Mayans and Teotihuacan | World History | Khan Academy
TLDRThe Mayan civilization, one of the most enduring in history, spanned from the Yucatan Peninsula to El Salvador, with settlements dating back to 2000 B.C.E. They developed a base-20 numeral system with place value by 1000 B.C.E., predating the Hindu Arabic numeral system by a millennium. The Mayans also created an early form of writing and a highly accurate calendar, surpassing the Julian calendar in precision. Their civilization was characterized by city-states rather than a unified empire, with each city having a divine king. Influence from the powerful city of Teotihuacan was significant, especially around the 4th century. Teotihuacan, potentially an empire center, declined around 550 C.E. due to possible internal issues and famine. The Mayan civilization also began to collapse in the 800s, possibly due to similar environmental and social stresses. Despite the decline, some Mayan cities persisted until the European colonization, with cultures like the Aztecs considering themselves successors to these ancient civilizations.
Takeaways
- 🗺️ The Mayan civilization was one of the most enduring in the world, spanning from the Yucatan Peninsula to the Sierra Madre Mountains, covering parts of Mexico, Guatemala, Belize, Honduras, and El Salvador.
- ⏳ The Mayans had settlements dating back to 2000 B.C.E., with the first cities emerging around 750 B.C.E.
- 🔢 A sophisticated base-20 numeral system with place value was in use by the Mayans as early as 1000 B.C.E., predating the Hindu Arabic numeral system by a millennium.
- 📜 The Mayans developed one of the earliest forms of writing in the Americas by the 3rd century B.C.E., known as Mayan glyphs.
- 🗓️ The Mayan calendar was more accurate than the Julian calendar used in the Western world until the 1500s or 1600s.
- 🏙️ The classical period of Mayan civilization, starting around 250 C.E., saw the rise of great cities like Tikal and Calakmul, which may have had populations between 50,000 to 100,000.
- 🏰 The Mayan civilization was not a unified empire but a collection of city-states, similar to the Greek city-states, each with its own king who was both a political and spiritual ruler.
- ⛰️ Around the 4th century, Teotihuacan, a powerful city near modern-day Mexico City, exerted significant influence over Mayan cities, including Tikal.
- 🌟 At its peak, Teotihuacan was one of the largest cities in the world, with an estimated population of 100,000 to 250,000 people.
- 🤔 There is debate among historians whether Teotihuacan was an independent city-state or the center of an empire, given its multiethnic composition and widespread influence.
- 📉 Teotihuacan declined around 550 C.E., possibly due to internal uprisings, drought, and famine, pre-dating the collapse of the Mayan civilization.
- 🏰 Some Mayan cities persisted beyond the classical period until the European colonization, with successor states like the Aztecs considering themselves as inheritors to the Mayan and Teotihuacan civilizations.
Q & A
What is the geographical extent of the Mayan civilization?
-The Mayan civilization extended from the Yucatan Peninsula in the north to the Sierra Madre Mountains in the south, covering regions of modern-day southeast Mexico, Guatemala, Belize, western Honduras, and El Salvador.
When did the Mayan civilization first establish settlements?
-The Mayan civilization is believed to have had settlements as early as 2000 B.C.E.
When did the first cities of the Mayan civilization emerge?
-The first cities of the Mayan civilization emerged around 750 B.C.E.
What was the significance of the Mayan numeral system?
-The Mayan numeral system was a sophisticated base-20 system that included the use of place value, developed as early as 1000 B.C.E., predating the Hindu Arabic numeral system by about 1000 years.
When did the Mayan civilization develop its first form of writing?
-The first form of writing in the Mayan civilization appeared around the third century B.C.E.
How was the Mayan calendar's accuracy compared to the Julian calendar?
-The Mayan calendar was more accurate than the Julian calendar, which was the most advanced in the western world until the middle of the second millennium.
What is the 'classical period' of the Mayan civilization?
-The classical period of the Mayan civilization is marked by the emergence of great cities like Tikal and Calakmul, starting around 250 C.E.
What was the estimated population of Mayan cities at their peak?
-At their peak, Mayan cities such as Tikal and Calakmul are believed to have had a population of 50,000 to 100,000 people.
How was the political structure of the Mayan civilization similar to that of the Greek city-states?
-The Mayan civilization was not a unified empire but rather a collection of city-states, each with its own king, similar to the political structure of the Greek city-states.
What is known about the role of the king in Mayan city-states?
-In Mayan city-states, the king was a political and spiritual ruler, considered a divine figure with a connection between the natural and supernatural realms.
What is Teotihuacan and how did it influence the Mayan civilization?
-Teotihuacan was a powerful city near modern-day Mexico City that exerted significant influence over the Mayan cities, particularly Tikal, towards the end of the fourth century. It is believed to have been a center of regional influence or possibly an empire.
What are some theories about the decline of Teotihuacan and the Mayan civilization?
-Teotihuacan declined around 550 C.E., possibly due to internal uprisings, drought, and famine. The Mayan civilization also began to collapse a few hundred years later, potentially due to similar factors.
Outlines
🗺️ Mayan Civilization Overview
The Mayan civilization is recognized as one of the most enduring in the world, with settlements dating back to 2000 B.C.E. It spanned across the Yucatan Peninsula to the Sierra Madre Mountains, encompassing parts of modern-day Mexico, Guatemala, Belize, Honduras, and El Salvador. The first cities emerged around 750 B.C.E., and the Mayans developed a base-20 numeral system with place value by 1000 B.C.E., predating the Hindu Arabic numeral system. The Mayan writing system, the earliest in the Americas, appeared around the third century B.C.E. Their calendar was more precise than the Julian calendar used in the Western world until the 16th century. The classical period, marked by the rise of cities like Tikal and Calakmul, is estimated to have had populations between 50,000 to 100,000. The Mayan civilization was a collection of city-states, each with a king who served as both political and spiritual ruler, and human sacrifice was part of their rituals. The city of Teotihuacan exerted significant influence over the Mayans in the fourth century.
🏙️ Teotihuacan: A City of Great Influence
Teotihuacan, a powerful city near modern-day Mexico City, significantly influenced the Mayan civilization in the fourth century. It was a sophisticated city with a population estimated between 100,000 to 250,000 at its peak, making it one of the largest cities in the world at the time. Established around 150 B.C.E., it lasted until the sixth century. The name Teotihuacan was given by the Aztecs; its original name is unknown. The city's decline around 550 C.E. is hypothesized to be due to internal strife, possibly exacerbated by drought and famine. The Mayan civilization, which outlasted Teotihuacan, also eventually collapsed in the 800s, potentially due to similar environmental and social stresses. Despite the collapse, some Mayan cities persisted until the European colonization, with successor states like the Aztecs considering themselves inheritors of the legacy.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Mayan civilization
💡Numeral system
💡Glyph
💡Calendar
💡Classical period
💡City-states
💡Divine king
💡Teotihuacan
💡Influence
💡Collapse
💡European colonization
Highlights
The Mayan civilization is one of the most long-lasting civilizations in the world.
Settlements in the Mayan region date back to as early as 2000 B.C.E.
The first cities in the Mayan civilization emerged around 750 B.C.E.
The Mayans developed a sophisticated base-20 numeral system with place value by 1000 B.C.E.
The Mayan numeral system predates the Hindu Arabic numeral system by about 1000 years.
The first Mayan writing appeared around the third century B.C.E.
Mayan writing is believed to be the first well-established writing system in the Americas.
The Mayan calendar was more accurate than the Julian calendar used in the Western world until the 16th century.
The classical period of the Mayan civilization began around 250 C.E. with the rise of cities like Tikal and Calakmul.
At their peak, Mayan cities such as Tikal and Calakmul had populations between 50,000 to 100,000 people.
The Mayan civilization was not a unified empire but a collection of city-states similar to ancient Greece.
Each Mayan city-state had a king who was both a political and spiritual ruler, considered divine.
The Mayans practiced human sacrifice as part of their belief system and rituals.
The city of Teotihuacan exerted significant influence over Mayan cities in the fourth century.
Teotihuacan was a vast city, possibly the sixth largest in the world at its peak with a population between 100,000 to 250,000.
Teotihuacan's status as an independent city-state or the center of an empire is debated among historians.
Teotihuacan declined around 550 C.E., possibly due to internal uprisings caused by drought and famine.
The Mayan civilization began to collapse in the 800s, potentially due to similar factors as Teotihuacan.
Some Mayan cities persisted beyond the classical period until the European colonization of the region.
Transcripts
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