Mayan Empire Research Paper

The empires solidified their authority thanks to the rulers, who were resilient and active in their

| * Trade was very international. * Silk roads linked Eurasia, and goods traded hands many times along the roads.

One reason that trade was different across regions of the world was different goods being traded. The map on Document A shows goods found in the Mayan trade network are cacao, cotton, feathers, honey, jade, obsidian and salt, (Document A). The map on Document F shows goods found on the Silk Road and on the trade routes connected to it are frankincense, cotton, compass, gems, silk, glassware, spices, horses, gunpowder and paper, (Document F). These pieces of evidence show exports in the Mayan Trade Network differ from exports on the Silk Road. This shows that different trade routes distribute

First we have what they traded on the Silk Road to mack the north and south, west and east on the Silk Road so divers. Like from china they traded silk, iron, bronze, orange trees, paper and gunpowder. One supporting Example or Evidence from text or source document In Document A powerpoint one lists the trade material from China and stats them clearly and only the

• Alexander (king and son of Philip, a.k.a. Alexander the Great) defeated the Persian King Darius Ⅲ.

The Mayan economy depended upon trading and centralized markets to sustain itself. They used canoes to transport goods across rivers and lakes. Cacao beans were used as currency, or traders bartered with each other to exchange goods. They traded food with societies close to them and nonperishable goods, such as obsidian, with societies farther from them. In Mayan society, agriculture was looked upon as a key part to the economy. The Mayans main crops that were grown were corn, beans, chili peppers, and squash. These crops were a very big priority for the Mayan settlement and economy for trading purposes. The Mayans also developed wonderful cities with larger community centers. These centers featured temples, pyramids, and palaces. These were good strategic central location which would enhance the economy. The Mayan economies wonderful trade and agricultural products all helped form a great base for the Mayan economy. Those aspects like agriculture and trading also immensely helped the Aztec civilization.

Animals and crops were used to trade for clothes and other items. Once or twice a week all Mayans would gather at a market to make these trades, barters and purchases. The market was a popular destination for Mayans because Maya land was very fertile, meaning there was a lot of crops of all sorts to be purchased. Also the Mayans made up a large population making this market a necessity, these were all signs of a good market. This market was held by a plain beside a river. Trade markets were led by merchants known as PPolms. In farming, corn was one of the most important crops. Scientists believe that Mayans depended heavily on corn. Corn was a major part in a Mayans life, religion, and art. Corn was so sacred that it was given to the ‘Corn God’ called Yum Kaax. When corn would be harvested, farmers would give a portion to the priests and noblemen as a form of tax. Early forms of Mayan economics left a mark, and it is still used in many countries

The Han Dynasty developed the Silk Road, which allowed them to connect with the Roman Empire. The Chinese knew how to make silk; the Roman’s wanted the silk, but did not know how to make it. Thus, the Silk Road was a 4,000-mile long network of trade routes that connected China to Europe, the Middle East, and North Africa. Trade resembled a chain, with each trader and a segment of the trade route representing a link in the chain. Travel along the Silk Road was dangerous. Eventually, the roads became extremely hazardous and risky when bandits acquired the expertise of manufacturing Chinese gunpowder. Sailors learned to navigate alternate avenues by utilizing the sea that was safer and faster than the Silk Road. Subsequently, due to Rome desiring the silk made in China, the Silk Road connected the two robust, although distinctive powers.

Silk was an important item that was traded and began during the Han Dynasty. The Silk Road was a network of trade routes and the first marketplace that allowed people to spread beliefs and cultural ideas across Europe and Asia. Merchants and traders of many countries traveled technologies, diseases and religion on the Silk Road; connecting the West and East. They also imported horses, grapes, medicine products, stones, etc. and deported apricots, pottery and spices. The interaction of these different cultures created a cultural diffusion. The road consisted of vast and numerous trade routes that went between China and Europe.

Trading was a big part of the mayan culture. Mayans traded not only their agriculture but their arts and crafts as well. They made weaving, baskets, pottery, and painting. There traders were called ppoln, they were so highly respected that they had there own god. They created their own marketplaces and their own travel system to promote their

Agriculture and trade were the basis of the economy. A wide variety of things were grown. The predominate crop was maize. However, beans, squash, pumpkin, chili peppers, tomatoes, frijol, yucca, cocoa, tobacco, avocado, and sapota were grown and traded. The goods were taken to major cities and traded for things like cloth, jade, pottery, fish, deer meat, and also salt. All of these were traded by canoe. They also domesticated dogs and

The Classical Maya was lost to the archaeological records until the last 200 years due to it’s abandonment. When the Mayans left there great cities, thick vines and jungles overtook the great monuments they once built. But in the last 200 years, in depth research has lead to breakthroughs into what the Classic Maya was like. The earliest Mayans were agriculturalist, growing crops such as corn (maize), beans, squash and cassava. The Mayans also invented a very accurate calendar, a math code using 0’s, constructed buildings still intact today, and a writing system that took decades to decode. The Mayans were situated in one geographical block covering all of the Yucatan Peninsula (Mexico), modern-day Guatemala, Belize, parts of the Mexican states of Tabasco and Chiapas, and the western part of Honduras and El Salvador. Due to their location on the

Agriculture was the basis of the economy of the Mayan and corn was the principal food.(Voorhies 324) Other crops included avocados, tomatoes, and chili peppers. They cultivated an enormous variety of plants.(Foley 20)

The stronger kings would dominate over the weaker ones and require the weaker societies to pay tribute to the stronger one by providing goods or services. The kings would place a tax on citizens of their state to help pay for building of monuments, palaces and public works like ball fields. In addition, to imposing tax the king would also control all trade. The king would determine which products would be traded to other cities and which products he would hold back from his own people. This type of control would allow the king to raise his status within his city. Overall, the Mayan economy was sophisticated. It developed a specialized system of merchants and trade routes between cities. While the invention of minted money did not exists the Mayans bought goods by trading greenstone beads, cacao beans, and copper bells. This of course was also controlled and authorized by the king solidifying his role in the

The priestly class lived in the cities, while the general population lived away in small farming villages. The priests would carry out daily religious duties, particularly sacrifices, and the peasants would gather periodically for religious ceremonies and festivals. They built the ceremonial centers in a specific design for religious practices. They constructed tall pyramid temples, warren-like single story palaces, and a ball court that was surrounded by a broad central plaza. The architectural features of the Mayan pyramids include towering roofs, corbel vaults, and elaborate embellishment with stucco reliefs (Palfrey 2). It is amazing to imagine the detail that the Mayans were able to create in their architecture with only primitive tools. For the Mayans, science and religion were linked. Time was extremely important and their agriculture and religious ceremonies required a system that could record time.