成人快手

Watch: Maya farming techniques

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What did the Maya farmers produce?

A Maya market.

Farming was really important to the Maya. Most people grew their own crops in small fields.

Farmers grew many kinds of crops at the same time, such as maize, beans and squash. If farmers grew more than they could eat, they traded the leftovers in markets.

A Maya market.
Maya person sowing seeds in a field.

Food such as chillies and tomatoes were gathered from the forest or grown in gardens.

The Maya made a lot of cotton, which was spun, dyed and woven into textiles. Cotton seeds were ground to make cooking oil.

Maya market from above.

Cocoa and vanilla were also produced. Cocoa was made into chocolate drinks for the royal family.

Archaeologists have found the remains of a Maya market at Chunchucmil, in modern day Mexico. It was a huge trade centre in the heart of Mesoamerica.

Maya market from above.
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Why were they successful?

A Maya person farming in a field.

The Maya were so successful at farming was because they studied the stars and the weather. This meant they were able to create very detailed calendars which told them what time of year to plant crops and when they should harvest them.

Maya calendars were more accurate than the European calendars at that time.

A Maya person farming in a field.
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What were the three types of Maya farming?

Image caption,
Raised field (top), Terrace (left), Slash and burn (right)

Raised field

The Maya used this method to farm areas of land that otherwise would have been too wet to use. Small canals were created by digging out soil from beneath the water and piling up to create small islands.

Maya farmers could then grow crops on these islands while they harvested the fish that swam in the canals.

Raised fields connected by canals can be seen today on aerial photographs.

Terrace farming

This is where walls are built to make small flat fields one on top of the other. It was useful for increasing the amount of farmland in mountain areas. Most terraces were small, but in some parts of the Maya lowlands, they dramatically transformed entire regions!

Shifting cultivation

Also known as 鈥榮widden鈥 or 鈥榮lash and burn鈥 this is when jungle areas are chopped down and burnt. The ash is good for the soil, so it was perfect for growing crops. Within a few years, the nutrients would be used up and the farmers would have to move elsewhere to let the forest regrow.

Image caption,
Raised field (top), Terrace (left), Slash and burn (right)
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Activities

Activity 1: Quiz 鈥 Maya farming

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Activity 2: History Explorer game

Play this game to test your knowledge and learn even more facts about the ancient Maya.

History Explorer: Secrets through time

History Explorer: Secrets through time: KS2 History

History Explorer: Secrets through time
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Bitesize Primary games. game

Play fun and educational primary games in science, maths, English, history, geography, art, computing and modern languages.

Bitesize Primary games
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