Mayan technology was very interesting. It can be found in their pyramids, their math skills, and the very famous Mayan Calendar. Some pyramids are known to align with the sun, the moon, even the planets. The Mayans were amazing builders. Some Mayan pyramids stand today. Mayan Points: 1. While the Incas never developed a system of writing numbers, the Maya did. Mayan numbers are made up of dots and lines. Another point. Mayan Points: 2. The Mayans were known to use a farming technique called slash-and-burn. This is where you burn or cut down trees to make space for your farm. It is very unhealthy for the environment and isn't good for the human body either. Minus a point for the Maya. Maya Points: 1.
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Retrieved from https://www.brainpop.com/socialstudies/worldhistory/mayacivilization/
Mayan Numbers: Line is 5. Dot is 1. Shell is 0.
The rise and fall
of the mayans
Rise: Farming
began at about 2000 BC and small villages started to form. These
villages started to show up all over the Maya Region. This is how the
Mayans started to rise. Around 1500 BC, the Olmec are forming. The
Mayans would use the Olmec culture in life a lot. Some time around
1000 BC, bigger settlements and villages were being built. The Mayans
started writing 300 years later. They wrote using symbols. Writing made
the Maya much more advanced. Now they could record any event they wanted
or needed to (http://www.timemaps.com/civilization/Mayan-civilization).
In the 500 years between 600 BC and 100 BC, the Maya advanced in
amazing ways: they built large buildings, they made their farms big
enough to feed the population, they made accurate calendars, and built
their first pyramids. (http://www.ducksters.com/history/maya/maya_civilization_timeline.php)
Height: During the height of the Mayan Civilization, they figured out the concept of zero 1000 years before Europeans ever did and made accurate calendars with 365 days. They tracked the Sun, Moon and planets quite accurately. They developed a system of writing while only 4 other civilizations had writing. With writing, they wrote thousands, maybe tens of thousands of books. They had invented chocolate, medicine, schools, libraries, sports arenas, maybe even Basketball (www.history.com/topics/maya).
Decline: At about 1000 AD, the Mayan civilization had left their massive cities and gone back to living in villages. No one knows exactly why they left, but the best theories are that there was a drought, or nonstop war, or overpopulation and wearing out the land. They sometimes used slash-and-burn agriculture, which is why I think the last theory is the most reasonable. The Spanish arrived later and easily overpowered them.
Height: During the height of the Mayan Civilization, they figured out the concept of zero 1000 years before Europeans ever did and made accurate calendars with 365 days. They tracked the Sun, Moon and planets quite accurately. They developed a system of writing while only 4 other civilizations had writing. With writing, they wrote thousands, maybe tens of thousands of books. They had invented chocolate, medicine, schools, libraries, sports arenas, maybe even Basketball (www.history.com/topics/maya).
Decline: At about 1000 AD, the Mayan civilization had left their massive cities and gone back to living in villages. No one knows exactly why they left, but the best theories are that there was a drought, or nonstop war, or overpopulation and wearing out the land. They sometimes used slash-and-burn agriculture, which is why I think the last theory is the most reasonable. The Spanish arrived later and easily overpowered them.
Map of Mayan Territory at height