Monica+Chau

**__Mayas (A.D. 300-900)__** **__Mayan Land/Geography__** The Mayans were originally from Guatemala. The Mayan culture was spread through Central America and Southern Mexico. Their territory measured about 324,000km. The Mayan's territory included modern-day Guatemala, Honduras, Belize, the western pact of El Salvador, and a number of states in Mexico. The geography of the Mayan's territory was very diverse.  The Mayan's land was divided into 3 main regions: The Northern Province, The Central Territory, and the Southern Lands. The Northern Province consisted of the southern Mexican states. It was the driest region. It was almost lacking rivers, and vegetation contained scrub thickets and brushwood. There were few natural resources in the Northern Province. Even though there were few natural resources and the chalky limestone soil supported meager crops, the Northern Province flourished. Tabasco, Guatemala, Honduras, and Belize were part of the Central Territory. Its lowlands had rivers traveling through the whole region, and it was covered by dense rain forests. Central Territory received a high amount of rainfalls and the climate was mostly humid. The heavy rain removes the nutrients from the soil which affects the soil. The soil becomes exhausted for a couple of years from farming because of the heavy rainfall. Even so, Central Territory was where the Mayans got their greatest cultural achievements. The countries that were a part of the Southern Lands were Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador. These places had fertile soil, a moderate climate, and natural resources. This area didn't have much cultural growth, but it was valued because of the minerals that were found there. Quetzal, jade, and obsidian were the minerals that were found in the Southern Lands.

 __Mayan Urban and Rural Life__  The city-states of the Mayas were ceremonial places for them. At the city-states they would meet for political, religious, and social events. Sometimes, the Mayans would go to the city-states to receive instructions from their leaders.  The Central Plaza was the main place for each city-states. It was fronted by one or more temple-pyramids for worshipping. The places in the city-states was a place for the Halach Uinic, high priests, and other leading nobles to live at. The rest of the buildings were made in blocks.  In the houses of the upper class people, they were divided by an interior partition. The partition was often decorated with paintings, and it separated the public and private parts of the house. The front of the house were used as an entrance hall, living room, and a reception hall for guests. The back of the house were only used for family use. Their furniture they had were benches, low tables, mats, and wooden beds that were covered with rush mats.  The Mayas had slaves that maintained their houses and made their meals. The upper class people ate well, but their diet was similar to the lower class's meals. The only difference between their food was that the upper class had a better variety and quality. The upper class could afford more meat and a wider variety of vegetables for their meals.  The pheasants lived in village homes that were almost like huts. In the lowlands, the huts were made of wood over a stone foundation. The roofs were made thatched palm. In the high lands, walls were made of rubble, and stucco was applied to the surface.  The huts provided very little privacy because the front door was only a blanket draped across the entrance door. Inside the hut, it was small and divided into two sections by a screen or a wall. One of the section would be served as a bedroom and the other would be served as the kitchen. In the center of the kitchen floor was a hearth. In the huts were a few wooden tables for pots, cooking utensils, and tools. Along with the wooden tables, there were also stools for sitting.  The Mayan women had to wake up before sunrise to prepare the morning meal, which consisted of a bit of posol and leftover tortillas.. Posol was a drink made from crushed corn boiled in water. When the men finished eating their morning meals, they would set out for the milpas, depending on the season. <span style="background-color: #000000; color: #a300ff; display: block; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; text-align: center;"> The women spend their morning preparing corn for making tortillas. They would dry the corn, shell them, then place them in a cooking pot with enough water and lime to soften their kernels. After the corn was boiled, it was set aside to stay overnight. The next morning, the women would wash it free of its hulls and ground it by hand. Once the corn was grounded, it was ready for use. <span style="background-color: #000000; color: #a300ff; display: block; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; text-align: center;"> For the Mayans, there were three meals a day, but only the late afternoon meals were substantial. It would include a stew of meat or fish with a side of herbs and vegetables. The tortillas were used as spoons during the meal, but eaten at the end. A third light meal are served later in the evening before the family goes to bed. <span style="background-color: #000000; color: #a300ff; display: block; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; text-align: center;"> <span style="background-color: #000000; color: #a300ff; display: block; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: #000000; color: #ff00da; display: block; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; text-align: center;">__Mayan Govern____ment__ <span style="background-color: #000000; color: #ff00da; display: block; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; text-align: center;">The Halach Uinic was the leader of the city-state. He was so important that cloth was held up to his face, so people wouldn't be able to speak with him directly. Not only did he control the political government, but also he played a religious role for the Mayans. Since both the political government and religious control came down to one person, it was considered a "theocracy," meaning one person controls the government and religion. <span style="background-color: #000000; color: #ff00da; display: block; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; text-align: center;">The position of the Halach Uinic was hereditary, which meant that it was passed down from generations to generations. If the family line died, the Council of State would select a new ruler. If a minor was assigned to be the Halach Uinic, his uncles from his father's side would rule until the minor became of age to be able to rule the Mayans. The Council of State are chosen by the Halach Uinic, the purpose of his decisions/actions were not questioned. <span style="background-color: #000000; color: #ffffff; display: block; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; text-align: center;">Mayan Religion <span style="background-color: #000000; color: #ffffff; display: block; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; text-align: center;">The Maya's religion, along with other religions, believed that there was a vital force that separated the living from the dead. They believed that sacrificing humans was a way to get rid of their sins. They also believed in blood sacrifice. Their creator God was called Hunab Ku, but there were also other gods. Citations:  Maya Info Scrap Book: http://www.angelfire.com/mech/maya/index.html Questions: 1.) What sacrifice did the Mayas believed in? 2.) Who was the leader of the city-states? 3.) Halach Uinic is considered a ___ because he controls the government and religion. 4.) When do Mayan women wake up to prepare food? 5.) What were the three main regions of Maya? Answers: 1.) Blood sacrifice 2.) Halach Uinic 3.) Theocracy 4.) Before sunrise 5.) Northern Province, Central Territory, and Southern Land