6. How normal Mayans lived on a Daily Basis
There is a village in El Salvador that is called Ceren and it has been dubbed by many as being the “New World Pompeii.” Pompeii is, of course, an island off of Italy where a volcano eruption killed everyone, with the city and streets being largely preserved after it had become submerged in ash which did not allow for the infiltration of air or moisture. This meant that historians were able to learn many things about how these people lived and they could even see as much detail as to where exactly certain people died.
Ceren has is said to be the Mayan Village that has been preserved the best throughout Latin America. The site itself was found in 1978 by a man called Professor Payson Sheets. As the village was so well preserved, like Pompeii, historians and archaeologists were given the rare opportunity to gain a clear insight into how the common Mayan people lived their lives on a daily basis. The evidence showcased how the people who lived in Ceren had not been controlled or influenced by those who were of the Mayan elite.
They were completely independent and autonomous which allowed them to control aspects of their society such as the economy, religion, selection of crops and architecture. If there was an important decision to be made that affected the entire village, all of the residents came together and decided amongst themselves as to the best course of action. The insights gleaned in this village were in contrast to the previously held belief that certain Mayan records had shown which claimed that it was the elite class who made all of the political and economic decisions when it comes to different regions.
Due to the heavy importance placed upon the growing of food for both sustenance and trade, the majority of the common Mayan folk were farmers when it was the growing season. When the harvest had been completed, these people would usually then go to work on the construction of the amazing Mayan cities.
This meant that the common Mayan life was filled with tough physical work. While these people led a simple life, they were well fed, with the main crop being that of maize, as well as growing the likes of squash, tomatoes, avocados, sweet potatoes and chilli peppers. Some of the families would have kept some livestock, such as turkeys, ducks and dogs. There were also those who hunted for wild pig and deer, as well as fishing in the oceans, lakes and rivers.
It wasn’t all work for the common people, every month at least there would be a religious festival in the cities where people would worship their gods and sing or dance. There were great feats at these festivals and usually there was a game of Pok-A-Tok taking place to entertain the crowds.