The Maya were a group of city-states that were never actually united under a single governing body.  Instead, each city state shared many traits and beliefs that helped to categorize them as the Maya.  They are most famous for their writing system, 365 day solar calendar system, and had a comprehensive knowledge of naked eye astronomy and charter many of the planets movements.

 

The Maya had a distinct class system, with laborers and farmers being the lower class and the rulers making up the upper class.  In between those two classes was most likely a class of educated nobles such as scribes, artists, and architects.  From the evidence that archaeologists have discovered so far, there does not seem to be any sign of a priesthood and archaeologists say that it is likely that priestly duties were probably carried out by the ruler.

The Maya are known for having a complex group of deities, or gods and goddesses, whom they worshipped and offered human sacrifices.  Maya rulers were believed to be descendants of these gods and their blood was the ideal to sacrifice.  This was either done by personal bloodletting, which means to open up a vein, or by sacrificing captives who were of royal blood.  The Maya vision of the universe was unique, at the time, due to the fact that they believed it to be divided into multiple levels.  These levels were above and below earth and positioned within the four directions of north, south, east, and west.  After a persons death, their soul was believed to go to the Underworld, or Xibalba (shee bal bah),  where they were to be tested and tricked by the sinister gods.

 

Maize was, and still is, the primary staple of a Maya diet, but it does varie depending on the geographical area.  The maize is made nutritionally, and with the addition of lime, the kernels were usually boiled then turned into tortillas.  Other things grown in the plot of land, with which a family would traditionally farm, are chile peppers, beans, and squash.  this was done to maximize the nutrients, sun, shade, and growing surface for each crop.  The Maya believed in a "slash and burn" farming style, where land would be left alone for five to fifteen years after only being cultivated for two to five years.