Bloodletting and the Maya
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can explain why bloodletting was important to the Maya.
Key learning points
- In another Maya city, Yaxchilán, a carved stone lintel has helped archaeologists to understand a lot about Maya beliefs.
- It shows a bloodletting ritual performed by Yaxchilán's king, Shield Jaguar the Great, and his wife, Lady K’ab’al Xook.
- Lady K’ab'al Xook pulled a thorned rope through her tongue to make it bleed so that she could speak with the gods.
- Bloodletting was important to the Maya; they believed the gods had let their blood to create the human race.
- By bloodletting, Maya rulers showed their thanks to the gods, but also showed that they were the right people to rule.
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
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.
Teacher tip
Compare bloodletting practices in other cultures, e.g. ancient Greece, Rome and medieval Europe. For 3,000 years, bloodletting was believed to cure illnesses but is now discredited. We may now laugh at this practice, but what will scientists think of our current practices 100 years from now?
Content guidance
Depiction or discussion of upsetting content
Depiction or discussion of sensitive content
Supervision
Adult supervision recommended
Licence
Lesson video
Loading...
Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.In which part of the world did the Maya live?
Q2.What is the job of an archaeologist?
Q3.Match the features of a Maya city to its definition.
Q4.Temples and other buildings within ceremonial centres were connected by raised paved roads known as .
Q5.Maya cities often contained stelae, which are .
Q6.Why was Mesoamerica an ideal area for ancient civilisations to develop? Match the feature to the reason.
Assessment exit quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Match the word to its meaning.
Q2.What is the purpose of a lintel?
Q3.Maya religious ceremonies often involved .
Q4.On a stone lintel in the Maya city of Yaxchilán, archaeologists found a carving of a bloodletting ceremony with the following features:
Q5.Why did the king's wife pull the thorned rope through her tongue?
Q6.What do archaeologists believe the hieroglyphs on the lintel say?
To help you plan your 6 history lesson on: Bloodletting and the Maya, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 6 history lesson on: Bloodletting and the Maya, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs.
The starter quiz will activate and check your pupils' prior knowledge, with versions available both with and without answers in PDF format.
We use learning cycles to break down learning into key concepts or ideas linked to the learning outcome. Each learning cycle features explanations with checks for understanding and practice tasks with feedback. All of this is found in our slide decks, ready for you to download and edit. The practice tasks are also available as printable worksheets and some lessons have additional materials with extra material you might need for teaching the lesson.
The assessment exit quiz will test your pupils' understanding of the key learning points.
Our video is a tool for planning, showing how other teachers might teach the lesson, offering helpful tips, modelled explanations and inspiration for your own delivery in the classroom. Plus, you can set it as homework or revision for pupils and keep their learning on track by sharing an online pupil version of this lesson.
Explore more key stage 2 history lessons from the The Maya: what made the Maya so distinctive? unit, dive into the full primary history curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.