Maya Civilisation Video - Key Terms (Vocabulary)

Foods of the Maya World

Maya cuisine centers on cacao (for ceremonial hot chocolate), avocados, poc chuc (salt-preserved pork), michelada (beer drink), and corn tortillas/masa-based dishes, reflecting their creation myth. Tamales are also common. A traditional desayuno includes eggs, black beans, plantains, queso blanco, coffee, and tortillas. Beverages feature agua de jamaica and horchata. Maize (masa) remains the diet's staple.

The Maya Calendar

The Mayan calendar uses three interlocking cycles: the Long Count (astronomical), Tzolkin (260-day divine calendar), and Haab (365-day civil calendar). The Long Count tracks $2{,}880{,}000$ days per cycle, a Great Cycle of $5125.36$ years. A date combines all three (e.g., $13.0.0.0.0$, 4 Ahau, 8 Kumku).

The Mayan Calendar explained

• The Haab is a 365-day solar year (18 months of 20 days + 5-day Uayeb period), slightly shorter than the actual solar year.
• The Tzolkin is a 260-day cycle (20 day names
  $\times$ 13 numbers).
• The Long Count’s Great Cycle is 13 baktuns, or roughly $5125.36$ years.

The Mayan Number System and Timekeeping

The Maya used a base-20 positional system with stacked units ($1, 20, 360, 7200, 144000$) for kin, uinal, tun, katun, and baktun. The Long Count format (Baktun.Katun.Tun.Uinal.Kin) reflects these units, with Kin = 1 day, Uinal = 20 kin, Tun = 18 Uinal, Katun = 20 Tun, and Baktun = 20 Katun. The Great Cycle is 13 baktuns.

The Maya Preclassic to Postclassic Periods

• Preclassic (c. $1800\text{ B.C.}$ to $300\text{ A.D.}$): Emergence of early cities like Palenque, Tikal, Copán, focused on agriculture and trade. Late Preclassic saw great temples and elaborate tombs.
• Early Classic ($300\text{ A.D.}$–$600\text{ A.D.}$): Advances in astronomy, mathematics, architecture; Teotihuacán influence.
• Late Classic ($600\text{ A.D.}$–$900\text{ A.D.}$): High point with many competing city-states, intense trade, and religious-artistic achievements.
• Post-classic (c. $A.D.\;800–900$ onwards): Southern cities declined; northern centers like Uxmal and Chichén Itzá prospered with fortifications and road networks. Four codices were produced.

The Spanish Conquest, Colonial, and Maya Today

The Spanish conquest devastated Maya populations with European diseases and reshaped society. Colonial and Republican eras brought repression and limited indigenous rights. Today, Maya descendants preserve languages, dress, and practices. Rigoberta Menchú won the 1992 Nobel Peace Prize for activism. Interest in Maya culture surged around the 2012 calendar reset.

Maya Warfare, City-States, and Architecture

The Maya were city-states (e.g., Tikal, Calakmul) engaged in frequent warfare. Kings (ahau) led wars, focusing on capturing prisoners for sacrifice. Fortifications, like those at Dos Pilas, grew in the Late Classic. The Calakmul–Tikal rivalry was dominant. Southern cities declined ($700\text{–}900\text{ A.D.}$), but warfare continued.

Key Figures in Maya Exploration and Documentation

• Frederick Catherwood (1799–1854): English artist known for meticulous drawings of Maya ruins, aiding modern understanding.
• John Lloyd Stephens (1805–1852): American explorer and writer whose travelogues sparked Western interest in Maya civilization.

Quick reference: Notable dates and terms

• Long Count cycle: $2{,}880{,}000$ days ($5125.36$ years).
• Calendar Round: approx. $52$ years.
• Haab: $365$ days.
• Tzolkin: $260$ days.
• Date format: Long Count, Tzolkin, Haab (e.g., $13.0.0.0.0$, 4 Ahau, 8 Kumku).

Map and geography notes

Maya city-states were in present-day Mexico, Belize, Guatemala, and Honduras, including Tikal, Calakmul, Copán, Palenque, Uxmal, and Chichén Itzá.