The ancient Maya civilization developed a fully written hieroglyphic script and advanced mathematical and astronomical systems. They inhabited an area that encompassed southeastern Mexico, Guatemala, Belize, western Honduras and El Salvador. The Maya civilization consisted of northern lowlands, highlands, and southern lowlands. Their society had distinct social levels including royalty, nobility, and slaves. They built structures from local resources, ranging from thatch-roofed huts for most to larger buildings for rulers and priests, and constructed pyramidal temples central to their nature-based religion.

1. MAYA CIVILIZATION

2. Abstract
The ancient Maya civilization was a Mesoamerican civilization developed by the Maya peoples,
noted for the Maya hieroglyphic script, the only known fully developed writing system of the pre-
Columbian Americas, as well as for its art, architecture, and mathematical and astronomical
systems. The Maya civilization developed in an area that encompasses southeastern Mexico, all of
Guatemala and Belize, and the western portions of Honduras and El Salvador. This region consists
of the northern lowlands, encompassing the Yucatán Peninsula, the highlands of the Sierra Madre,
running from the Mexican state of Chiapas, across southern Guatemala and onwards into El
Salvador, and the southern lowlands of the Pacific littoral plain.

3. Language:
□ Mayan itself is a language and most Mayan descendants
now speak Spanish.
□ There are 21 separate dialects attributed to Mayans.
□ The Mayan language was spoken 5,000 years ago.

4. Geography:
The Mayans lived in Central America which
consists of southern Mexico. It’s located
south of the tropic cancer and north of the
equator.

5. Government:
□ Government was an important part of the Maya
civilization.
□ Priests seemed to be the most significant and ran
everything.
□ Many of them were rulers of the cities. One of the most
famous rulers was Lord Pacal.
□ What was surprising was he became king at 6 and
legally took the throne at 12.
□ He was a priest/ruler and king for about 50 years before
he did.

6. Religion:
□ In Mayan religion it mostly consisted of the worship of
nature gods.
□ Gods like of the sun, rain, and corn.
They showed the importance of astronomy and astrology.
Rituals of human sacrifice and the building of pyramidical
temples.
□ Some of the Mayan religion still lives on today.

7. Social Levels:
□ The Mayans had 3 main social levels:
-Royalty- lived in palaces.
-Wealthy- lived in large houses near palaces.
-Poor- lived in outskirts of town and they were poor.
-There were slaves, peasants, artisans, nobility, priests, and
leaders.

8. Architecture:
□ The hay huts were a basic structure for Mayans and
most of the Mayan population lived in these types of
houses.
□ They were made from resources around the area like the
walls consisted of mud and stone.
□ They stood up by wooden poles. The Mayans
architecture advanced over time and the buildings were
big but they weren’t that tall.

9. The end
Done by/ Ahmed Elwan