The ancient Maya
The ancient Maya were a complex civilisation that built many cities, temples and pyramids in Mesoamerica (a region covering Central Mexico and Central America).
They developed a complex writing system and had many achievements.
Over seven million Maya people live today in Central America and Mexico.
Many Maya people have kept some of their ancient traditions.
Important words for the Maya civilisation
| Keyword | Definition |
|---|---|
| Archaeologist | A person who digs up and uncovers artefacts to help understand the past. |
| Artillery | A large weapon, such as a cannon, that can fire over long distances. |
| Disease | An illness that can make people feel unwell. |
| Frescoes | Paintings on a wall made using a special technique. |
| Mosaic | A picture or design made with many small coloured pieces of tile, stone or precious materials like jade. |
| Tradition | A special thing that a group of people or family believes in or does. |
Watch: How did Maya civilisation change?
Jade Skirt in AD732: Look at our beautiful city of Yax Mutul. I imagine our people will live here for hundreds of years. But who knows what the future holds?
Jade Skirt in 1150: We now live further North than my ancestors, in new cities like Chichén Itzá. I’m not exactly sure why we had to move. Some say it was a change in weather.
Or that we farmed the land too much. Terrible diseases. Or because our cities fought so much!
Jade Skirt in 1750: So much has changed. The Spanish arrived and destroyed our cities and built their churches – sometimes on top of our pyramids!
They made us work on huge farms and even burnt our books.
But we still try hard to keep our traditions alive.
Present Jade Skirt: And that’s the story of my people. Over the years people moved from villages to modern cities, making it difficult to continue some of our traditions. Which is why I’m telling you our story.
Hopefully you will now tell it too.
What happened to the ancient Maya?
From around 1517 - 1697 Spanish invaders (conquistadores) started to destroy the Maya cities and people.
The Spanish were armed with artillery, steel swords and muskets (guns).
The Maya had only spears, bows and arrows.
- The invaders brought diseases which were new to the Maya.
- They also tried hard to remove all traces of Maya culture over the following centuries.
Watch: What remains of Maya culture?
Jade Skirt: Many hundreds of years from now, I hope people will still be able to admire the things we Maya create.
(SHOUTS) Like our incredible temples.
Oh look… the scribe is writing a book.
The books are sacred and reading them brings the spirits of our ancestors to life.
Our books are made from tree bark, with the covers made from the skin of a powerful animal.
Scribe: Shhh!
Jade Skirt: These books may not last forever, so we also carve our writing into stone.
We also have other types of art too…our pottery, our jewellery, our amazing mosaic masks.
Surely though, our roads will survive the longest.
They run through the forests - connecting our cities.
Our warriors use these roads… Arrggghhh! But we also use them to send important messages and trade our goods.
Jade’s Brother: [GROWLS]
Jade Skirt: Ooo, that’s my brother. I should be at home.
Deer: [SPLAT]
[FLY BUZZING]
Buildings
What do they look like now?
Image caption, Take a look at some of the fascinating ancient ruins from around the Maya world.
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Weapons
Stone blade points used as weapons have been found.
Images show kings and warriors in body armour with swords and shields and tell us about what they wore in battle.
Writing
- Maya writing was the most sophisticated system in Mesoamerica, dating back to 300 BC.
- Maya script survived on stone inscriptions (‘stelae’), wall paintings (frescoes), ceramics, wooden lintels and cave walls.
- The Spanish conquistadors tried hard to destroy all evidence of Maya writing in the 16th century.
- Only three books survive, a tiny fraction of all their writing.
What about the Maya today?
Today there are over seven million Maya people, most of whom live in Central America and southern Mexico.
There are 250 museums around the world with Maya items in their collections.
Image caption, Explore modern Maya life by clicking through the images.
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Think like a historian
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.
How did the Maya people have to change their lives after the Spanish arrived?
Many Maya people still live around the world today. How do you think they made sure their culture and traditions didn’t disappear?
Why do you think it is so difficult for archaeologists and historians to agree on what exactly happened to the Maya?
Did you think about how the Maya had to move their settlements because the Spanish destroyed their cities and even built churches on top of their pyramids? Maybe you thought how some Maya people were made to work on huge farms by the Spanish. This would have affected the Maya’s daily lives.
Perhaps you thought about how Maya culture was passed down within families from grandparents to children. This would help keep traditions alive. Maybe you thought about how the Maya carved their writing into stone. This meant many Maya writings survived and have helped archaeologists understand different Maya traditions.
Did you think about the reasons the Maya moved to the north? It may have been because of the weather, or because they farmed the land too much. Historians have to use different clues to help them understand what happened and why. Maybe you thought about the Maya books being burned by the Spanish. This means we don’t have all the information we need to understand everything that happened.
Quiz – Remains of the Maya
Let's find out what you know about what happened to the ancient Maya in this quiz.
Grown-ups corner
Are you a parent, carer or teacher?
Take a look at some of the links below on KS2 History which are packed full of knowledge, videos, quizzes and activities.
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