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    Economic Organization

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    Kinda Harris

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    © All Rights Reserved
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    Economic Organization

    Uploaded by

    Kinda Harris
    6 views2 pages

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    © © All Rights Reserved

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    6 views2 pages

    Economic Organization

    Uploaded by

    Kinda Harris

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as docx, pdf, or txt
    of 2

    MAYAN EMPIRE/CIVILIZATION

    ECONOMIC ORGANIZATION

    1. Agriculture (not based on conuco cultivation-growing root crops on small land)


     The Maya lived in tropical forests which were practically impenetrable.
     They drained swamps and built irrigation canals and terraces.
     Agriculture was the basis of their economy. Most of the Maya were farmers. Mayan
    farmers did not own land separately, but worked their fields as one community.
     Each member of a tribe would be given a portion of cornland.
     Each farmer was allotted a piece of land to grow crops (milpas), with crop rotation
    used to keep the soil fertile.
     Forests were cleared. The Mayan farmers cleared the forest trees by burning and
    cutting (slash and burn method).
     The ground was broken with digging sticks and the grain of corn planted.
     The whole family took part in weeding the field and chasing away birds.
     When the corn was harvested the farmers had to give a portion to the priests and
    noblemen as a form of tax.
     The crop was stored in large underground storerooms or granaries called chultunes.

     CROPS PLANTED:
    Corn or maize was the main crop and was an important part of their religion, art and
    everyday life. It was such a sacred crop that prayers were offered to a young, beautiful corn
    god called Yum Kaax.
    Beans, squash and pumpkins were grown in the cornfields, and chili peppers, sweet potatoes
    and sweet cassava were raised in separate fields.
    Papayas, or pawpaws and avocado pears were grown around their houses.
    Cotton was grown in large quantities and was woven into fine material.

    2. TRADE
     The ppolms-merchants- made possible the exchange of goods between various Maya
    cities.
     Land and sea trade: The Maya were the only American Indians who carried on trade
    by sea as well as land. Land and sea trade between city-states in highland and lowland
    regions was carried out by the ppolms and chontals respectively.
     The ppolms used many waterways to carry goods throughout the city-states.
     There is evidence that their forty -foot canoes had come into contact with Cuba and
    Jamaica.

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     What items were traded?
     Salt was an important commodity and certain tribes had a monopoly of its trade.
     Brightly coloured feathers, used in warriors’ head-dresses and as a mark of honour,
    were caried from the jungle cities to the sea-coasts and highland peoples.
     Cotton for weaving Maya garments.
     Cocoa which formed the favourite drink.
     Other goods traded by the ppolms were honey, wax, fish, flint, maize(corn), precious
    stones for ornaments, shells, gold-gods of all descriptions, squash, potatoes, fruits.
     Additionally, raw materials such as limestone, marble, jade, wood, cooper and gold
    were also traded.

    3. MONEY
     They used no money as we know it today. Instead, cocoa beans were used as a means
    of exchange.
     A rabbit, was sold for ten beans, a slave for a hundred.
     Sometimes small cooper bells, or red shells or strings were also used as a medium of
    exchange.

    4. TAX
     When the corn was harvested the farmers had to give a portion to the priest-king,
    priests, warriors and noblemen as a form of tax. This they gave once per year.

    5. DIVISION OF LABOUR
     Most men would have spent time hunting. They followed deer and peccary with bows
    and arrows, while wild turkey and duck were killed with pellets or darts from
    blowguns.
     The women and their daughters spent most of their time in domestic work, especially
    cooking and grinding corn (maize). Ground maize was made into tortillas, which were
    eaten with vegetables and sometimes with meat from the small animals

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