Scribd
Upload
5 views

pluginfile.php (1)

The document discusses the lost cultural and scientific knowledge of the ancient Maya civilization, particularly their advancements in astronomy and mathematics, which were largely destroyed by Spanish conquerors. It highlights the significance of the Pyramid of Kukulcán in Chichén Itzá, showcasing its architectural sophistication and astronomical alignment, as well as the Maya's complex calendar systems, including the Haab and Tzolkin. The document encourages analysis of images and texts to better understand Maya culture and the importance of ongoing research into their history.

Uploaded by

5tmr5gy42j
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
5 views

pluginfile.php (1)

The document discusses the lost cultural and scientific knowledge of the ancient Maya civilization, particularly their advancements in astronomy and mathematics, which were largely destroyed by Spanish conquerors. It highlights the significance of the Pyramid of Kukulcán in Chichén Itzá, showcasing its architectural sophistication and astronomical alignment, as well as the Maya's complex calendar systems, including the Haab and Tzolkin. The document encourages analysis of images and texts to better understand Maya culture and the importance of ongoing research into their history.

Uploaded by

5tmr5gy42j
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/ 3

NAME ______________________________________ DATE _______________ CLASS _________

Visual Literacy Activity netw rks


Pre-Columbian America

Science and Technology: The Maya Calendar


One of the common tragedies of history is that so much of the cultural, aesthetic, and
even scientific knowledge of past civilizations has been lost completely, or is at best
fragmented and incomplete. Because the Spanish conquerors who came to Mesoamerica
in the sixteenth century destroyed most Maya writings, much important information
about this ancient Mesoamerican culture—including high levels of scientific and technical
sophistication, much of it centered around a highly developed understanding of
astronomy and mathematical calculation—has been lost. As you learn to think like a
historian, you will see how remnants and clues from the past can be reassembled and
analyzed to give a clearer picture of almost-forgotten people, places, and ideas.

Directions: The images that follow, a photograph and an ancient codex (manuscript)
page, reveal some of the sophistication and scientific knowledge of the ancient Maya
culture. Look closely at the two images, analyze them, and answer the questions
that follow.

Background

Goodshoot/Fotosearch
The famous Maya pyramid
known as the Pyramid of
Kukulcán, or Quetzalcóatl (one
of the most important gods

Copyright © The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. Permission is granted to reproduce for classroom use.
worshipped by the Maya), is
located in the ruins of an
ancient Maya city, Chichén
Itzá, in Yucatán, Mexico.
This pyramid outwardly
reveals the sophistication
of Maya architecture, but
its significance goes far
beyond its basic structural
characteristics. The four-sided
pyramid, with steps on each
side, soars to a height of Caption: Pyramid of Kukulcán, Chichén Itzá,
about 79 feet (24 meters) Mexico. Maya.
above the main plaza. The
pyramid has an obvious astronomical significance: Each of its four sides faces directly
north, south, east, or west, and each side has 91 stairs. The number is significant
because, when 91 × 4 (364) is added to the pyramid’s large top platform “step,” it
brings the total to 365 steps, or the number of days in a year. The pyramid has several
unique features that show Maya mastery of astronomy, mathematics, and architecture.
On both the autumn equinox (September 22 or 23) and the spring equinox (March 20
or 21), the setting sun hits the stairways in such a way that shadows form the illusion
of an enormous snake shimmering up and down the steps. A person standing on the
topmost step of the pyramid speaking at a normal volume can be heard by another
person at the foot of the pyramid. A person at the foot can shout upward and get a
responding loud, screeching echo.
NAME ______________________________________ DATE _______________ CLASS _________

Visual Literacy Activity Cont. netw rks


Pre-Columbian America

The Maya were superb mathematicians who created a

Mary Evans Picture Library/The Image Works


number system based on 20 and independently
developed the important concept of “zero.” They
mainly used mathematics for religious and
astronomical purposes. From their keen astronomical
observations the Maya developed two different
calendar systems. One, the Haab, is based on a
365-day solar year and is divided into 18 months of
20 days each, with five “unnamed” days—considered
fateful and unlucky—placed at the end. The other
calendar—sometimes called the Tzolkin, or “Count of
Days”—is a sacred calendar based on a 260-day ritual
sequence, with 13-day cycles and a series of 20
“named” days, some lucky and others unlucky. An
example of the Tzolkin is shown here, in the Codex
Troano, the first part of the Madrid Codex, one of
only four bound manuscript books, or codices, to
have survived the Spanish conquest. This ritual
calendar, used to make predictions, was probably
utilized only by trained Maya priests. The Tzolkin was
combined with the Haab to form a “Calendar Round,”
a longer cycle consisting of 52 years (each a year of

Copyright © The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. Permission is granted to reproduce for classroom use.
365 days), or 18,980 days. The Maya also developed
a calendar called the “Long Count,” based on a
5,128-year cycle of creation and destruction that
was meant to show the span of history.

Practicing the Skill


1. Describing Based on what you see in the Caption: Codex Troano 1, Plate 20,
photograph of the Pyramid of Kukulcán, as well unknown Maya artist.
as what you have read, what would you say are
some of the main characteristics of Maya architecture?
The pyramid have a temple at the top which represents their religious
__________________________________________________________________
significance
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
NAME ______________________________________ DATE _______________ CLASS _________

Visual Literacy Activity Cont. netw rks


Pre-Columbian America

2. Interpreting The calendar page in the Codex Troano depicts gods, creatures,
and Maya calendar glyphs, or elements of the Maya writing system—in this case,
pictographs, or picture-words. What would you need to know to be able to “read”
this calendar?
Including maya calendar glyphs and pictographs and understanding of the
__________________________________________________________________
deties and creatures depicted on the calendar page
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________

Go a Step Further
3. Speculating Historians, anthropologists, linguists, and other scholars continue
to research Maya writings and artifacts in the hope of being able to learn more
about how the Maya lived, how they viewed the world, and what knowledge they
possessed. Do you think such research is helpful to the world at large? Explain
your answer.

Copyright © The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. Permission is granted to reproduce for classroom use.
yes as information about the mayans and their artifacts is essential for world
__________________________________________________________________
wide
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________

You might also like