a very advanced civilization. They had an organized religion,they studied the stars, and they were artists. The Mayas believed in gods of the sun, rain, and other qualities found in nature. Their understanding of the stars helped them to develop several calendars. One Mayan calendar had 365 days like our calendar. The Mayas also made advances in math. They developed a way of counting which included the concept of "0." Their system of writing used individual pictures. Each picture stood for one word. were divided into social classes. Each Mayan social class was treated with a different amount of respect. The higher the social class, the
more respect the class was given. At the top were the powerful priests. At the bottom were the farmers and slaves. Slaves were considered the property of their owners. Most slaves were people who had been accused of crimes.