Scribd
Upload
23 views

Maya Pyramid

The Mayan civilization flourished in Mexico and Central America from around 800 BC to 1100 AD. They built elaborate pyramids throughout their empire, including temples dedicated to gods and those used for religious sacrifices. One famous pyramid is El Castillo located at Chichen Itza, which on equinox days casts a shadow in the shape of a serpent down its staircase, symbolizing the return of the feathered serpent god Kukulcan according to Mayan legend. Thousands gather today to celebrate the "descent of Kukulcan" and the shadow's appearance.

Uploaded by

DINH TUYET LAN LAN.D1vus.edu.vn
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
23 views

Maya Pyramid

The Mayan civilization flourished in Mexico and Central America from around 800 BC to 1100 AD. They built elaborate pyramids throughout their empire, including temples dedicated to gods and those used for religious sacrifices. One famous pyramid is El Castillo located at Chichen Itza, which on equinox days casts a shadow in the shape of a serpent down its staircase, symbolizing the return of the feathered serpent god Kukulcan according to Mayan legend. Thousands gather today to celebrate the "descent of Kukulcan" and the shadow's appearance.

Uploaded by

DINH TUYET LAN LAN.D1vus.edu.vn
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 2

 

 
Mayan  Calendar  
Name  ____________________________________  
   
The  Maya  were  an  indigenous  people  who  lived  throughout  Mexico  and  Central  America  from  
about  800  B.C.  to  1100  A.D.  The  Mayan  society  was  thought  to  be  the  most  complex  and  
sophisticated  in  the  world  at  the  time.  The  Maya  were  responsible  for  incredible  achievements  
in  astronomy,  agriculture,  math,  engineering  and  technology.  Although  there  are  several  
theories  on  why  they  eventually  faded  into  history,  historians  and  archaeologists  still  have  not  
come  to  a  consensus.    
 
Pyramids  
 
Ruins  of  the  majestic  Mayan  pyramids  are  scattered  throughout  parts  of  Mexico  and  Central  
America.  All  Mayan  pyramids  had  flat  tops  and  many  were  built  to  align  with  celestial  events  
such  as  the  path  of  the  sun.    
 
Types  of  Pyramid  
 
Pyramids  to  the  Gods  –  These  pyramids  were  designed  to  honor  the  Mayan  gods.  They  were  
not  meant  to  be  touched  or  climbed  by  humans.  Although  there  were  stairs  leading  to  the  top  
of  the  pyramid,  they  were  so  steep  that  most  humans  were  incapable  of  making  such  a  climb.  
Such  pyramids  also  contained  secret  passages  and  traps.    
 
Sacrificial  Pyramids  –  The  Maya  also  built  pyramids  that  were  designed  for  religious  and  
sacrificial  purposes.  These  pyramids  had  stairs  that  led  to  a  temple  at  the  top  where  important  
religious  ceremonies  could  be  held  and  where  sacrifices  were  made  to  the  gods  by  priests  in  
front  of  worshippers.    
 
A  Famous  Pyramid  
 
Temple  of  Kukulcan,  sometimes  called  El  Castillo,  honors  the  Mayan  feathered-­serpent  God  
named  Kukulcan.  The  temple  is  the  centerpiece  of  Chichén  Itzá  –  an  important  Mayan  city,  
and  world  UNESCO  site,  that  lasted  about  300  years.  The  flat-­topped  pyramid  has  four  
staircases,  each  with  91  steps.  Combined  with  the  entrance  step,  there  are  365  total  steps.  
Amazingly,  during  the  spring  and  fall  equinox,  a  serpent-­shaped  shadow  descends  upon  the  
pyramid  and  grows  larger  as  it  falls  upon  the  stairs  as  the  day  progresses.  By  dusk,  the  
shadow  joins  the  stone  serpent  head  at  the  base  of  the  stairs  producing  a  chilling  effect.  The  
entire  shadow  lasts  for  about  45  minutes  before  disappearing  in  the  dwindling  light.  According  
to  Maya  legend,  the  shadow  symbolized  the  return  of  Kukulcan,  who  comes  back  to  Earth  to  
give  his  blessing  for  a  full  harvest  and  good  health.  Today,  thousands  of  people  gather  
around  the  pyramid  during  this  time  to  celebrate  the  “descent  of  Kukulcan.”

 
 
 
1.   What  is  NOT  true  about  Mayan  pyramids?        
A.   They  were  built  for  religious  ceremonies  
B.   They  were  built  to  honor  gods    
C.   They  were  flat  at  the  tops  
D.   Humans  could  visit  pyramids  built  for  gods  
 
2.   In  contrast  to  sacrificial  pyramids…    
A.   pyramids  to  the  gods  had  flat  tops.      
B.   pyramids  to  the  gods  were  the  sites  of  sacrifices.    
C.   sacrificial  pyramids  had  secret  passages  and  traps.  
D.   pyramids  to  the  gods  could  not  be  climbed  by  humans.    
 
3.   Where  is  the  Temple  of  Kukulcan?          
A.   El  Castillo    
B.   Chichén  Itzá    
C.   UNESCO  World  Heritage  Site  
D.   The  passage  doesn’t  say  
 
4.   Which  paragraph  describes  a  sequence  of  events?  
A.   Second    
B.   Third    
C.   Fourth    
D.   Final    
 
5.   What  could  replace  “incapable  of  making”  in  the  following  sentence?    
 
Although  there  were  stairs  leading  to  the  top  of  the  pyramid,  they  were  so  steep  that  
most  humans  were  incapable  of  making  such  a  climb.    
     
A.   difficult  to  make    
B.   impossible  to  find  
C.   eager  to  make  
D.   unable  to  male    
 
6.   Which  of  the  following  best  describes  “the  descent  of  Kukulcan”?    
A.   The  four  stairwells  and  entrance  step  that  combine  to  make  365  total  steps  
B.   A  feathered-­serpent  God  
C.   The  growing  shadows  that  envelop  the  stairs  of  El  Castillo  during  an  equinox    
D.   Ceremonies  that  occur  atop  the  sacrificial  pyramids    
 
7.   What  question  is  not  answered  in  the  passage?      
A.   What  kinds  of  things  were  sacrificed  by  the  Maya?      
B.   How  did  the  Mayan  civilization  compare  to  other  civilizations  that  existed  at  the  same  time?      
C.   What  did  the  shadow  symbolize?        
D.   How  long  does  the  shadow  of  Kukulcan  last  during  the  Spring  or  Fall  Equinox?        

You might also like