"Maya: The Blood of Kings"

Video #2

Some of the scenes you will view are from locations you will visit, the majority are from other sites. Nevertheless, the main thrust of the video pertains to Mayan culture, history and civilization. (Pay particular attention to the early black and white footage of Chichen-Itza).

Answer the following questions:

1. In about what year did the Mayan culture reach its peak?
   
   
2. How many people did the important city of Tikal contain at its zenith?
   
   
3. Where are the Mayans originally believed to have come from?
   
   
4. According to the video, what time frame is considered to be the Mayan "classical period"?
   
   
5. Which present day country is the setting for most of the video?
   
   
6. Which archeologist in the 1840's was the first person to call attention to the fact that there was such a thing as a Mayan civilization?
   
   
7. The Maya invented an "independent" writing system. What is meant by an "independent" writing system? How many "independent" writing systems does the video say the world has produced?
   
   
8. What caused the Mayan writing and language, in terms of translation, to be lost for so long?
   
   
9. The Mayan mathematical system was directly tied or linked to what?
   
   
10. By what amount of time is the Mayan calculation off from the modern day calculation of the moon's cycle?
    
    
11. What is the exact date that the Maya predicted the world would end?
    
    
12. Why did the Mayans seem to be a peaceful people who lived in harmony with nature for so long?
    
    
13. What kind of drugs did the Mayans apparently use?
    
    
14. What was the name given to the Mayan version of an "underworld" or "hell"?
    
    
15. Why were women and children subjected to physical deformity? What types of deformities were mentioned in the video?
    
    
16. What painful technique was often inflicted on war captives prior to death?
    
    
17. Describe the circumstances which led to the eventual translation of the ancient Mayan language.
    
    
18. From what areas of the body did the Mayan kings draw their blood?
    
    
19. What was the ultimate symbolic reason why blood-letting was practiced?
    
    
20. Why did later Mayans find Christianity to be an acceptable religion?
    
    
21. What does the video speculate caused the downfall of Mayan civilization and the abandonment of their cities?

Write a critique/review of the video. Provide specifics to support your statements.

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