Daily Life of Maya Civilization

Life as a Maya Noble

The Maya monarch led a comfortable life, as did his nobility. The simple people took care of all of their needs. Even slaves were used to transport them about in litters.

Life as a Maya Commoner

The average Maya person had a laborious way of life. Farmers were the usual peasant’s line of occupation. The woman would wake up early in the morning and light a fire for cooking. The husband would then go to go to the fields to labor. The farmer would return home and take a bathe after a long day of laboring in the fields. For all Maya people, taking a bath was a significant component of their daily routine. The ladies wove cloth to make garments while the males worked on crafts like tools in the evenings.

What were their clothes like?

The Maya dressed according to their social standing and the location they resided in. Rich people wore brightly colored garments made of animal skins. They also wore elaborate jewelry and headdresses made of feathers.

Simpler attire was worn by commoners. Long skirts were the norm for ladies, while men frequently wore loincloths. When it was cold, both men and women would wrap a blanket known as a manta around their shoulders.

Both men and women had long hair. Both men and women frequently received tattoos after they got married.

What did the Maya eat?

The most significant food consumed by the Maya was maize, a vegetable similar to corn. They used maize to make tortillas, porridge, and even beverages in addition to other sorts of sustenance. Beans, squash, and chiles were some of the additional staple crops. The Maya consumed fish, deer, duck, and turkey for meat.

Numerous new meals were discovered by the world thanks to the Maya. The cocoa tree’s chocolate was probably the most intriguing. The cacao seed was utilized as currency by the Maya, who believed that chocolate was a gift from the gods. Tomatoes, sweet potatoes, black beans, and papaya were some of the additional novel foods.

How did their residences look like?

Large stone palaces were used as the residences of the nobles and monarchs inside the city. Outside of the city, next to their farms, the commoners resided in huts. Although occasionally composed of stone, the dwellings were typically made of mud. They had thatched roofs and were one-room dwellings. The Maya constructed their homes in several locations on top of dirt or stone platforms to protect them from floods.

Entertainment

Even while the Maya spent a lot of their time working hard, they also took pleasure in entertainment. Their entertainment consisted largely on religious rituals. They performed dances, played games like the Maya ball game, and played music.

Interesting Details of Daily Life in Maya

Crossed eyes, flat foreheads, and large noses were seen as attractive traits by the Maya. In some places, they would strive to enlarge their noses using makeup.

The Maya were fond of donning big hats and headdresses. The taller the hat a person wore, the more significant they were.

Metal farming implements and heavy animals were not available to Maya farmers. They carried out the task by hand and with basic stone tools.

The Maya occasionally included playing ball games in religious rituals. The losers were given to the gods as sacrifices.

The Maya had countless varieties of dance. Today, many of these dances are still performed. The Snake Dance, Monkey Dance, and Dance of the Stag are a few illustrations of the dances.