Who were the ancient Maya?

The ancient Maya

An ancient Maya temple sits at the top of many steps. It is surrounded by large green trees. — Image caption,
The Temple of The Cross in Mexico, which is an ancient Maya temple.

The ancient Maya are remembered for their complex buildings and many achievements.

They built many cities in a place called Mesoamerica. Today, this is now central America and Mexico.

They traded with other people and sometimes fought wars.

Each Maya city had its own king or queen, but they shared many beliefs and traditions.

Important words for the Maya Civilisation

Keyword	Definition
Archaeologist	A person who dig ups and uncovers artefacts to help understand the past.
Architecture	The design and style of buildings and how they look.
Artefact	An object that was made by people in the past.
Civilisation	A group of people living together, with their own cities, rules, jobs and culture.
Legend	A traditional and cultural story passed down through families.
Trade	The buying and selling of goods.

Where did the Maya live?

The Maya civilisation began a long ago in a place called Mesoamerica.
This huge area is made up of Mexico and part of Central America.

Map of important cities in Maya civilisation. — Image caption,
Important cities in Maya civilisation were Palenque, Calakmul, Tikal, Copán, Cobá and Chichen Itza.

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The ancient Maya

Cartoon of Maya people outside a Maya temple.

The Maya people are remembered for amazing creations and ideas. Some of these include:

the idea of 'zero'
detailed calendars which they used to help with farming.
objects made from jade (a rare and valuable material)
spectacular buildings

In the 19th century Maya cities, statues and artefacts were uncovered, preserved and collected.

When did Maya civilisation exist?

The Maya first developed their civilisation in around 2000 BC.
In around 1600 AD the Maya were conquered and destroyed by the Spanish invaders.

What did Maya society look like?

Maya society was very complex.
There were hundreds of cities.
Different classes including: commoners, a middle class, nobles and the king and his royal court.
The Maya built amazing cities like Tikal (which they called Yax Mutal) and Palenque.
Maya people lived in different cities and they were ruled by different kings and queens. However, they shared a lot of the same beliefs and traditions.
Going to war and buying and selling things were important parts of Maya society. Art and architecture were important too.

Have a look around the ruins of Tikal

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Image caption,
Follow Jade Skirt as she shows you some of the interesting things that you can still find in Tikal.
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This is the ancient city of Tikal. 1300 years ago it would have been called 'Yax Mutal' and was home to thousands of Maya people.
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This is the Temple of the Great Jaguar. It's called this because, at the top, there used to be a large carving of king Jasaw Chan K'awiil sitting on a Jaguar throne.
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This is a commemorative slab which was placed here in AD711. It represents the great leader Jasaw Chan K'awiil, who was buried in The Temple of the Great Jaguar.
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Here is an ancient ball court. The games that the Mayas played here would have settled arguments between different cities.
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This is the central Acropolis. It would have been home to members of the royal household.
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This is the North Acropolis. It was a large cemetery, a place where some Maya people would be buried.
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The city is surrounded by jungle. From the sky you can only see a couple of temples, including the Temple of the Great Jaguar.
Image caption,
This is an area called the 'Lost World'. It's where important ceremonial buildings used to be and is one of the oldest parts of the city.

They were experts at reading the stars.
They were also inspired by the creatures of the forest and shared many legends about animals, plants and nature spirits.
The Maya came up with the most well-developed system of writing in Mesoamerica, dating back to 300 BC.
Almost all written texts were destroyed during the Spanish conquest in the 16th century AD.

How do we know about the ancient Maya?

Image of a jade green Maya mask, necklaces and bracelets in a museum display. — Image caption,
The Maya people were famous for their jade jewellery.

Even though the Maya lived so long ago, people can still learn about their history.

In the late 19th century, historians started to properly study the Maya.

Archaeologists dug up and found artefacts, such as pottery and jewellery, which helped them understand more about the Maya.

They also discovered ruins of ancient buildings and cities which helped them understand the Maya’s culture, society and religious beliefs.

Everything archaeologists found then, and now, help people to understand the history of the ancient Maya.

Think like a historian

Light orange thought bubble that says Thinking Points!

Have a look at the thinking points below and think about your answer to each question. You could even write them down on a piece of paper or discuss them with somebody else if you want to.

The Maya lived in different cities that were ruled by different Kings and Queens, but they shared religious beliefs. What does this tell you about Maya society?
Why do you think the discovery of different artefacts and ruins were important for learning about the ancient Maya?
The Maya used the number zero to help create their detailed calendars. What does this make you think about the ancient Maya?