ARCHITECTURE
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MAYA CALENDAR, MATH AND ASTRONOMY
Use our provided information to learn about the Maya.
MAYAN LANGUAGE
Learn about Mayan language and writing.
MAYA ARCHITECTURE
Learn why the Maya built their temples.
MAYA BALLGAME
Learn about the ancient Mesoamerican ballgame.
MAYA MUSIC
Learn about ancient Maya music.
ANCIENT FOODS
Learn some of the foods the ancient Maya and other groups ate.
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Every ancient Maya city had temples, palaces, homes, administration buildings, plazas, and ball courts. Many also had roads paved with plaster or stone.
How did the Maya build their temples?
When a new ruler took over or when a current ruler wanted to celebrate an event, he or she would sponsor a construction project. Usually a bigger building built on top of an old one. They did this because they believed that their temples and the land that the temples were built on was sacred. By creating beautiful buildings they believed that they honored their ancestors and their gods. Over time, the Maya built layers of buildings that also were layers of sacred power which honored the divine nature of humanity and the gods.
How did the average Maya live?
The style and form of the ancient Maya average home persists today. With the exception of a few modern convieniences (electricity, telephones. . . ) very little has changed. The basic structure was made of poles set in a stone foundation. Two doorways were placed directly opposite one another to allow for air flow. The frameworl was filled with additional poles or stucco. A thick palm thatch roof protected the interior.
Stone verions of these houses were similar, but tended to be irregular in shape. In regions were large trees were plentiful planks replace the use of poles. Multiple houses were grouped into small compounds.
What would you be if you dug up and studied ancient artifacts?
An Archaeologist studies the life and culture of ancient peoples by excavating and studing ancient building, relics, and artifacts of earlier cultures.