Maya Economy and Agriculture

The Maya based their economy mainly on trade in agriculture, but the hunting of wild animals and collecting forest products were also important activities. 

Maya Agriculture also relied on growing corn. Major fieldwork were cut and burned, to prepare the land for planting. This type of extensive agriculture required a plentiful land, since lowered productivity karstic region of the earth with a thin layer of mulch on top. This was necessary to change the land by planting every four years.The population increase during the Early and Late Classic Period at Tikal, forced the leaders to find alternatives to high-yielding crops. Intensive methods were introduced that made ​​use of irrigation in Tikal, through channels and upland agriculture related hydraulic supplemented with vegetable gardens, fruit trees. His intensive agriculture, which used special techniques associated with hydraulic engineering, also carefully planned, when the whole city was built to collect water in huge tanks, called chultunes that were dug under the ground silos recubiertso stucco to prevent absorption water. This was a great feat of engineering Maya, driven by a need económica.

La agriculture has been the backbone of the economy from pre-Columbian Mayan and corn is the main crop. The Maya also cultivated cotton, beans (beans or bean), camote (sweet potato), cassava and cocoa. The techniques of spinning, dyeing and weaving achieved a high degree of perfection. As a unit of exchange were used cocoa beans and copper bells, material was also used for ornamental work, like gold, silver, jade, seashells and colored feathers.