# data[].attributes.attachment_link.provider_name
Read Tools and Treasures of the Ancient Maya on Epic

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Read Tools and Treasures of the Ancient Maya on Epic

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Instantly access Tools and Treasures of the Ancient Maya plus over 40,000 of the best books & videos for kids.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Mayan Civilization for Kids | Mesoamerica & Mexican History

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.provider_name
Read Mysteries of the Mayan Calandar (Crabtree Chrome) on Epic

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Epic reaches 75 million kids in class and after school.

Built on a collection of 40,000+ popular, high-quality books from 250+ of the world's best publishers, Epic safely fuels curiosity and reading confidence for kids 12 and under.

Get Started

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.keywords[]
online access fun thousands children great kids ebooks books

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Read Mysteries of the Mayan Calandar (Crabtree Chrome) on Epic

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Mysteries of the Mayan Calandar (Crabtree Chrome) kids' book from the leading digital reading platform with a collection of 40,000+ books from 250+ of the world's best publishers. Read now on Epic.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Join Tim and Moby as they explore this highly advanced pre-Columbian civilization and its hieroglyphs, pyramids, and Yucatan culture. But what caused the Maya's collapse...?

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
The Maya lived first in villages and later in cities. Their cities had large temples, stone pyramids, palaces, and ball courts. The Maya created farmland by cutting away the trees and vines of the surrounding rainforest. They grew corn, beans, and squash.

The Maya created a writing system called hieroglyphics, which used pictures instead of words. They also studied the planets and the stars. They used their observations of the heavens to make a very accurate calendar. The Maya also developed a system of mathematics.

The Maya worshiped a number of nature gods. These included gods of the Sun, the Moon, rain, and corn. In religious ceremonies, the Maya killed people they had captured during battle. They thought that the gods needed human blood for nourishment.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The Maya are Indigenous peoples of Mexico and Central America. Between about 250 and 900 ce the Maya had a way of life that was very advanced for the time. The Mayan...

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.provider_name
Read Amazing Maya Inventions You Can Build Yourself on Epic

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Read Amazing Maya Inventions You Can Build Yourself on Epic

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Instantly access Amazing Maya Inventions You Can Build Yourself plus over 40,000 of the best books & videos for kids.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Kids learn about the daily life of people during the Maya civilization including clothing, food, housing, and entertainment.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Instantly access The Genius of the Maya plus over 40,000 of the best books & videos for kids.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
The Maya Indians for Kids and Teachers - The Maya Empire for Kids

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Skilled Builders: Nobody knows where they came from, but about 2,400 years ago, a new tribe of people appeared in Central America. They settled in the rainforests of the Yucatan Peninsula. They were called the Maya Indians. They were very clever people. They built cities deep in…

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Epic reaches 75 million kids in class and after school.

Built on a collection of 40,000+ popular, high-quality books from 250+ of the world's best publishers, Epic safely fuels curiosity and reading confidence for kids 12 and under.

Get Started

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.keywords[]
online access fun thousands children great kids ebooks books

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Ancient Maya Inside Out kids' book from the leading digital reading platform with a collection of 40,000+ books from 250+ of the world's best publishers. Read now on Epic.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.provider_name
Bedtime History: Podcast and Videos For Kids

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Close your eyes and imagine you are hiking through a thick jungle. You use a sharp machete to cut away the vines and leaves blocking your path. You step through deep mud and cross a busy stream, then cut through another wall of trees until you reach the clearing and see it - the tallest stone pyramid you've ever seen. You gaze and wonder at its size and move toward it touching the intricate carvings in the stone. From the symbols, you know you've discovered a temple of one of the great civilizations of the ancient world, the Mayas...

Who were these ingenious people? How did they build these gigantic pyramids? And what caused their advanced civilization to suddenly disappear? Where did the Mayas go?

The earliest Mayan villages started in 1,800 B.C., almost 4 thousand years ago! They lived in what is now the region of Mexico and Central America, which includes countries like Guatemala and Belize - also called Mesoamerica. The climate there is tropical, which means it's filled with dense jungles and is very wet like a rainforest. The Mayas were very skilled farmers and grew corn, beans, and squash. This allowed their communities to grow larger. Over the next 2000 years, the Maya civilization slowly began to grow further into the highlands of Mesoamerica.

From 250 A.D. to 900 A.D. the Maya civilization was at its strongest also called the Classic Period. This was their Golden Age, their best years as they grew and expanded and became more advanced. During this time the Maya civilization included over 40 cities, and each city included anywhere from 5,000 to 50,000 people, totaling over 2 million - which is huge for a civilization at that time!

Each city-state was independent of the other, had its own kings, priests, and other rulers, but was very similar in other ways. They had the same language, religion, and culture. Usually, these different Maya cities got along and traded and worked together but sometimes they went to battle over different problems.

In order for civilizations to thrive, they have to be able to share resources with each other. Resources are things like food, building materials, and other items people want and need to buy. Sometimes they are crafted goods like jewelry or nice clothing. The Mayas made trade easier by building roads between each of the cities. These highways were called "white ways" because they were covered in stucco or plaster that made them easier to travel on. With better trade routes, cities moved goods faster and were able to prosper as they worked together.

One of the cities that did the most trading is one we now call Tulum. It was built on cliffs along the Caribbean Sea and protected by huge walls. The walls are 16-24 feet thick in some places to keep out invaders. Long ago, Mayas from all over Mesoamerica came to Tulum by land, river, and sea to trade with each other. We know this because of all of the artifacts which have been found there that come from a very distance. These artifacts include gold, feathers, and copper items. The ancient people called this beautiful city "Zama" which means "Dawn" because it faces the sunrise. The city leaders lived inside the walled city, while the peasants and other citizens lived and worked outside the city. In the center of Tulum is a pyramid called El Castillo which served as a temple for the city's priests. Tulum was one of the last cities to be lived in by Mayas who were there even when Spanish explorers arrived in the 1500s.

In their largest cities like Tikal, the Mayans built gigantic buildings of stone. Some of these were temples, others were palaces and plazas where the city people met together to buy and sell and hold sporting events. Their favorite sport was a game called ulama, where the players bounced a rubber ball back and forth across the court. Ulama was very tricky because players weren't allowed to use their hands or feet, but instead used their knee and hip, and other body parts to hit the ball.

The step pyramid-shaped temples that towered over the city were magnificent and many of them can be visited today. Chichen Itza includes one of the largest of the pyramids in Mexico. Copan and Palenque, along with Tulum, are among the most visited ruins today.

Anciently, the Mayas used these temples to worship their gods. Some of these gods were Kukulcan, the Feathered Serpent God, who ruled the winds and water and who they believed created humans and taught them the rules of law, literacy, medicine, architecture, farming, and how to run a civilization. Then there was Itzamna, God of the Sky, the founder of Maya culture and protector of the sciences, such as astrology and writing. Ix Chel was the Mayan Moon Goddess who represented love and marriage. The Maya priests made offerings to these gods of food and other objects to stay in their good favor.

The Mayas were also very gifted artists. They decorated their pyramids and other stone buildings with beautiful pictures and hieroglyphics. Hieroglyphics are symbols that represent words and their ruins which you can still see today are covered in them. They made beautiful jewelry using shells from the ocean, bright green feathers from the quetzal bird, and precious stones like gold and jade. The Mayas were also very skilled at math, which they used to build their magnificent temples. From the temples, their priests watched the sun, moon, and stars, so were advanced astronomers. Their buildings were often designed with their understanding of astronomy in mind. For example, the Pyramid of El Castillo has 365 steps to represent the different days of the year. The Maya calendar is still known today for its accuracy.

By the end of the Classic Period, something began to change in the Maya Civilization that slowly caused their power and influence to slow down. Over the next few hundred years, their cities became smaller and there were fewer people, the population declined. No one knows for sure what happened to the Mayan Empire, but some archeologists think it was because they had used up all of the land and other precious resources. Others also think there may have been a drought, which means not enough water, which people needed to survive. There may also have been fighting between the different cities and its powerful families which caused the downfall of the Maya Civilization. But even though the cities were empty, the Maya people spread throughout Mexico, Guatemala, Belize, and the surrounding area, turning to other ways of life like farming and fishing and living in smaller villages instead.

In 1839, an American traveler and writer named John Lloyd Stephens visited some of the Maya sites with a friend. Together, they wrote and sketched the amazing cities and ruins and sparked interest in the ancient Mayan people and their civilization. Archeologists visited to research the sites and try to better understand who the Maya were. Others deciphered the hieroglyphics to understand their history. People all over the world finally learned about this advanced civilization that once ruled Mesoamerica.

Today, the descendants of the Maya still live in Central America, which includes parts of Mexico, Guatemala, Belize, Honduras, and El Salvador.

If you get the chance, be sure to look up documentaries about the Maya or books at your local library. You can also find many amazing photos of their cities and buildings which still stand today.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
History of Maya Civilization for Kids | Bedtime History: Podcast and Videos For Kids | Homework Help

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Close your eyes and imagine you are hiking through a thick jungle. You use a sharp machete to cut away the vines and leaves blocking your path. You step through deep mud and cross a busy stream, then cut through another wall of trees until you reach the clearing and see it - the tallest [...]

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
The Maya was a fascinating ancient civilisation with a rich culture and heritage. Check out these fascinating Maya facts to help you learn all about the Mayan civilisation.
Explore our Mayan Lessons and FreeBees!

The Spanish Conquistadors

In the early 16th centuries, Spanish explorers - including Hernán Cortés - led missions to the Yucatan pennisula of North America. Here, these explorers (who became known as the conquistadors) found the indigenous peoples of the Aztec and Maya civilisations.

In 1519, Cortes landed in modern-day Mexico. He claimed the land for the Spanish crown and began to colonise the land, taking advantage of the fact that the Maya and Aztec civilisations were made up of several competing kingdoms. Some kingdoms were conquered quickly or made early alliances with the Spanish and others resisted the Spanish conquest for almost two centuries.

So, who were the Maya and why are they so significant?

Who were the Maya?

The Maya were an ancient civilisation of people who lived in an area that used to be known as Mesoamerica. People had lived in the area from around 5000 BC but it wasn't until around 300 BC that the first cities started to form. Before this people were hunter gatherers, or lived in small villages.

Where did the Maya live?

The Maya lived in an area of North America that was known as Mesoamerica but which is now the countries of Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador and Belize. This area is often referred to as Central America today.

Mayan City States

Mayan society was organised into city states. Each city has its own king who had complete control over his subjects. City states would often trade with each other but would also go to war frequently to try and gain power, wealth and glory for their city state.

Mayan Society

Mayan society was structured a bit like a pyramid. The higher up the pyramid you were, the more important you were:

1) King: The king was at the very top of the pyramid and was the most important person in the city state. Mayans believed that kings were chosen by the gods. This meant that a king's orders and wished had to be obeyed.

2) Nobles and Priests: These were very important people who were educated. They were the scribes and astrologers of society. They lived in grand houses.

3) Palace Officials: These were also very important people. They were in charge of the day-to-day running of the city.

4) Craftsmen: Craftsmen included anyone who had a skilled job, such as a stonemason, tailor or woodcarver.

5) Farmers: Most ordinary people in Mayan society were farmers. They usually lived in small settlements and lived simple lives.

6) Labourers: Labourers did the hard manual labour that was needed to build temples and other buildings. Labourers were paid a very low wage.

7) Slaves: Slaves were at the very bottom of the social pyramid. They also had to do hard labour, and anything else they were told to do, but they didn't get paid for their work. They were given food and shelter by their masters.

Teachers: Check out our Mayan City States lesson if you're looking for more in-depth teaching materials about Mayan society.

What were Mayan houses like?

The most common houses had walls made of stone or mud. They had thatched roofs. Mayan houses were oval in shape and had just one room. Families would all live and sleep in one room. Extended family members would build their houses next to each other and would often share a kitchen garden to grow fruits and vegetables to eat.

Rich Maya lived in much more elaborate houses built of stone, often on raised platforms.

What did the Maya eat?

Maize was a staple part of the Mayan diet, along with beans, pumpkins, squash, tomatoes, avocados, chillies, papaya, pineapple, limes and many other fruits and vegetables. They also ate fresh meat from the animals they kept or hunted, like fish or turkey.

Mayan Gods

The Maya believed in hundreds of different nature gods who ruled people's lives and decisions, such as the gods of maize, the Sun and fire. The lives of the Maya revolved around religion; they had many special ceremonies and rituals to honour the gods and ask for blessings. Cities had special temples where people went to worship and offer the gods gifts.

As well as gifts, the Maya believed that they had to offer blood sacrifices to the gods. They believed that if they didn't, the Sun wouldn't rise and the world would end. Blood sacrifices could be given in many ways. Rulers, for example, would pull spiky ropes through their tongues to draw blood, or fingernails would be pulled from slaves or captives.

10 Mayan Gods:

Itzamna is a creator god who was one of the creators of human beings

Kinich Ahau is the sun god

Ix Chel is the goddess of medicine and midwifery

Chaac is the god of rain and storms

Ah Bolon Tzacab is the god of farming who is also associated with royal power

Buluc Chabtan is the god of war, violence and sudden death

Hun Hunahpu is the god of maize

Awilix was the goddess of night and the moon

Bahlam is the jaguar god of the underworld

Colel Cab is the goddess of bees

Mayan Writing

The Maya had a writing system made up of glyphs. Glyphs are signs that represent a word or sound. The Maya had more than 800 glyphs in their writing system! At first, historians didn't think that the signs represented writing at all, or at least not a complete writing system. It wasn't until the 1950s that it was proved to be a language. After that, people were able to start translating the writing the Maya left behind and learn more and more about their society and culture.

Mayan Maths

The Mayan number system involved using lines, dots and shells. A dot represented one, a line represented five and a shell represented zero. Any number could be made with the combination of these symbols.

Did you know...?
The Maya had a symbol for zero way before the Europeans did.

Teachers: If you're looking a lesson on Mayan writing and number systems, check our Mayan Writing lesson.

The decline of the Mayan civilisation

Between 200 and 900 AD, the Maya civilisation was at its peak. Cities in the south began to collapse during the ninth and tenth centuries but some cities in the north continued to flourish for many centuries after that. By the 16th century, when the Spanish conquistadors arrived, most cities were abandoned and some had already been swallowed up by surrounding jungle. However, the last Mayan city, Nojpetén, did not fall to the Spanish until the end of the 17th century in 1697 AD.

No one knows exactly why the great Mayan cities fell into decline and historians working in the field do not agree. Here are some of the theories:

Drought and crop failure leading to food shortages

Warfare between rival tribes intensified

Declining trade meant cities could not sustain their populations

An increase in diseases meant a declining population

A natural disaster killed everyone

What do you think is the most likely reason or reasons for the decline of the Maya civilisation?
Despite the fall of great cities, the Mayan civilisation didn't end completely. Instead, the Maya favoured smaller village settlements among the rainforests and mountains of Mesoamerica. These people kept the Mayan culture and traditions; the Maya still live in the region today.

Modern Maya men performing a ritual before a ball game

Historical Sources

For many years, historians studying the Maya were limited to artefacts and environmental evidence uncovered in archaeological digs or sources written by European conquistadors. However, now that language experts have decoded the Mayan language, many other historical sources created by the indigenous Maya themselves have been unlocked for historians.

These include the glyphs on ancient stelae (stone monuments with inscriptions - much like the ogham-inscripted stones of the Picts and Scots). It also includes four books called codices which were written on paper made from the bark of fig trees. The most well known codex which dates probably to between the 12th and 14th centuries, is called the Dresden codex. However, the oldest surviving codex is the Maya codex which dates to the 11th or 12th century.

Stelae depicting a King in warrior dress (600-900 AD)

Once they were decoded, it became clear that these glyphs and codices were not just a form of artistic expression. In fact, they tell us about the political structures of the societies - about the births, marriages and deaths of kings and queens, about conquests and trade.

The codices also provide information about astronomy, astrology, religious ceremonies and rituals and how these linked to agriculture. These sources largely tell us about the political and religious elites - kings, queens and priests. However, they do also give us some insight into what clothing people wore and how they used everyday objects. It is true to say that, having better understanding of these indigenous records, has still moved on our collective understanding about the Maya civilisation considerably.

It is known that many codices were burned by the Spanish as they were drove the population to convert to Christianity. Some fragments of codices have been found in burial sites but are too far degraded to be readable.
The Dresden Codex (12th-14th century)
If you enjoyed reading this blog, have a look at some of our other fact blogs.

Teachers: If you're looking for more resources to teach the Maya to your class, check out our collection of Maya downloadable PDFs, including an in-depth KS2 cross-curricular Maya Topic with lesson plans, slideshows and printable resources.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Maya Facts for KS2 Children and Teachers

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Check out these fascinating Maya facts for KS2 about the ancient Mayan civilisation - perfect if you're studying the Maya with your KS2 class.