htm http://www.hanksville.org/yucatan/

mayamath.html http://www.authenticmaya.com/

maya_writing.htm