The Maya Culture

The Maya culture

• The Mayan civilization emerged in Mesoamerica about 3,500 years ago.
• Maize agriculture was the base of the economy of the Maya.
• The trade was done by barter or exchange, but also used as currency cacao, feathers and other valuables.
• They traded with the products of the earth and objects made from clay, jade and animal skins.
• The Mayans made rush and reed baskets, nets pita, hammocks, bows, simple furniture, clay pots and griddles, etc. To date, this activity is still done between indigenous peoples.
• They were governed by a political authority and a high priest.
• The Maya were influenced by the Toltecs, as shown by the great ritual center of Chichén Itzá.
• The first contacts between the Maya and the Spanish took place in 1511, when he disembarked on their coasts Jeronimo de Aguilar.
• And years later, the Spaniards managed to dominate the Maya as they was on the decline.
• One of the most important Mayan rituals was the ball game. It is practiced in a room that was in almost all ceremonial centers.
• The Mayans developed a hieroglyphic writing. Thanks to this, they could leave evidence of their mythology, their history and their religious rites.
• But also, the Maya also left writings performed on bark paper codices or scrolls deer skin.

The Egipcian culture

• In the Nile Valley one of the first major agricultural civilizations of antiquity was developed.
• It was the pharaoh who occupied the highest position in the government in the social scale, in the priestly hierarchy and also, was worshiped as a divinitylatter being highly relevant aspect. This form of government, the basis of which is religion, is known by the name of theocracy.
• Participate in the construction of the pyramids and temples of the Egyptians was an act of profound significance.
• The Egyptians had a polytheistic religion and naturalist, which played a very important role in writing, political, social, economic and artistic life of the people. The Egyptians enjoyed life. The party scenes on the walls of tombs, chanting in the papyri and the instruments, we show how much it meant music and fun.
• They held large public festivals, in which thousands of people were entertained with singing music of flutes, harps and castanets, and much wine was drunk. Music was also used in many everyday occasions.
• They practiced zoolatry (worshiping animals).

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