Student Reading Notes for Chapter 23

23.3 Class Structure page 162

The five levels of the Mayan class structure are outlined on the Temple of the Jaguar below. Label each
level with the name of the class. For each class, list at least three interesting or important details about
that groups duties, work, or lifestyle.
The Ruler
Called the halach uinic, or true man.
Decided when and where to go to war.
At religious ceremonies, wore a headdress as tall as a person.
Was influenced by female family members.
Nobles and Priests
Only priests and nobles knew how to read and write.
Nobles gathered taxes, supplies, and labor for important projects.
Nobles led peasant armies in times of war.
Priests led rituals and performed sacrifices.
Merchants and Artisans
Merchants traveled by sea, river, & roads to trade w/other city-
states.
Merchants traded such goods as obsidian, jade, copal, & quetzal
feathers.
Artists painted murals of Mayan life and important battles.
Artisans were skilled weavers and potters.
Peasants
Peasant men worked mostly in the fields.
Peasant women generally worked at preparing food, weaving, &
sewing.
Peasants also built temples and pyramids and served as soldiers.
Peasants sometimes attended royal weddings & religious
ceremonies.
Slaves
People could become slaves if their family sold them into slavery.

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Soldiers of humble background who were captured in war became
slaves.
People who committed serious crimes became slaves.
Slaves were often sacrificed when their masters died.

23.4 Family Life page 163 (use this page to show the
students answers)
Imagine that this young Mayan man and woman are seeing each other for the
first time.
Complete the thought bubbles by writing at least four more qualities that each
hopes the other has to make him or her a good husband or wife.
Think carefully about the typical tasks that Mayan women and men complete
each day.

Possible answers:

That young woman is very pretty.

I wonder if she is also
knows how to keep a clean house
is a good cook
likes children
is a good weaver

That young man is very handsome.

I also hope that he is

a hardworking farmer
a good hunter
a skilled builder

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 a brave soldier

23.5 Religious Beliefs and Practices

(use this page and the next page to show the students answers)

Use the outline of El Caracol observatory in Chichen Itza to create

a spoke diagram. The order is not important
For each spoke, list at least two important pieces of information
about each of these aspects of Mayan religious beliefs and
practices:

1. Mayan gods
2. offerings & sacrifices
3. pok-a-tok
4. the Sacred Round
See next page for answers
Starting point for
spoke diagram

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Possible answers: to Sec 23.5 Religious Beliefs and Practices page 164

1. Mayan Gods

The Maya believed in more than 160 gods.

Primary gods were the god of rain, the god of corn, and
the god of death.
The jaguar was an important animal in the Mayan religion.
2. Offerings and Sacrifices

The Maya made offerings of plants, food, flowers,

feathers, jade, and shells.
Animals and sometimes humans were sacrificed.
In Chichen Itza, humans were sacrificed by being thrown
into a sacred well.
3. Pok-a-tok

This is a ball game played by 2 teams of nobles.

Players tried to hit a rubber ball through a stone hoop
using their elbows, wrists, and hips.
Members of the losing team may have been sacrificed.
4. The Sacred Round

The Mayas knowledge of astronomy and math allowed

them to develop a complex calendar system.
The Sacred Round was made up of 2 cycles. One cycle
was made up of the numbers 1 to 13; the other had 20 day
names.
The Sacred Round was used to determine the best days to plant,
do battle, perform religious ceremonies, and many other activities.
23.6 Agricultural Techniques page 165
(Use this page and the next page to show the students answers)

DIRECTIONS FOR COMPLETION OF WORK

In the three fields around the Temple of the

Inscriptions in Palenque, do the following:

1. In the first field,

o List three crops the Maya planted.

2. In the second field,

o Draw and label pictures or describe in words
3 agricultural techniques used by the Maya.
o Tell in what kind of environment each was
used.

3. In the third field,

o List three theories for the decline of the
Mayan civilization.
o Circle the one you think was most
responsible for the decline.
o Explain your choice.
Possible answers: 23.6 Agricultural
Techniques p165
1. Crops
maize or corn
beans
squash

2. Agricultural Techniques
In the mountainous highlands, the Maya used
a system of terraces to create more flat land
on which to farm.
In the swampy lowlands, the Maya used
raised earth platforms surrounded by
drainage canals.
In the densely forested lowlands, the Maya
used slash-and-burn agriculture to clear land
for farming.

3. Theories for Decline of the Mayan

Civilization
The population of Mayan cities grew faster
than their farming systems could sustain.
There was uncontrolled warfare.
Mayan city-states were invaded by groups
from central Mexico.
 Drought may have caused massive crop
failure.