Activity 1 – Maya Numbers

It’s time to take your first steps as an anthropologist!  Let’s talk about writing and numbers.

Cultures around the world speak a wide range of languages.  Languages change over time, so many cultures have different languages.  Sometimes a culture will develop ways to record their language, and analyzing these writing systems is incredibly important for anthropologists.  Knowing the language a culture uses allows anthropologists to study the culture first-hand. And studying writing and numbering systems allows anthropologists to learn more about the culture and how it has changed over time.

To the right you can see a stele that is on display in the Hudson Museum.  Stelae are stone slabs that often have writing documenting an important person or event.  While many civilizations across the world erected stelae, this one was made by the Maya in ancient Mesoamerica!  The person on the Stele is believed to be an ancient Maya warrior-ruler. We know this because anthropologists and historians have studied Maya culture and can tell by the outfit and presentation what they were intended to be.

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Activity Time!

Look at the Maya Numbers activity on page 3 of your Research Notes and complete your Research Task before you go any further.  You can refer to the picture of the Maya Stele in your Research Notes or use the image above.  (Don’t forget, you can click on any picture to see a larger version!)  Check out the Research Results when you’re done!