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Studies in Religion: Year 11 Preliminary Course

As we have learned in this unit beliefs, especially religious beliefs, are very important: not only do they inform how we see ourselves – our personal identity – they also inform how we relate to others be they family member, friend, enemy, animal, plant, nature, the universe or deity. This in turn informs our culture – how we treat each other; how as a society, we make rules, laws, customs, rituals, roles; how we reward and how we punish ...

One of the ways to gain greater insight into our own religious beliefs and the ensuing culture is to study another society from another time, which is what we will be doing in this unit - researching religions of ancient origin.

The unit begins with a research task and ends with an exit interview with the Teacher Librarian where you will discuss your reflections and self-evaluation regarding your progress towards mastery of the elements along the Information Literacy Skills Continuum.

This unit is worth 25% of your total mark for this year.

Research Task: Religions of Ancient Origin
If you are reading this page, then you have selected Maya from a list, which included Aztec, Inca, Nordic, Shinto and Tao.

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= MAYA  =



Your task is to research the Maya and present a report using the following focus areas as sub headings:
1) Retelling the Mayan story of how the universe began

2) Outlining one principle belief of the Maya

3) Names and explanation of the role of the supernatural deities

4) Sacred space - an explanation and use

5) A description of one major ritual

6) Assess the impact of the Maya religion on the society

7) Analyse how the Mayan religion provided an answer to its peoples' search for meaning

You will be assessed on how well you:
 Communicate knowledge and understanding of the chosen religion of ancient origin;  Respond to the focus areas using appropriate terminology in a well structured report;  Select and use relevant information from the variety of sources provided;  Select and annotate an additional resource for use by next year’s group (use JSTOR, Ebscohost or from a suitable search engine);  Correctly and consistently cite all sources using Chicago Style (the Chicago Style Guide is located on the Library Services page of the intranet); and  Articulate your progress regarding the Information Literacy Skills Continuum - including insight into the gaps - in your meeting with the Teacher Librarian.

media type="file" key="ResearchReminder.m4a" width="300" height="50" (A reminder about researching from the Teacher Librarian)

Keywords
Maya; mythology; Papal Vuh; religion; cosmology; ritual; sacrifice; ballgame ballcourt; sacred space; glyph; Mesoamerica

Resources
A variety of resources containing relevant information have been selected for you along with a brief description of each resource.

Please use these resources as a starting point but go beyond these to select your own resources (a good opportunity to practice your research skills!) - choose the best of these, along with an annotation as to why it is the best to be included among the resources for next year's group. Please note: an annotation such as "Because it is the best" won't get you a good mark!

 As a reference, this is a good starting point, particularly if you don't know much about the topic, as it will give you an overview and solid grounding from which to proceed. To make a start, try using //Maya// as the keyword search; read the article from top to bottom then follow the most relevant blue links within the text, such as human sacrifice  and religious rituals  making notes as you go. // Access from the Library Services page of the intranet using the username and password provided. //
 * a) Britannica Online **

 Another good reference that is easy on the eyes as well as giving a solid background from which to build. This is a special edition which covers Maya religion; rituals of sacrifice and worship; the afterlife; the Maya calendar; and contemporary Maya religion. How does this information compare with what you read in the Britannica Online encyclopedia? There are a number of articles about the Maya in other issues of the National Geographic - see if you can track them down. // Go to the periodicals section of the Library to locate this issue. //
 * b) National Geographic 2008 Collector's Edition Mysteries of the Maya **

Ancient Civilizations is written and maintained by the British Museum. The site may take a little time to open, but is well worth the wait. Themes include, writing, building, religion, cities, trade and technology of the time. This site asks some very good questions - for example, when you click into the religions theme, it asks, "Is it possible to understand the religious beliefs of ancient civilizations? What can we learn about past religions from evidence such as temple buildings, tombs, pictures of gods and goddesses and religious writings? Is all this enough to let us understand what people actually believed?" These questions are a reminder for you to keep your thinking hat on as you do your research!
 * c) Ancient Civilizations Link**

This page from Dr Richard Hooker, Lecturer at Washington State University gives a concise account of the classic period, region, history, economy and society, and religion of the Maya. It is written for university students, so be a little patient with yourself if you find the style a little challenging.
 * d) Civilizations in America: the Mayas** Link

This videorecording features interviews and archive material, which purports to shed new light on the origins of the ancient Mayan cities of Central America. //Use the OPAC to locate this DVD in the Library.//
 * e) The Lords of the Maya**

f**) Martin, Simon __Chronicle of the Maya kings and queens : deciphering the dynasties of the ancient Maya.__** <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">This is a well-written book with a number of valuable illustrations and lots of information about the dynastic and political history of the Maya. <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0.1pt 0cm;">Use the OPAC to locate this book in the Library.

<span style="color: #000000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">A colourful audiovisual presentation of one of the Mayan myths, which you will need to click through. This website also has links to an easy-to-understand overview of the Mayan culture and the Mayan gods and goddesses. Though this website has been designed with younger students in mind, there is much to learn for an older audience particularly if you think about what are seeing and hearing.
 * g) Mythic Journeys -** Link

This webpage contains the narrative of a primary source which deals with the origins, traditions and history of the Maya. (Do you remember the difference between primary and secondary sources?) The focus of this website is on the content and is used by students of anthropology in the University of Texas - so a word of warning: it is not pretty, but it is very worthwhile!
 * h) Popol Vuh** - Link

<span style="color: #000000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">This film introduces the Maya and relates the entire tale of the Popol Vuh, beginning with the creation of the world and concluding with the victory of the Hero Twins over the evil lords of the Underworld. This is a reward for persisting with the resource above: what were the similarities, what were the differences? //<span style="color: #000000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Use the OPAC to locate this DVD in the Library. //
 * i)<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> Popol Vuh: The Creation Myth of the Maya **

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">This website, developed by the National Earth Science Teachers Association, explores the mythology and cosmology of the Maya - it gives brief descriptions and illustrations of how the Maya conceived the earth, the rain, the moon, Venus, Mars and the milky way. You might notice that for the Maya, religion and science were not separate subjects - why do you think this is the case?
 * j) Windows to the universe: mythology of the Mayas** Link

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">This page looks in depth at ritual and what ritual meant for the Maya. It is written by an anthropologist for students of anthropology and outlines how we reconstruct ancient ritual through the surviving archaeological, art historical, epigraphic, and ethnographic resources. This is perhaps the most difficult resource and not one for the faint-hearted!
 * k) Unaahil B'aak: The Temples of Palenque** Link

This page of the website focusses on Chichen Itza - there is excellent information about the Temple of Kukulkan in the 4th paragraph which links the numbers, cosmology, mythology and the Mayan calendar. Note also the quotes (in green) from noted Mayan scholars Linda Schele and David Freidel. Why do you think Chichen Itza is rated by this site as a place of peace and power?
 * l) Places of Peace and Power: Chichen Itza** Link

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Take the tour of Chichen Itza to see and read about El Castillo, the Temple of the Warriors, the Observatory, the Nummery, the Ball Court and Cenote. Why do you think Chichen Itza is rated by this site as a mysterious place? (Please note that the sections //Rise and Fall// and //Yucatan// are under construction).
 * m) Mysterious places: mysteries of the Maya** Link

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">A good description of the ritual ballgame, which is also linked to the Maya belief system regarding the deities and the cosmos.
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">n) Myth Made Flesh - The Maya Ballgame Link **

**o) The sport of life and death: the mesoamerican ballgame.** Link Interactive page where you watch a video re-enactment of the game; explore a piece of artwork to see the link between the game and religious beliefs; and find out what happened to the losers.