0 ratings 0% found this document useful (0 votes) 12 views 16 pages Oxford International Primary History Student Book 5 0198418132 9780198418139 (1) 38 53
The document outlines the history and achievements of the Maya civilization, which settled in Central America around 2300 years ago, developing advanced farming techniques and creating impressive city-states. It describes their societal structure, including the absence of a central emperor, and highlights their contributions in writing, art, and science. The document also touches on the mystery surrounding the decline of the Maya civilization and their cultural practices, including the significance of maize and chocolate.
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Save oxford-international-primary-history-student-book-... For Later In this unit you will:
explain why the Maya settled in the jungle
recall who ruled the Maya
explain what Mayan cities were like
@ _exomine what achievements the Maya are known for
explore what happened to the Maya
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The Maya made their home in Central America. The former Mayan
region covers southern Mexico, Guatemala, Belize, the northern
part of Honduras and some of El Salvador.
SE CRAbout 2300 years ago, tribes called the Maya settled in
the jungles, mountains and coastal areas of southern
Mexico and Central America. They were skilled farmers
and builders who created many beautiful cities. These
cities contained palaces, temples, pyramids and homes.
The cities were connected with roads that ran through
the jungles. Each city was a centre of learning and the
Maya achieved much in writing, art and science.
‘The Romans ‘The height ofthe) Maya
€250-900
‘The Anglo Saxons
civilisation
society city-state
The Maya
civilisation began
about 2300 years ago.
Approximately what
year was that? The
civilisation was at its
height from about
250 ce to about 900 ce. k
What othercivlisations FE
and topics have you
studied from this period
of time?
HOO ce-10663.1 Who were the Maya?
The first Mayan tribes were hunter-
gatherers. This means that they moved
around from place to place gathering food
(such as fruit, seeds and nuts) and hunting
animals for meat. Gradually, the Maya
learned how to grow crops such as corn
(which they called maize), squash and
beans. This changed how the Maya lived.
Why and how did knowledge of growing
crops change Mayan civilisation?
Farming techniques
The Maya learned how to clear large areas of
Jungle to create fields to grow crops. They
used tools made from stone, bone and wood.
When they had removed most of the trees,
‘they set fire to the remaining plants. They
used the ash from these fires as afertiliser that
added nutrients to the earth. The ash helped
the Maya to grow crops successfully. The
Maya dug canals through the fields so they
could water their crops.
Stepped farming using terraces helped the
Maya to farm in mountainous regions.
Where the land was very wet, the Maya built
raised platforms on which they grew crops.
In mountainous areas, they used stepped
farming, which means that they built terraces
up the hillside. The terraces stopped the soil
slipping downhill and provided a firm, flat
base for the crops to grow.
A wide variety of food
Maize was a very important food for the
Maya. They made corn flour from maize and
used it to make bread. The most common type
of bread was very thick and flat, known as a
tortilla. The Maya also made porridge from
maize. Mayan farmers grew many other crops,
including sweet potatoes, tomatoes, avocados
‘and chilli peppers. The Maya kept bees for
honey and grew cotton to make clothes. They
caught fish in the rivers and hunted wild
turkeys and deer. The Maya used cacao beans
to make a bitter chocolate drink, sometimes
spiced with chilli
Drei oer.
Water was important for growing crops and for
drinking. Where water was hard to find, the
Maya collected rainwater and stored it in
tanks and reservoirs.
Etre ees
maize stepped farming
nutrients terrace
squash tortillaThe Maya used a flat, stone table known as a metate to grind com into flour.
They used the flour to make bread.
Settling down
‘Once the Maya began to farm, groups of
people were able to settle in villages. The
Maya were successful farmers so there was
plenty of food and the population in these
villages began to grow. Over time, cities
started to develop.
Nort hati (ot)
1 Show your understanding by
defining these words. Then explain
why each of these things was
important to the Maya:
a maize
b stepped farming
c metate.
Write a brief report explaining:
how the Maya farmed
b what Mayan farmers grew
© why the Maya changed from
hunter-gatherers to settlers.
Be a good histo
Remember that historians and archeologists
do not always know the answers to questions
in history. For example, experts are not
completely sure why the Maya eventually
abandoned their rainforest cities. The experts
carry out research and look for clues, but
sometimes they have to make an
‘educated guess!
Challenge
‘The Maya are believed to be the first
people to discover how to make
chocolate. Find out about the history
of chocolate. How did the Maya enjoy
chocolate? How did it become the type
of chocolate we enjoy today?
pfpw eauLe3.2 What were Mayan cities like?
The Maya never had one emperor ruling
over them or just one central capital city.
Instead, there were many independent
areas, each controlled by a different king.
These were called city-states. The city-state
was the total area ruled by aking. The king
and his advisors and all the important
buildings were located in the main city,
usually close to the centre of the city-state.
How many city-states were there? What
‘were Mayan cities like? How were the cities
The people who managed
the city used these
> buiaings.
SST NST
NSS 0s tombs for deod kings
al tand.as places for public
The Maya used an
observatory to watch
the movements of the
sun, moon and stars. This
vas very important to
the Maya, They used the
positions of the tars and
planets to decide when
to plant and harvest their
crops and when to goto
war with another city-state
There were more than 60 separate city-states.
Some of the biggest, such as Tikal, were home
to about 100 000 people.
Mayan civilisation
There were many different city-states, but all
the Maya spoke the same language - Mayan.
Atleast 6 million people still speak Mayan
today. People in all the city-states worshipped
in the same way and followed similar laws.
They planned their cities in the same way,
with all the important buildings in the centre
and the ordinary homes and farms on the
edges. All the Maya dressed in a similar way
and shared the same calendar.
This is abl court
Ball games were very
popular with the May.
nthe Mayan city of
Chichen Itza in Mexico,
[fp archeologistshave found [f
it icost 12 ball cours.
The pyramids had great
importance in Mayan
culture and beliefs The
[Mayo used the pyramidsRival city-states
For many years, historians thought the Maya
were peaceful. However, archeologists
discovered wall paintings, statues and
carvings that recorded wars between rival
city-states. Sometimes one city-state became
very powerful and gained control of some of
the smaller city-states. But no state managed
to control the whole Mayan civilisation.
The Maya built their spectacular buildings
without metal tools, the wheel or large
‘animals (such as the donkey, ox or elephant)
to help them.
These homes were made from mud.
and sticks, with thatched roofs
They were built on raised platforms
to protect them from floods.
most ordinary people
lived outside the city,
The king and his most
Important advisors lived
Inthisarea, raised above
the rest of the city
Teotihuacan,acity of over 100 000 people, was
acentre for trade, By 500cz, it was the sixth
largest city in the world. The larger pyramid
shown here is the thir
largest in the world.
Peli ty
1 Research one Mayan city-state and
find images. Write a fact file about
the city-state you have researched.
Create a travel guide for someone
visiting the city-state. You can write
your guide for someone visiting the
city-state today, or for someone
visiting long ago.
The Maya were one of many
civilisations of southern Mexico, Central
America and South America. Use books
and the Internet to research and
prepare fact files about the Olmec,
Inca and Aztec civilisations.
phpw aul €
The Mayo buitt
ARS
The Maya built roads 10
connect the cities.
‘and pyramids
‘roundlarge,
‘open squares
temples, palaces
‘and wide streets.
Glossary words
tomb