How they lived. Mayan society was divided into classes, with a ruling elite, a clergy and a population of peasants and artisans. The Maya were farmers and lived in small villages. They grew corn, beans, squash and other foods. They also fished and hunted. Human sacrifices. The Maya practiced human sacrifices, which were carried out as a way of pleasing the gods and ensuring the fertility of the land. The sacrifices were usually made of prisoners of war or slaves. https://vocal.media/history/the-