The Mayan Legacy - Teacher

Research LinksClassZone.comExtend Lesson 3The Mayan LegacyPurpose: To learn about contributions of theMayan civilizationSome aspects of Mayan culture continue to play a part in everydaylife today. Few people go through a week without eating a mealthat contains either corn or chocolate. The Maya helped to perfectboth of these foods. And the Maya ball game is reflected in sports,such as soccer and basketball.7.7 Students compareand contrast thegeographic, political,economic, religious, andsocial structures of theMeso-American andAndean civilizations.CornPast Corn—or maize—was a staple,or basic, crop of the Maya. Theybegan growing it about 4,000 yearsago. Maize was essential to Mayancivilization. The Maya even calledthemselves “People of the Maize.”▼ Present Corn is an importantpart of many people’s diets today.Mexicans use corn flour to make a flatbread called a tortilla (below to theright), just as the Maya did centuriesago. (The painting to the right byMexican artist Diego Rivera shows thetraditional method of making tortillas.)▼388 • Chapter 11

Ball GamesPast The Maya took part in a complicated ball game that hadreligious significance. It was played in large ball courts. Some ofthese were nearly twice the size of a modern football field. Therules of the ball game remain something of a mystery. However,the goal was to propel a hard rubber ball through a hoop high onthe court wall—without using the hands or feet. (The figurine tothe right shows a Mayan ball player.)▼Present Throughoutthe world, people play manydifferent ball games. Some,such as soccer, restrict theuse of the hands.▲ChocolatePast Chocolate was very importantto the Maya. It was considered sovaluable that only nobles, priests, andwarriors could drink it. Instead of eatingchocolate in solid form, the Mayadrank it from pots like the one shownto the right. Archaeologists have founda 2,600-year-old Mayan pot that stillcontains traces of the chocolate drink.▼Present Today people enjoychocolate bars and candy as well aschocolate drinks. The modern chocolatemakingprocess remains basically thesame as that used by the Maya.▲1. TALK ABOUT IT Why do youthink chocolate was so highlyvalued by the Maya?2. WRITE ABOUT IT What doyou think is the most importantcontribution the Maya made tomodern life? Write a paragraphsupporting your choice.(Writing 2.4)Early Meso-American Civilizations • 389