#Maya civilization environment full

Heavy precipitation allowed for successful agriculture and abundant crop yields, which supported growing populations.

During the early Classic Period, the weather was wetter than it had been in the previous thousand years.

Abnormally wet weather contributed to the rise of the Maya Classic Period.

Your browser does not support the audio element.Map of Central America (from National Geographic Society, “Geography in the News: Demise of the Maya” 2012).

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Take a ten question quiz about this page. Some examples of the dances include the Snake dance, the Monkey dance, and the Dance of the Stag. Many of these dances are still practiced today.

The Maya had hundreds of different dances.

Sometimes the ball games that the Maya played were part of a religious ceremony.

They used simple stone tools and did the work by hand. The farmers of the Maya did not have metal tools or beasts of burden to help them farm.The more important the person, the taller the hat they wore.

The Maya loved to wear large hats and headdresses.In some areas they would use makeup to try and make their noses appear large. The Maya considered crossed eyes, flat foreheads, and big noses to be beautiful features.They played music, danced, and played games such as the Maya ball game. A lot of their entertainment was centered around religious ceremonies. In many areas the Maya built their huts on top of platforms made from dirt or stone in order to protect them from floods.Īlthough much of the Maya life was spent doing hard work, they did enjoy entertainment as well. They were single room homes with thatched roofs. The huts were usually made from mud, but were sometimes made from stone. The commoners lived in huts outside the city near their farms. The nobles and kings lived inside the city in large palaces made from stone. Other new foods included tomatoes, sweet potatoes, black beans, and papaya. The Maya considered chocolate to be a gift from the gods and used cacao seeds as money. Probably the most interesting was chocolate from the cacao tree. The Maya introduced the world to a number of new foods. For meat the Maya ate fish, deer, ducks, and turkey. Other staple crops included beans, squash, and chilies. They made all types of food from maize including tortillas, porridge, and even drinks. The most important food that the Maya ate was maize, which is a vegetable like corn. Once they were married, both men and women often got tattoos. Both men and women would use a blanket called a manta to wrap around their shoulders when it was cold. The men often wore loincloths while the women wore long skirts. They also wore feather headdresses and fancy jewelry.Ĭommoners wore simpler clothing. The wealthy wore colorful clothing made from animal skins. The clothing worn by the Maya depended on the region they lived in and their social status. The men spent evenings working on crafts such as tools, while the women wove cloth to make clothing. Bathing was an important part of the day for all the Maya people. After a hard day working at the fields, the farmer would come home and bathe. Then the husband would leave to go work at the fields. At the start of the day, the wife would get up early and start a fire for cooking.

#Maya civilization environment full

Life as a Maya commoner was full of hard work. They were even carried from place to place in litters by slaves.

They had their every need provided for by the commoners. The Maya king and his nobles lived an easy life. Maya Civilization Daily Life History > Aztec, Maya, and Inca for Kids