Maya

A Day in the Life

The Maya Yesterday and Today

The Maya peoples have inhabited areas of southern Mexico and Central America for thousands of years. Mayan culture especially flourished from around 300–900 CE, with developed urban centers, a complex writing system, and advancements in math and astronomy. This vessel is from the Late Classic period (650–850 CE). Learn more about the accomplishments of the Maya and how they continue to thrive today in the following video from the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian.

© Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian

Transcript (unidentified narrator):

People sometimes ask me about my Maya heritage, which is very diverse. More than six million Maya currently live in Mesoamerica, including my country of Guatemala, and large areas of southern Mexico, Belize, Honduras, and El Salvador. We speak more than 30 Mayan languages. Despite differences, words like “sun,” “time,” “mother,” “house,” and “corn,” are almost identical to the ear even if spoken in other Mayan tongues. This is because our languages share a common linguistic origin and because these words convey the very essence of our culture. This includes our relationship with corn, along with the importance of family, respect for our elders, and the fact that we, the Maya, have always been keen observers of the skies.

Keeping track of the movements of the sun and the seasons enabled my ancestors to develop one of the most accurate calendar systems ever invented. Knowledge of the sky is still strong in farming communities, and my grandfather observes the sun and the stars to know when to plant. My people also keep an accurate count of the days in our sacred calendar in order to time rituals and celebrations. My ancestors developed a writing system of hieroglyphs, invented the mathematical concept of zero, and built great cities like Uxmal, Palenque, Tikal, Copán, and Chichén Itzá. These cities have buildings that were constructed to align with the sun, moon, and the stars. We don’t know why the great cities of the past were abandoned. Overuse of natural resources, war, drought, disease, as well as contradictory and counter-productive human behaviors are all likely to have contributed to the decline of our old splendor.

By the time the Spanish reached our land in the 1500s, Maya people had already left the great cities. Despite the oppression by the Spanish invaders, we have endured. Today, we grow our corn as we have done for thousands of years. We weave our traditional clothes with ancient designs that reflect star patterns and our intimate relation with nature. And we use our sacred calendar for the well-being of our communities. We are active participants of the world: we are teachers, doctors, archaeologists, web designers, calendar day-keepers, and more. Our culture is being preserved through language, tradition, and a deep connection with the land and the sky.

Tools and Techniques

Behind the Scenes

Look Closer

Just for Kids

Create!

Do you like to drink hot chocolate? The Maya people drank a cacao drink from this vessel. Cacao is a bean used to make cocoa and chocolate. This drink was served during a big banquet. Vessels like this would have been used by noble Maya people.

To make your own Maya inspired vessel get a Styrofoam cup. With drawing paper, measure and cut the paper to fit the cup’s size. Think of a scene you want to depict. These vessels were used to show a sign of friendship. Think of a time when you had fun with a friend. With colored pencils or markers draw the scene on the paper. Include words and symbols like the Maya did when they included glyphs. When you have finished, wrap the paper around the cup and glue the paper to the cup.

Make hot chocolate and fill your cup. Drink and celebrate just like the Maya did!

Signs & Symbols

Decoding the Details

Who are the people painted on this vessel? What are they doing? Decode the imagery with the interactive photo below (tap to stop), and learn more with the corresponding explanations.

A. The principle lord: This high-status nobleman is portrayed in a dancing pose.

B. Lidded vase: This lidded cylinder vessel probably held a chocolate beverage, just like the one it is painted on.  This tells us that these vessels were actually used by the Mayan aristocracy.

C. Decorated throne: The throne is covered with painted and modeled decorations reinforcing the nobleman's status.

D. “Maya Blue” pigment: Traces of "Maya Blue” pigment is evidence of this vessel’s double purpose: first, it was used as a container in as feast; second, it was placed in a tomb after being covered with the special blue pigment.  The ritual act of repurposing the vessel is described on other painted vessels from the Mayan Late Classic period (650–850 CE).

E. The lord’s jewelry: The principal lord’s jewelry includes a multi-strand, collar-like necklace with a large, circular diadem, as well as multi-strand wristlets of jadeite beads.

F. & G. Two visiting dignitaries: These nobles would have participated in the ceremony as guests of the principal lord.

H. Gift bundle: One of two identical bundles labeled with a hieroglyph that reads “yich’ak winik” (jaguar-paw man), the name of a person, perhaps one of the men.  This is unusual since bundles are typically labeled with glyphs identifying the contents.

Dig Deeper

Political Pottery

If you went to a state dinner at the White House, you would probably receive some finely-crafted object to commemorate the occasion, maybe a glass or plate. This painted pottery vessel had a similar function. Learn about its connection to politics and art patronage from Dr. Dorie Reents-Budet, Curator of the Art of the Ancient Americas at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, in the following audio clip.

This pottery vessel is painted with a scene taking place inside a palace. A principle nobleman, perhaps a ruler, dances in front of his throne. He is attended by two aristocrats who present, or guard, two large bundles that contain tribute or ritual items.  All three men are named in the short hieroglyphic texts, and the two vessels painted in the scene indicate they will all feast together.

Cylinder vessels like this one were used among the Late Classic Maya nobility, from 650–850 CE. They were used to present and drink chocolate beverages during aristocratic feasts. The painted vases also were given to the participants to signify an alliance between host and guest. The gift value of the vase was increased by its artistic quality, unique painting style, and pictorial and hieroglyphic imagery featuring the host and his accomplishments.  The style of this finely painted vase was developed by artists working for the ruling elite of the Ik’ polity, which was centered at the archaeological site known today as Motul de San José located in northern Guatemala.

Royal patrons often employed the best artists, whose personal styles became associated exclusively with that noble person. As a result, a finely painted vase would be immediately connected with a renowned royal patron and his or her artist.  This exchange would signal the new owner’s prestige based on his or her alliance with the noble patron and master artist. As in early Renaissance Europe, when art became a player on the socio-political stage, the patron and artist stepped forward from their anonymity and became recognized by individualistic painting styles, portrayals of the patron, and signed works of art.

Arts Intersected

The Sculpture Speaks

Did You Know?

Expert Opinion

Look Around

Drink Up

Beverages are an essential part of life, from daily sustenance to parties and other special occasions. Any container can hold liquid, but people have often decorated vessels both for pure pleasure and to set them apart as important. In The DAI’s permanent collection you can see containers from various places and times. This Mayan cylinder vessel was used in a courtly feast to hold a cacao drink. In the Asian galleries, look for the Chinese Jue and the Korean Tea Bowl. The Jue was used in rituals for ancestor veneration and held a kind of millet wine. The Tea Bowl was a luxury item that would have been in an upper-class home.

About the Artist

Map It

Talk Back