AOE: Lesson - Pre-Columbian Empires: The Maya

The Maya

In the beginning, according to the Popol Vuh, the Maya creation story, the creators used corn to make humans who could talk, think, and keep time. According to the Maya Calendar, the Maya civilization began just over five thousand years ago in what we now think of as the second week of August. The exact date is debated, but the important takeaway is the importance of the calendar to the Maya. Like the Olmec in Module 1, the Maya were outstanding at tracking time using a dual calendar system and several hundred Maya hieroglyphics. Their reign in Central America can be thought of as a Golden Age of timekeeping and astrological recordkeeping. 

Maya Culture

In addition to the calendar, the Maya built temples to worship their gods, study the stars, and keep track of time. Astronomers and priests were highly respected in Maya culture. Near the temples were ball courts. The ball game, Pitz, was also recorded in the Popol Vuh. The game had deep spiritual meaning, as well as political ramifications – while traditional warfare did occur, sometimes rival states played pitz instead and losing teams were sacrificed to the gods.

Two of the most famous Maya cities were Chichen Itza, in modern Mexico, and Tikal, in modern Guatemala. But remarkably, even without the wheel or pack animals, the Maya empire stretched over 400 towns and villages and included up to 10 million inhabitants.

Maya Politics

The Maya Empire shared political similarities to the ancient Egyptians and ancient Greeks (of Modules 1 and 2). Like the Greeks before Alexander the Great, the Maya were divided into many city-states without a centralized leader. Like the Egyptians, the kings of the Maya city-states were believed to be descendants of gods and were, therefore, spiritual conduits. The weaker city-states usually specialized in agriculture and traded with stronger city-states. Intra-Maya trade also included jade, obsidian, salt, pottery, and cloth.

The Maya developed unique mathematics that was sophisticated enough to include zero and calculate thousands of years, but simple enough that even uneducated people could efficiently trade. The Maya empire declined around 900 CE for unknown reasons. Some historians believe that drought, deforestation, civil war, or disease led to deurbanization. Since then, they have survived numerous colonizations. Today, the Maya still live in the same areas and use their traditional calendar ceremonially while also living in a modern world.

Mayan Achievements

Select each term below to learn more about Mayan achievements.

Maya Writing and Number System

The image shows a Maya codex demonstrating its writing and number system.

Maya Architecture

An archaeological site featuring Maya architecture. There is a temple, a pyramid and other structures.

Maya Dentistry

Maya dentists filed teeth into shapes and inlaid gems into royalty’s teeth.

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