New
New
Year 6

Bloodletting and the Maya

I can explain why bloodletting was important to the Maya.

New
New
Year 6

Bloodletting and the Maya

I can explain why bloodletting was important to the Maya.

Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. In another Maya city, Yaxchilán, a carved stone lintel has helped archaeologists to understand a lot about Maya beliefs.
  2. It shows a bloodletting ritual performed by Yaxchilán's king, Shield Jaguar the Great, and his wife, Lady K’ab’al Xook.
  3. Lady K’ab'al Xook pulled a thorned rope through her tongue to make it bleed so that she could speak with the gods.
  4. Bloodletting was important to the Maya; they believed the gods had let their blood to create the human race.
  5. By bloodletting, Maya rulers showed their thanks to the gods, but also showed that they were the right people to rule.

Common misconception

Bloodletting was a common and widespread practice among all Maya individuals on a regular basis.

Bloodletting rituals were primarily performed by the Maya elite, such as rulers, priests, and nobles, and were often reserved for specific ceremonial occasions or important events.

Keywords

  • Lintel - a lintel is the beam such as a piece of stone or wood over a door or window which supports the bricks above the door or window

  • Bloodletting - bloodletting was the practice of cutting part of the body to release blood

Content guidance

  • Depiction or discussion of sensitive content
  • Depiction or discussion of upsetting content

Supervision

Adult supervision recommended

Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2024), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

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6 Questions

Q1.
In which part of the world did the Maya live?
Correct answer: Mexico and Central America
Egypt
Correct answer: Mesoamerica
Benin
Q2.
What is the job of an archaeologist?
a person who scientifically studies humans and their customs
Correct answer: a person who studies human history through excavating significant sites
a person who studies fossils
Q3.
Match the features of a Maya city to its definition.
Correct Answer:ceremonial centre,where people gathered for important events, e.g. religious rituals

where people gathered for important events, e.g. religious rituals

Correct Answer:ballcourt,where “pok-ta-pok” was played

where “pok-ta-pok” was played

Correct Answer:palaces,buildings where rulers and nobility lived

buildings where rulers and nobility lived

Correct Answer:temple-pyramid,buildings dedicated to the gods

buildings dedicated to the gods

Q4.
Temples and other buildings within ceremonial centres were connected by raised paved roads known as .
footpaths
highways
Correct answer: causeways
avenues
Q5.
Maya cities often contained stelae, which are .
city gates
Correct answer: stone slabs decorated with pictures of Maya rulers and hieroglyphic writings
strong city walls
water wells
Q6.
Why was Mesoamerica an ideal area for ancient civilisations to develop? Match the feature to the reason.
Correct Answer:mountains,influence weather patterns and water supply

influence weather patterns and water supply

Correct Answer:rainforest,provides timber for construction

provides timber for construction

Correct Answer:plains,fertile land for farming

fertile land for farming

Correct Answer:coastal regions,ideal for fishing and trade

ideal for fishing and trade

6 Questions

Q1.
Match the word to its meaning.
Correct Answer:lintel ,a beam such as a piece of stone or wood over a door or window

a beam such as a piece of stone or wood over a door or window

Correct Answer:bloodletting,the practice of cutting part of the body to release blood

the practice of cutting part of the body to release blood

Correct Answer:hieroglyphs,pictures or symbols that represent a word

pictures or symbols that represent a word

Q2.
What is the purpose of a lintel?
Correct answer: to support the bricks above a door or window
to carry the weight of the door
to frame a door or window
to open a door or window
Q3.
Maya religious ceremonies often involved .
sermons in Latin
drinking blood
Correct answer: bloodletting
yoga
Q4.
On a stone lintel in the Maya city of Yaxchilán, archaeologists found a carving of a bloodletting ceremony with the following features:
Correct answer: the king holding a torch
Correct answer: the king's wife pulling a thorned rope through her tongue
knives
Correct answer: hieroglyphs
Q5.
Why did the king's wife pull the thorned rope through her tongue?
Correct answer: to speak to the gods
to cure herself from disease
Correct answer: to show that she and her husband were the rightful rulers
to cure her husband from disease
Q6.
What do archaeologists believe the hieroglyphs on the lintel say?
They were just decorations.
Correct answer: when this bloodletting ritual happened
Correct answer: who was at the bloodletting ritual
Correct answer: why the bloodletting ritual was important

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