Ancient Mayan Civilization
The Maya developed one of the most astonishing early civilizations in the Americas. They did so under challenging conditions. Scholars believe that the Mayans developed the most advanced of all the ancient Meso American cultures. The Maya lived mostly in the Yucatan peninsula of Mexico. As farming practices improved, the many small Mayan villages could no longer support larger populations which allowed city-states to emerge. Some city-states such as Tikal had nearly 40,000 people!
In this research project you will learn about the challenges the Mayans faced and how their environment affected the development of the Mayan cities and the lives of Mayan citizens. You will discover the major cultural achievements of the Mayan civiliation.
Questions:
- How do the cultural ideas, beliefs, and traditions of a society influence their political, economic, and social systems?
- In what ways is the older traditional culture still seen in modern society today?
- Compare the development of complex civilizations in the Americas. Include the Incas, Mayans, and Aztecs.
- Explain why towns and cities emerged from human settlement.
- Analzye the relationships among maintaining order under the rule of law, protecting individual rights, and providing for the common good.
- Analzye characteristics that are used to organize people into cultures.
Early Civilizations of the Americas eBook
Websites:
- Ancient Secrets of the Maya
- Chichen Itza [Mayan cities]
- Collapse: Why do Civilizations Fall [Decline of Mayan Civilzation]
- Maya Astronomy Page [geography & climate, math,calendar, writing, astronomy]
- The Mayan Calendar [ Calendar only]
- Mayan Kids [almost ever topic is here]
- Maya Ruins
- Mythology of the Mayas [religious beliefs]
- Mayan Mathematics
- Palenque
- Tour Copan with David Stuart
- Chichen Itza
- Uxmal
- Tikal
- Tikal