Classic Maya Era

ANTH 1100

Jeremy Ryan
 Introduction

The Maya were very successful people, with large city structures and complex water

management systems. Trade was very important to Maya culture as evident by the trade of

obsidian and the ceramic trade in Tikal. The Maya were also very spiritual shown in their use of

jade and the funerary pyramid temples. Tikal was a large powerful Maya city that has evidence

of a merchant economy. Palenque displays how the Maya had excellent problem-solving skills to

deal with the detriments that came with the nearby landscape and water abundance.
 General Information on Classic Maya

The Maya descended from hunter-gatherer ancestors who eventually moved into the

nearby lowlands to start farms. These farms in the lowlands were the start of the Maya

civilization. In a span of a few hundred years, the Maya became heavily settled and began to

build large structures such as pyramids. The Maya were also able to make use of the nearby

elevations for farming and water management. Maya structures have numerous glyphic

inscriptions that depict Maya history and culture.

Trade was extremely important to Maya culture. With an abundance of available

obsidian, its no wonder that obsidian tools were often traded with other civilizations throughout

Mesoamerica. Varying amounts of obsidian tools have been found in different areas, this

suggests that there was a distribution system. Places with high amounts of found obsidian tools

were either close to the source of extraction or were trade hubs in the distribution system.

Obsidian tools and artifacts were used in a variety of tasks, these include sacrifices, shaving,

surgery, and jewelry.

Jade and objects made out of jade are large aspects of Maya religion and beliefs. There

are many jade artifacts found in Maya archaeological sites, these artifacts are usually in the form

of sculptures or figurines. The sculptures and figurines depict a variety of subjects, ranging from

humanoid figures, a lot of which depict deities or rulers, to various animals. Similarly to the

Olmec and the Aztec, the Maya saw Jade as a symbol for wind. Wind was considered the bringer

of rain, therefore making Jade a symbol for life. In the rituals for some Classic Maya rulers, jade

was placed in the mouth of the ruler at the time of their death. When this ritual was performed, it

was believed that the jade then on held the soul of the deceased ruler. The Olmec and the Aztec

also had similar rituals.

 Tikal

Tikal’s ruins are located in the rainforests of Guatemala, and is home to one of the largest

Maya archaeological sites. At its prime, Tikal was one of the most powerful Maya cities. There

are varying estimates on Tikal’s population, ranging from 10,000 to 300,000 people. More

evidence points to the population being near the 100,000 range.

Tikal consists of four major causeways, three of which lead directly to the center of the

city. The site consists of multiple temples and structures. Similarly to Egyptian pyramids, the

temples in Tikal were often dedicated to Tikal rulers and their families. There were usually

tombs filled with jade offerings inside the temples. Temple I was dedicated to Jasaw Chan

K’awil, while Temple II was dedicated to his wife, and Temple IV was dedicated to his son.

Temple IV stood as the largest structure in the Maya region until around 800 AD. Inside and

around the temples are a plethora of lintels and stelae that depict a mixture of ruler and deity

figures. There was also a local limestone quarry that allowed for easier construction.

Those who farmed for their occupation resided in the outskirts or outside of Tikal, this is

due to the inner portions of Tikal lacking the space required for farming and agriculture.

Residences on the outskirts of Tikal were more spread out, giving more of a rural type of

lifestyle which was better for farmers. Residences became more compact the closer they got to

Tikal’s center, making it more of an urban lifestyle. A few locations near Tikal’s center have

been found that are thought to have been for ceramic production. Located in the ceramic

production sites are high volumes of ceramic goods. It is suggested that ceramic goods were

distributed using a market system. This would indicate that Tikal had a market economy, where

merchants would gather in a public space to trade for various good. This type of economy is still

present in modern day Guatemala.

 Palenque

Palenque was uninhabited when the Spanish arrived in the city. The name Palenque was

given by the Spanish, when translated it means a fenced in defensive post. Palenque was also

referred to as Lakamha by the Maya, which translates into “Big Water”. Palenque began as a

small community and experienced expansive growth by the seventh century. Palenque is

considered to be a medium sized city, for reference, Palenque is smaller than Tikal. The

estimated population is around 6,000 residents.

Because of the steep terrain, the architecture in Palenque had to be adapted, this ended up

creating a more constricted architectural layout. Nearby were a number of spring fed streams,

these also made it difficult for building residences and structures. Referring to the name “Big

Water”, water was very abundant through springs and through the high amounts of rain fall.

Although water was constantly available as a resource, it was also often an issue in the form of

flooding and erosion. The Palenque residents modified their environmental surroundings to

reroute water. Their plazas were built on top of natural formed springs, while the water ran

through underground pathways, this allowed for a significant increase in the city’s size. Flooding

in agricultural fields was solved by digging drainage ditches to reroute the water. These complex

water management systems are intuitive and unique when compared to other Maya cities, but

most other cities had less rainfall and a more level topography.

Like the pyramids and temples in Tikal, the ones found in Palenque are also for funerary

purposes and dedicated to nobles. The Temple of the Inscriptions is built upon a large step

pyramid that houses the tomb of the leader Pakal. The inscriptions on the temple depict almost

200 years of Palenque history. The Temple of the Cross complex consists of three pyramids with

corresponding temples, each has inscriptions depicting an important ruler.

 Conclusion

The Maya had a complex but organized culture that displayed high levels of spirituality

and ingenuity. The Maya had the amazing abilities to adapt to and even overcome topographical

and ecological problems. The temples and tombs in Tikal and Palenque display a high level of

respect for not only their rulers, but also for the dead. The Maya were resourceful and were

highly skilled craftspeople, most notably with obsidian and ceramic goods. The Maya had an

understanding of economies and business, this is especially evident by the merchant economy in

Tikal. Palenque displays the Maya ability to engineer solutions to allow them to thrive in

unconventional situations.
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