Daily Life in the Maya Civilization

By Clint Edwards

This book explores what life was really like for everyday people in the Maya Civilization. Using primary sources and information from archeological discoveries, it uncovers some fascinating insights and explodes some myths. Supported by timelines, maps and references to important events and people, children will really feel they are on a time-travelling journey when reading this book.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Capstone Young Readers
• Release date: May 1, 2019
• ISBN: 9781484654880

Clint Edwards

Nick Hunter has written more than 30 books for young people. He has a degree in Modern History and specializes in writing about history and social studies. Nick enjoys all aspects of pop culture, particularly music from the 1950s to the present day. Before becoming an author, Nick worked in educational publishing for many years. He lives in Oxford, UK with his wife and two sons.

Book preview

Daily Life in Ancient Civilizations: Daily Life in the Maya Civilization by Nick Hunter

TABLE OF CONTENTS

COVER

TITLE PAGE

WHO WERE THE ANCIENT MAYA?

WHAT WERE MAYA CITIES LIKE?

WHO RULED THE MAYA CIVILIZATION?

WHAT DID THE MAYA BELIEVE?

WHAT JOBS DID THE MAYA DO?

WHAT WAS MAYA FAMILY LIFE LIKE?

WHAT DID THE MAYA WEAR?

DID THE MAYA FIGHT WARS?

WHAT DID THE MAYA DO FOR FUN?

WHAT HAPPENED TO THE ANCIENT MAYA?

A DAY IN THE LIFE OF A MAYAN BOY

TIMELINE

GLOSSARY

FIND OUT MORE

INDEX

COPYRIGHT

BACK COVER

WHO WERE THE ANCIENT MAYA?

Visitors to the rain forests of Central America are fascinated by the ancient and dramatic buildings that tower above the dense jungle. These vast pyramids and temples are the remains of the complex civilization of the Maya, who flourished here for more than 2,000 years.

The first Maya settlers arrived in the lowland region of what is now central Mexico in around 800 BCE. They came from the highlands farther south in search of better farmland. After 600 BCE, the early Maya villages grew into cities, and in the centuries after 300 BCE, the Maya began to build great temples and pyramids in cities such as Tikal.

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Maya city-states grew in the region that is now southern Mexico, Guatemala, and Belize.

Maya civilization was at its most powerful during the Classic Period that began around 250 CE, at the same time that much of Europe and North Africa were part of the Roman Empire.

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The remains of Maya cities such as Palenque are still an awe-inspiring sight.

In addition to their incredible buildings, the Maya developed a sophisticated system of writing and mathematics. Maya priests studied the movements of stars and planets and created a calendar that allows us to accurately date key events. However, archaeologists still have many mysteries to solve about this civilization, particularly about the dail life of ordinar eo le

HOW DO WE KNOW?

In 1952, an international group of language experts unlocked the secrets of Maya writing. They discovered that