Watch: Maya farming techniques
What food did Maya farmers make?
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.
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.
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.
Why did they do so well?
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.
Activities
Activity 1: Quiz 鈥 Maya farming
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