THE 5 ECONOMIC ASPECTS OF THE MOST RELEVANT MAYANS - HISTORY - 2025

Some of the main economic aspects of the Mayans were agriculture and the exploitation of mineral resources. These helped its development as one of the most powerful American civilizations.

This civilization extended its dominions from southern Mexico to Central America. According to historians and paleontologists, its peak occurred between 250 and 900 AD. C.

Being great stargazers and knowledgeable about the possibilities of their natural environment, the Mayans were one of the most important civilizations of antiquity.

The structure of the territory was arranged in city-states. The Mayans were politically organized according to hierarchies according to which the most important figure was the king, who was often considered a god.

The Mayans managed to establish themselves as one of the most important civilizations in America thanks to their political organization, their prosperous economy and their developed commercial network, which led them to go beyond the limits of their empire and interact with other cultures.

Its economy was intimately linked to the division of classes. The elite lived in the center of the city and their houses were made of stone.

For their part, the middle and lower classes lived far from the center of the city and built their houses with mud and thatched roof.

In addition, the Maya invented a precise and advanced calendar and a vigesimal numbering system.

The 5 main economic activities of the Mayans

1- Agriculture

The Mayans developed agricultural techniques such as irrigation, drainage or terraces, to make the most of the climate and the jungle terrain.

This allowed them to grow cocoa beans, corn, beans, squash, vanilla, avocado, chili peppers, cotton, tomatoes, fruit trees, and potatoes.

Beekeeping also played an important role in the Mayan economy, as did the raising of ducks and turkeys.

2- Trade

The vast extension of the Mayan empire led to the development of important trade routes between the different city-states and with other indigenous peoples, such as the Olmecs and those who inhabited the Teotihuacan region.

The Mayans traded materials that they extracted from the deposits, such as obsidian, jade and magnetite.

They also took advantage of the river courses to extend their commercial dominion to the Petén lands, transporting items such as bells, axes, handicrafts and cotton clothes in canoes.

3- Crafts

Art occupied a primordial place in the Mayan economy. They made clothes from cotton fabrics, beautifully decorated ceramic pieces, and mother-of-pearl items.

Artists who gained popularity with their productions were in high demand from the upper classes.

4- Architecture and engineering

The city-states located in the lowlands of the empire built immense water reservoirs to contain drinking water, and to make this essential element available during times of drought.

The populations living in the higher lands developed true works of engineering: the underground aqueducts.

In their cities they built great stepped pyramids and palaces, and even many cities had sewers and running water.

5- War

As the Mayan empire was divided into several city-states, the rulers often provoked clashes in search of power and material gains.

These gains were called tribute, which were taxes that the loser paid to the winner.

References

1. Henderson JS. 1997. The World of the Ancient Maya. Ithaca: Cornell University Press.
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3. Ardren T, Manahan TK, Wesp JK, and Alonso A. 2010. Cloth production and economic intensification in the area surrounding Chichen Itza. Latin American Antiquity 21 (3): 274-289.
4. Kris Hirst. Mayan Economy: Subsistence, Trade, and Social Classes, (May 2017) in Thought. Co.: Humanities, History & Culture. Retrieved on November 28, 2017 from Thought.Co: thoughtco.com
5. Rachel Raine Langill, Ancient Civlizations: the Mayans (October, 2010). Retrieved on November 28, 2017 from mayantimeline.blogspot.com