Trade in Maya civilization
Okay kiddo, so imagine that you live in a really big village with lots of other people. Some people are really good at making things like pottery, clothes, and jewelry, while others are really good at growing things like corn and beans.
Now, you might want some of the things that other people make or grow, but you might not have anything that they want in return. For example, you might not know how to grow corn very well or you might not be very good at making pottery.
That's where trading comes in! Trading is when people exchange things that they have for things that they want. So, you could trade the things that you do have, like maybe some cool rocks or shells that you found, with someone who is really good at making pottery. This way, you can get something that you want without having to make it yourself.
In the Maya civilization, there were many different types of goods that people traded. Some of the most important were food, such as corn, beans, and other crops. But people also traded things like salt, honey, feathers, and precious stones like jade.
The Maya people used a system of trade that involved something called "bartering." This means that instead of using money to buy things, they would trade goods directly with each other. For example, someone might trade a bag of corn for some jade beads or a basket of fruit for a piece of pottery.
Sometimes, people in the Maya civilization would travel long distances to trade with other villages or cities. They might trade things like obsidian, which is a type of volcanic glass that was used to make sharp tools like knives and arrowheads.
Overall, trade was a really important part of life for the Maya people. It helped them get the things they needed to survive and it also helped them interact with other people from different parts of their civilization.
Now, you might want some of the things that other people make or grow, but you might not have anything that they want in return. For example, you might not know how to grow corn very well or you might not be very good at making pottery.
That's where trading comes in! Trading is when people exchange things that they have for things that they want. So, you could trade the things that you do have, like maybe some cool rocks or shells that you found, with someone who is really good at making pottery. This way, you can get something that you want without having to make it yourself.
In the Maya civilization, there were many different types of goods that people traded. Some of the most important were food, such as corn, beans, and other crops. But people also traded things like salt, honey, feathers, and precious stones like jade.
The Maya people used a system of trade that involved something called "bartering." This means that instead of using money to buy things, they would trade goods directly with each other. For example, someone might trade a bag of corn for some jade beads or a basket of fruit for a piece of pottery.
Sometimes, people in the Maya civilization would travel long distances to trade with other villages or cities. They might trade things like obsidian, which is a type of volcanic glass that was used to make sharp tools like knives and arrowheads.
Overall, trade was a really important part of life for the Maya people. It helped them get the things they needed to survive and it also helped them interact with other people from different parts of their civilization.