Final+Project

=Maya Social Relations =



Introduction
The Maya civilization was one of the most prominent civilzations that was developed, as well as one of the most fully-developed of the pre-columbian era. Their polities usually consisted of a hereditary ruler and their family, who were naturally at the top of the system. To be part of the elite, you were most likely born into royalty. The Ajaw, which is interpreted as the "leader," "lord," and "ruler," among others, was the title given to those at the top of the political system, and did was no necessarily limited to one leader. The social structures of the Maya helped keep order and create a sustainable, structured society (2).

 It was fairly simple to distinguish between an elite, noble class compared to a middle or lower class citizen of the Maya empire. The elite wore highly decorated clothing that included ornamated headdresses, jade masks, jade necklaces, chains, and pelts of animals such as jaguars as well as feathered ornaments. The power of the Maya centers were derived from their location, many of which had strategic positions in trade routes, and access to water, food, and prestigious goods. ( [|5] )

[[image:maya-priest.jpg width="240" height="384" align="right" caption="Depiction of a Maya priest. (9)"]]Priesthood
 Much of the Maya civilization revolved around religion and their affinity to their gods. Religion was a huge part of the every day Maya life, and Priests were considered one of the most, if not the most important person within a Maya tribe. Like many civilizations, the Maya Priests served as intermediaries between the "real" world, and the gods and deities that they worshiped. The knowledge required to be a priest included all of what their gods meant, among other things including ritual, divination, prophecy, and prayer. ( [|3] )

==Chiefdoms ==

 Among the elite, included chiefs, who ruled the area in which they resided until death. The Maya chiefs were primarily associated with incorporating religious practices as well as political practices into their leadership ( [|7] ). They had the ability to communicate supernaturally, and they also dealt with economic aspects that may have included creating a network of trading systems as well as controlling the flow of resources. El Mirador is an example of one of the most powerful chiefdoms; their power stemmed from their ability to control the flow of obsidian to the lowlands. Chieftains also served as judges, and were responsible for the consequences given to those who committed crimes. ( [|4] )

Warriors
 Warriors were part of the militia to defend their city, and were governed by the ruler of their Maya city. Many soldiers were forced to participate in the militia, mostly coming from the lower class, usually farmers and slaves. They were paid to fight, and many of them returned to their work or trade after battle. Battles were often the product of a ritual ceremony, not starting until after a religious ritual took place. If the city was defeated, the officers would be made human sacrifices, and the treatment of the defeated was fairly brutal. Many were decapitated, others tortured or used as sacrifices to the gods. ( [|6] )





Middle class
 The middle class of the Maya society consisted of general specialists, artisans, craftspeople, and merchants. The middle class served as an important aspect in Maya society, providing a source of goods and services that could be exchanged in trade (1). Compared to the lower class, the middle class had a considerable amount of wealth, and they were to be looked up to by the lower class. It is very difficult to move up from the middle class as it is compared to today. The lower and middle class believed that the upper class had been given their ranks by the gods, and that the noble were possibly the descendants from the gods themselves. ( [|4] )

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=<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">Lower Class =

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">Beneath everyone, finally comes the lower class. Consisting of mostly farmers and slaves, the lower class did not have many rights. <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> Slaves were usually captured from other cities, and both the farmers and the slaves were used for hard labor of. They were also forced into the military and used to fight against other cities. ( [|6] )

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 90%;">__Books__
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 90%;">(1) Sharer, Robert J., and Loa P. Traxler. // The Ancient Maya //. Stanford, CA: Stanford UP, 2006. Print. <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 90%;">(2) Farriss, Nancy Marguerite. // Maya Society under Colonial Rule: the Collective Enterprise of Survival //. Princeton: Princeton UP, 1992. Print.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 90%;">__Articles:__
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 90%;">([|3]) Having and Holding: Storage, Memory, Knowledge, and Social Relations <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 90%;">Julia A. Hendon <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 90%;"> American Anthropologist <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 90%;"> New Series, Vol. 102, No. 1 (Mar., 2000), pp. 42-53

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 90%;">([|4]) Some Principles of Stratification <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 90%;">Kingsley Davis and Wilbert E. Moore <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 90%;"> American Sociological Review <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 90%;"> Vol. 10, No. 2, 1944 Annual Meeting Papers (Apr., 1945), pp. 242-249

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 90%;">([|5]) Rethinking Ancient Maya Social Organization: Replacing "Lineage" with "House" <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 90%;">Susan D. Gillespie <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 90%;"> American Anthropologist <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 90%;"> New Series, Vol. 102, No. 3 (Sep., 2000), pp. 467-484

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 90%;">__Websites:__
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 90%;">([|6]) [] <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 90%;">([|7]) [] <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 90%;">([|8]) []

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 90%;">__Images:__
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 90%;">Maya Priest <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 90%;">([|9]) [|http://www.dutroncy.com/sunsetofacivilization.html#sunset-of-a-civilization-pics/maya-priest.jpg] <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 90%;">El Mirador <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 90%;">([|10]) [] <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 90%;">Ajaw <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 90%;">([|11]) [] <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 90%;">Maya Warfare <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 90%;">([|12]) [] <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 90%;">Chama pottery <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 90%;">([|13]) [] (14) http://mrgrayhistory.wikispaces.com/UNIT%208%20-%20EARLY%20AMERICAS

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">__Links to other relevant Wikis__ <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Maya Warfare <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">http://douglas-maya.wikispaces.com/home <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Maya Gender <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">http://mayan-gender-hurbon.wikispaces.com/home