Mayan Culture & History PDF

# Chocaholics! Cacao trees sprout cacao pods directly from their trunks. The pods are then opened to reveal the cacao beans inside. The Maya were using these beans to make a chocolatey drink from as far back as the fourth century AD. However, it was not the sweet, chocolately flavour we crave today...

# Chocaholics! Cacao trees sprout cacao pods directly from their trunks. The pods are then opened to reveal the cacao beans inside. The Maya were using these beans to make a chocolatey drink from as far back as the fourth century AD. However, it was not the sweet, chocolately flavour we crave today, but a more bitter tasting version, often laced with chili or vanilla and other spices. - The drink was enjoyed by the rich and noble members of society, and the cacao beans were highly valued. - They were even used as a form of currency later on in Maya history. - The Maya word for chocolate is Kakaw. - The Maya used chocolate in religious ceremonies, and they also mixed them with herbs to make medicines. # Chocolate Cultivation Mayans were the cultural descendants of the Olmec civilizations who also grew cocoa. The Mayans began growing cocoa in the low-dwelling lands where the temperature and climate was suited to its cultivation. - According to historical estimates, such cultivation by the Mayans began as early as 200 B.C. - Later when most of the Mayan populations had shifted to the Yucatan region, Mayans developed new methods of cultivating cocoa in personal gardens. - This required innovating the cultivation process since the climate of Yucatan wasn't ideally suited to cocoa growth. ## Mayan Chocolate for the Nobility Consumption of chocolate in the Mayan society was mostly limited to the nobility class. - A major reason behind this was the fact that the cultivation of cocoa was done on a limited scale and in many Mayan cities, cocoa had to be imported from other cities. - This put a premium on the consumption of chocolate. - And while the elite often consumed it in the form of a luxurious drink, the commoners consumed chocolate rarely, if ever. - This made chocolate a feature of the social stratification of the Mayan society. # Cocoa Beans as Currency Cocoa beans were considered a highly valuable item in Mayan society and were used as a currency in the Mayan marketplaces. - The royalty also used cocoa beans as gifts to fellow rulers. - Such cocoa beans which enjoyed power and had influence over many other city-states usually extracted tribute in the form of cocoa beans. - This was especially true for such Mayan cities which were situated in relatively drier regions and couldn't cultivate cocoa on their own. # Mayan Food Flavourings The Mayans were fairly advanced for their time, Mayans made use of a number of spices and other plants and herbs to spice their foods and drinks. - Chili peppers was a frequent component of Mayan recipes. - Mayans also made use of vanilla and cinnamon to add flavors to their drinks. - Honey was usually used as a sweetener. - Mayans made a sauce with avocado that is popular to this day. # Mayan Roads The Mayans called these roads, **sacbeobs**, and in most instances they were raised from 2 to 4 feet above the ground level. - However, in areas where the roads crossed swamps they could be as high as 8 feet. - The width usually depended on the amount of traffic, but normally they were twelve to thirty-two feet in width. - The sacbeobs frequently connected important buildings and complexes. - Also, Mayan ceremonial centers were connected to outlying districts by a network of roads that extended well into the countryside. - The longest sacbeod or white road discovered stretched from Coba in Quintana Roo to Yaxuna. - This is a distance of over sixty miles. - Historians believe that the longest Mayan roads were over 100 kilometers in length. - However, little evidence exists 1,100 years later. # Mayan Transportation Coastal Mayan groups used canoes to supply inland groups with salt, dried fish, shells, and pearls. - The Mayans had no beasts of burden or wheels to carry their heavy loads. - Instead, trade goods were transported on the backs of slaves who traveled along well established routes. - However, most merchants found it much easier to use a canoe. - Canoes were carved out of enormous trees, and were approximately 50 feet in length. - Canoes transported goods to towns along the coast, never traveling very far from land. - From the coastal towns the goods would be transported to the inland towns. - This method of commerce was still in place when the Spaniards arrived. # Mayan Trade Salted and dried meats were especially prized. - Some time around 900 AD, turquoise, gold, and copper objects from Mexico, Panama, Costa Rica, and Columbia began to appear. - Almost all of the commerce was controlled by wealthy merchants. - These merchants used cacao beans for currency, and the beans had a fixed market price.