MAYA

an invisible sacred quality that inhabited all things in the universe--rocks, trees, and living beings

spirit companion that accompanied Maya humans and deities

sacred tree of the Maya, believed to grow in the center of Maya paradise/heaven of sorts where souls departed to

all-pervasive creator deity, a king of the gods, the first priest, inventor of writing, and a curer of disease; patron of the day Ajaw (the final and most important of the 20 days)

rain and storm god, associated with creation and life, important to farmers; depicted as reptilian

sun god, recognized by his crossed eyes/t-shaped incisors/snakelike mouth curls

lightning deity, a personification of the smoking ax carried by Chaak, often assumed he was a patron deity of kings

maize god, father of the hero twins, benevolent deity representing life, prosperity, and abundance; had many enemies--and his destiny was controlled by rain, wind, famine, drought, and death (like maize itself)

skeletal death god, often wears bells in his hair or around limbs, seems to encompass a god of war and death by human sacrifice

"black scorpion," black deity of merchants, patron of cacao, has a large, drooping underlip

rainbow deity, aged goddess with a serpent headdress and jaguar claw hands; venerated as goddess of fertility, childbirth, and weaving

the skybearer, has four aspects that were charged with supporting the sky at each cardinal point; also identified as Mam, an ancient earth deity

the feathered serpent, Quetzalcoatl, supernatural patron of rulers, learning, and merchants

name is unknown, principal lord of the underworld defeated by the Hero Twins, patron of commerce and tribute

young beautiful woman, associated with fertility and maize, often paired with the sun god, often seated in the crescent moon holding a rabbit

people who produced more food and other desired goods, or controlled them by being successful in trading with others; gained greater status and prestige from their successes; Early Preclassic

complex societies managed by an elite class under a chief whose power derived principally from the stewardship of religion and economic exchange

the obligation of nonelite people to provide a certain amount of their labor each year for tasks, had mainly practical benefits at first, but Maya elite expanded control and reaped increasing benefits from the subjects' work

Late Postclassic

Early Postclassic

Terminal Classic

Late Classic

Early Classic

Late preclassic

Middle Preclassic

Early Preclassic

Archaic

Paleoindian

260-day ritual calendar
20 named days; numbers 1-13 = both alternate together

365-day solar calendar (vague solar year)
No leap year
18 months of 20 days + 1 month of 5 days

occurs every 52 years, when the T'zolkin and Haab' match up
4 parts (2 for each calendar)
Like a Maya century

counts the days since the most recent creation (11 Aug 3114 BC)

Calendar Day (#1-20/0)

20-day calendar period (0-19)

year of 360 days (#1-20/0)

score of years (1-20/0)

400 year period (#1-20/0)

Maya region characterized by ocean resources and fast rivers
Cacao and rubber tree resources
Lots of mangrove swamps
Very fertile, high in volcanic soils
Once had dense forests
Lots of Preclassic sites

Maya region with rich volcanic soils
Lots of earthquakes, few valleys
Rugged terrain
Cool/cold temperatures
Oak/pine forests
Sites: Kaminaljuyu

Maya region with moist cloud forests
Moderate temperatures, metamorphic in the south to karstic terrain in the north, rugged
Relatively few large sites

Maya region with great rivers, flat terrain
Highest rainfall of the regions
Mostly limestone, lots of caves
Classic Maya cities: Yaxchilan, Pusilha, Seibal

Maya site of "Classic" rainforests
Few large rivers; lake zone connections in Peten
Low karstic (limestone) hills
Subtropical boundary
Biggest Classic sites: Tikal, Calakmul, Caracol

Maya region with subtropical conditions--lots of rainfall, very hot
No surface water, no lakes or rivers (Limestone absorbs it)
Instead, there are sink holes
Flat except for Puuc Hills
Terminal Classic sites: Chichen Itza, Uxmal
In far NW, salt pans and poor agricultural potential
All in Mexico

obese human figures carved in the round from boulders, often monumental in size, distinctive component of southern Late Preclassic sculptural traditions

transition from the Middle Preclassic to the Late Preclassic in the lowlands was marked by _____________

capital of an extensive polity at the hub of a causeway network that radiates from the site, core is laid out along an east-west axis, within the core are huge arch. complexes and individual structures, including the triadic pyramid

Preclassic Maya innovation, composed of a central structure flanked by two smaller structures on a single basal platform

largest and most powerful LP kingdom in the Maya lowlands

one of the largest LP capitals on the Pacific coast, no carved stone monuments, founded as a polity capital

important southern Maya site with an array of carved monuments representing both Maya and Olmec style, Long Count dates place them in the LP

large, well-preserved site with monumental structures and about 40 stone monuments, once site of cacao production, had water mgmt system, likely the capital of an important polity, southern Maya

remote site recently discovered, with over 100 masonry structures, most major structures date to the LP, much has been looted, most significant find comes from Str. 1, housing the most important Preclassic mural found at a Maya site

small Preclassic center, strategic location gave access to marine resources, transformed into a small regal center

largest known Preclassic center in Yucatan, local occupation spanned 2000 years, population grew throughout, several ceremonial complexes date to the LP, probably controlled nearby salt resources on the shore

southern Maya site that traded with Teotihuacan and Ctrl Mexico in the Early Classic; cacao was a chief export; declined after 200 years and was replaced by Montana

transitional period of one or two centuries between the Preclassic and Classic eras in the lowlands; marked by the appearance of polychrome pottery

principal power of the lowlands prior to the Classic, first lowland capital to be ruled by a dynasty of kings, major focal point for economic and political contact with the southern Maya area in the LP, declined/abandoned by the EC

corporate group defined by their shared origins, residence, status, property, priveleges, and right to rule

reinforces political power by an implicit threat of force; used/possessed by kings in Maya preindustrial states

shared concepts and an ideological basis for rule between the ruler himself and his subjects; based in Maya worldview that considered kings responsible for the world order by appeasing the supernatural powers of the universe

In the lowlands, the title for the highest political authority

lady lord

especially powered/"high" kings with the authority to preside at ceremonies conducted by subordinate rulers

aimed at expanding resources, labor, and prestige, reinforcing the strat'n of society and ctrlized political authority

goal was the taking of captive

most notable characteristic of the EC?

most successful of the new EC capitals; prime locations for large populations along major trade routes (2)

largest Classic city of the Peten, and among the largest of all Maya sites; best documented and longest enduring polity capital in the central lowlands; info comes from archaeological evidence and historical texts

earliest dated lowland monument, hallmark of Tikal's status as a capital of an independent polity, AD 292, portrays an ajaw, not sure who, perhaps Foliated Jaguar?

major Classic city in the vacuum left by El Mirador, became Tikal's greatest rival and Caracol's ally

monument dedicated by Siyaj Chan K'awiil II (second king of expanded Tikal), text provides an account of Tikal's dynastic history until the point he erected it, also justifies his right to rule

area of importance in Tikal consisting of a maze of multiroom and multistory royal palaces arranged around a series of internal courtyards; housed many members of the ruling dynasty during the Classic

northeastern Peten site, history comes from its few texts, indicate that it was dominated by Tikal during the Early Classic, location controlled a tributary of an important water route for trade to and from the Caribbean; probably eliminated by Calakmul

First known king of Tikal, arch. evidence points to military conquest

Source of Copan's dynastic history during the Early Classic, monument depicting its sixteen kings around its four sides, begins with founder K'inich Yax K'uk Mo', text reveals dates of the dynastic founding events

Base of the Copan Acropolic construction sequence, structure in talud-tablero style, multiroomed, may have been K'inich Yax K'uk Mo's residence