Maya is probably the most famous of the classical civilizations of Mesoamerica. The story begins at the Mayan Yucatan around 2600 BC, the Maya have become famous around the year 250 AD in modern southern Mexico, Guatemala, western Honduras, El Salvador, and northern Belize.
Based on inventions and ideas of earlier civilizations, such as the Olmec, the Maya made great strides in astronomy, calendar systems and hieroglyphic writing. Maya attracted attention for its architecture, including temple-pyramids, palaces and observatories, all built without metal tools. Maya History shows that they were very skilled farmers, cleared large areas of rainforest. Where groundwater is not enough, they were building underground reservoirs for the storage of large volumes of rainwater. Maya were skilled weavers, potters, they cleared routes through jungles and swamps to trade with distant peoples.
Many people believe that the ancestors of the Maya crossed the Bering Strait at least 20,000 years ago. They were nomadic hunter-gatherers. Traces of Mexico are found in the archaic period, 5000-1500 BC - Growing of maize, pottery and stone tools.
Initially, the civilization was formed with the growth of the Olmecs in the classical period in 1500 BC - 300 AD The Olmecs settled on the Gulf Coast, but they know little.
They are considered the ancestors of many aspects of Meso-American cultures, including the first calendar and hieroglyphic writing in the Western Hemisphere. Archaeologists have not yet fully understood the relationship between the Olmec and Maya, and it is a mystery whether the Mayans, were the descendants of trading partners, or other relationship, a gap in the history of the Maya.
Resolved, that the Maya developed a sophisticated calendar and the most advanced system of hieroglyphics in America, both of these achievements are based on a version of the Olmec.
Maya had a complex society
(The classic period of 300 - 900 AD)
Most of the artistic and cultural achievements occurred during the classical period 300 - 900 AD. Maya developed a complex, hierarchical society divided into classes and professions. Centralized governments, headed by the king, identified with a clearly defined territory boundaries. These boundaries have changed, as different states have lost or gained control of territory. Major centers of the Maya flourished in Mexico, Guatemala, Belize, Honduras and El Salvador. Major cities of the classical period were Tikal (Guatemala), Palenque and Yaxchil N (Chiapas, Mexico), Cop n and Quirigua (Honduras). During this long time period, the majority of the population lived in the Maya lowlands in central Mexico and Belize.
Northern Yucatan (where Cancun is now) was a sparsely populated area, but a few cities, such as Dzibilchalt N (near M Rida) and Shpuhil, BEC and n Chicann (near Chetumal). During the 9th century, the number of settlements of the central lowlands declined significantly. This decline was very rapid and is attributed to famine, drought, disruptions in trade and political fragmentation. Fragmentation of the large states into smaller city-states, based on resources, the rivalry between the cities, including not only war, but the architecture and art contest between the rival cities. City of the lowlands declined, urban centers arose in the North N Yucat, including Uxmal (near M Reed).
Anthropologists used to distinguish the "peaceful" Maya with the bloodthirsty Aztecs of central Mexico. While human sacrifice was not so important to the Mayans, the Aztecs for the blood of the victim played a significant role in their religion. People offered their lives, but not necessarily their lives. It is likely that people of all classes shed their blood during religious ceremonies. Blood sacrifices for the king was the most valuable and it is often spilled. Maya were warlike and fought with their neighbors for the right to land, they zavaevyvali citizens and prisoners. Some prisoners were subjected to a double sacrifice, the victims whose heart ripped out in the sun and cut off his head, that would be bloodshed on the ground.
Mayan civilization was the peak of pre-Columbian culture. They have made significant discoveries in science, including the use of zero in mathematics. They were able to reflect all types of thinking. Glyphs either represent syllables or whole concepts and were written on long strips of paper or carved in stone. They are arranged to be red from left to right and top to bottom in pairs of columns. Mayan calendar begins around 3114 BC, to the Mayan culture existed, and can measure time in the future. They wrote detailed instructions on how to use your calendar to predict the future and astrological events. Fray Diego de Landa, second bishop of N Yucat ordered a mass destruction of Mayan books in 1562 and only three survived.
The classical period - 1000 - 1500 AD
The growth and destruction
After the classical period of the Maya migrated to the peninsula N Yucat. There, they developed their own culture, even though their achievements and works of art are not impressive. Most of the ruins you can see South Cancun relate to the period of time.
Chichen Itza (near Valladolid), Uxmal (near Merida) and Mayap H (west of Chichen Itza) were the three most important city after the classical period. They lived in relative peace until 1000 - 1100 BC, when Mayap H overthrew the Confederation and lasted over 200 years old. In 1441 Maya, on the orders of Uxmal destroyed the city of H Mayap and founded a new town in Mani. Wars were fought between rival Mayan groups in the region until they were conquered by the Spaniards.
Chichen Itza was first settled between 500 and 900 AD Maya and for some reason abandoned it around 900 g.n.e, the city was relocated after 100 years, and then invaded by the Toltecs from the North. There are numerous images of the gods of the Maya, including Chuck and Toltec gods including Quetzacoatl. For unknown reasons, the city was abandoned around 1300 If a Spanish politician, is not advocated for the destruction of the Mayan svyaschennikok and books when they arrived in Mexico, we would have answers to many questions.
It is a pity because when the political beliefs destroy the historical value.
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Tags: america , history , Maya , Mexico , civilization
Hmm ... Very interesting! No, really! I love historical articles!
Blog very much. Keep it up!
damn ... writing, writing, and the message has not departed, and did not survive
in general liked the blog. admin good luck in development.
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Hello! With pleasure honored your blog. I would also like to congratulate you and all readers of this blog with the new 2010 year. Good luck to all the new life of victory and fulfillment of all your plans.
Maya is more often referred to as we approach 2012.
The point here is this. According to their views of the Earth's current population lives in the era of the Fifth Sun, ie, We residents of the fifth period, representatives of the fifth race (four previous races were lost during the great catastrophe).
The era of the Fifth Sun ends in December 2012 when, during the December solstice sun will be in the area of the Milky Way. By the way this ends, and the Mayan calendar.
What is it - the end of the world? Or update and the start of a new beautiful world?
Wait and see.
What is surprising is that the Mayans did not use a decimal number system as we are, and dvadtsatirichnuyu