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The Maya are people of southern Mexico and northern Central America (Guatemala, Belize, western Honduras, and El Salvador) with some 3,000 years of history. The Maya were part of the Mesoamerican Pre-Columbian cultures. Contrary to popular myth, the Maya people never "disappeared." Millions still live in the region, and many of them still speak one of the Maya family of languages. Central America is the region of North America located between the southern border of Mexico and the northwest border of Colombia, in South America. ...
Mesoamerica is the region extending from central Mexico south to the northwestern border of Costa Rica that gave rise to a group of stratified, culturally related agrarian civilizations spanning an approximately 3,000-year period before the African discovery of the New World by Columbus. ...
The term Pre-Columbian is used to refer to the cultures of the New World in the era before significant European influence. ...
This article will mostly concern itself with the Maya civilization after the conquest by Spain. ...
The Mayan languages are a family of related languages spoken from South-Eastern Mexico through northern Central America as far south as Honduras. ...
Origins
Archaeological evidence shows the Maya started to build ceremonial architecture at approximately 1000 BC. There is some disagreement about the borders and difference between the early Maya and their neighboring Pre-Classic Mesoamerican civilization, the Olmec culture. The Olmec and early Maya seem to have influenced each other. Importance and applicability Archaeology is the study of human nature and attempts to illuminate the question of what it means to be human. ...
The Olmec were an ancient people living in the tropical lowlands of south-central Mexico, roughly in what are the modern-day states of Veracruz and Tabasco on the Isthmus of Tehuantepec. ...
The earliest monuments consist of simple burial mounds, the precursors to pyramids erected in later times. Burial of Oleg of Novgorod in a tumulus in 912. ...
Geometric shape created by connecting a polygonal base to an apex A pyramid is a geometric shape formed by connecting a polygonal base and a point, called the apex, by triangular faces. ...
Eventually, the Olmec culture faded after spreading its influence into the Yucatan peninsula, present-day Guatemala, and other regions. The Yucatán Peninsula separates the Caribbean Sea from the Gulf of Mexico. ...
The Maya developed the famed cities of Tikal, Palenque, Copán and Kalakmul, as well as Dos Pilas, Uaxactun, Altun Ha, Bonampak and many other sites in the area (see list of sites, below). They developed an agriculturally intensive, city-centered empire consisting of numerous independent city-states. The most notable monuments are the pyramids they built in their religious centers and the accompanying palaces of their rulers. Other important archaeological remains include the carved stone slabs usually called stelae (the Maya called them Tetun, or "Tree-stones"), which depict rulers along with hieroglyphic texts describing their genealogy, war victories, and other accomplishments. Tikal is the largest of the ancient ruined cities of the Maya civilization. ...
The Palace, Ruins of Palenque Palenque is a Maya archeological site not far from the Usumacinta River in the state of Chiapas, Mexico, about 130 km. ...
The Pre-Columbian city now known as Copán is a locale in extreme western Honduras, in the Copán Department, near to the Guatemalan border. ...
Calakmul is the name of both a municipality and a major archeological site in the Mexican state of Campeche, in the central part of the Yucatán Peninsula. ...
Dos Pilas is a Pre-Columbian site of the Maya civilization, located in what is now Peten, Guatemala. ...
Uaxactun (pronounced Wash-ak-toon) is an ancient ruin of the Maya civilization, located in the Peten department of Guatemala, some 40 km (25 miles) north of Tikal. ...
Altun Ha is the name given ruins of an ancient Maya city in Belize, located in the Belize District about 30 miles (50 km) north of Belize City and about 6 miles (10 km) west of the shore of the Caribbean Sea. ...
Bonampak. ...
A city-state is a region controlled exclusively by a city. ...
Fishers of men; Oil on panel by Adriaen van de Venne (1614) Religion—sometimes used interchangeably with faith or belief system—is commonly defined as belief concerning the supernatural, sacred, or divine, and the moral codes, practices, values, and institutions associated with such belief. ...
Genealogy is the study and tracing of family pedigrees. ...
An act of war - the atomic bombing of Nagasaki, Japan during World War II War is a state of widespread conflict between states, organisations, or relatively large groups of people, which is characterised by the use of violent, physical force between combatants or upon civilians. ...
The Maya participated in long distance trade in Mesoamerica and possibly further lands. Important trade goods included cacao, salt, and obsidian; see also: Obsidian use in Mesoamerica. Binomial name Theobroma cacao L. Cacao (Theobroma cacao) is a small (4-8 m tall) evergreen tree in the family Malvaceae (formerly Sterculiaceae), native to tropical South America, but now cultivated throughout the tropics. ...
In chemistry, salt is a term used for ionic compounds composed of positively charged cations and negatively charged anions, so that the product is neutral and without a net charge. ...
Top stone is obsidian, below that is pumice and in lower right hand is rhyolite (light color) Obsidian is a type of naturally occurring glass, produced from volcanoes when the right kind of lava cools rapidly, e. ...
Obsidian was an important part of the material culture of Pre-Columbian Mesoamerica. ...
Art
 A stucco relief in the museum at Palenque
 Mayan jadeite "pectoral", 195mm high Many consider Maya art of their Classic Era (c. 200 to 900 CE) to be the most sophisticated and beautiful of the ancient New World. The carvings and stucco reliefs at Palenque and the statuary of Copán are especially fine, showing a grace and accurate observation of the human form that reminded early archaeologists of Classical civilization of the Old World, hence the name bestowed on this era. We have only hints of the advanced painting of the classic Maya; mostly what have survived are funerary pottery and other Maya ceramics. Also a building at Bonampak holds ancient murals that survived by serendipity. With the decipherment of the Maya script it was discovered that the Maya were one of the few civilizations where artists attached their name to their work. Download high resolution version (1116x2272, 707 KB) A painted stucco relief in the museum at Palenque, a Maya ruin in Chiapas, Mexico, from one of the recently excavated buildings. ...
Download high resolution version (1116x2272, 707 KB) A painted stucco relief in the museum at Palenque, a Maya ruin in Chiapas, Mexico, from one of the recently excavated buildings. ...
The Palace, Ruins of Palenque Palenque is a Maya archeological site not far from the Usumacinta River in the state of Chiapas, Mexico, about 130 km. ...
Download high resolution version (2272x1704, 1248 KB) A picture of one of the paintings at Bonampak Photo © 2004 Jacob Rus File links The following pages link to this file: Maya civilization Bonampak User:Jacobolus Image:Bonampak painting. ...
Download high resolution version (2272x1704, 1248 KB) A picture of one of the paintings at Bonampak Photo © 2004 Jacob Rus File links The following pages link to this file: Maya civilization Bonampak User:Jacobolus Image:Bonampak painting. ...
A XIV Century fresco featuring Saint Sebastian Note: Fresco is the NATO reporting name of the Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-17. ...
Bonampak. ...
Download high resolution version (1014x1191, 99 KB)I, John Hill, own this jade piece and took this picture of it. ...
Download high resolution version (1014x1191, 99 KB)I, John Hill, own this jade piece and took this picture of it. ...
Resources ArtLex. ...
For other uses, see number 200. ...
Events Persian scientist, Rhazes, distinguished smallpox from measles in the course of his writings. ...
Charlie Chaplin Statue A statue is a sculpture depicting a specific entity, usually a person, event, animal or object. ...
The Mona Lisa is perhaps the best-known artistic painting in the Western world. ...
Underwater funeral in Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea A funeral is a ceremony marking a persons death. ...
A man shapes pottery as it turns on a wheel. ...
Maya ceramics are important in the study of the Pre-Columbian Maya culture of Mesoamerica. ...
Bonampak. ...
A mural is a painting on a wall, ceiling, or other large permanent surface. ...
Decipherment is the analysis of documents written in ancient languages, where the language is unknown, or knowledge of the language has been lost. ...
Architecture As unique and spectacular as any Greek or Roman architecture, Maya architecture spans many thousands of years; yet, often the most dramatic and easily recognizable as Maya are the fantastic stepped pyramids from the Terminal Pre-classic period and beyond. These pyramids relied on intricate carved stone in order to create a stair-step design. Each pyramid was dedicated to a deity whose shrine sat at its peak. During this "height" of Maya culture, the centers of their religious, commercial and bureaucratic power grew into incredible cities, including Chichen Itza, Tikal, and Uxmal. Through observation of the numerous consistent elements and stylistic distinctions, remnants of Maya architecture have become an important key to understanding the evolution of their ancient civilization. The Romans adopted the external language of classical Greek architecture for their own purposes, which were so different from Greek buildings as to create a new architectural style. ...
Mesoamerican chronology The chronology of Pre-Columbian Mesoamerica is usually divided into the following eras: Paleo-Indian Period c. ...
Ruins in Tazumal, El Salvador File links The following pages link to this file: Maya civilization Categories: Images with unknown source ...
Ruins in Tazumal, El Salvador File links The following pages link to this file: Maya civilization Categories: Images with unknown source ...
The Quiché language is a part of the Maya language family. ...
Urban design As Maya cities spread throughout the varied geography of Mesoamerica, the extent of site planning appears to have been minimal; their cities having been built somewhat haphazardly as dictated by the topography of each independent location, Maya architecture tends to integrate a great degree of natural features. For instance, some cities existing on the flat limestone plains of the northern Yucatan grew into great sprawling municipalities, while others built in the hills of Usumacinta utilized the natural loft of the topography to raise their towers and temples to impressive heights. However, some semblance of order, as required by any large city, still prevailed. Limey shale overlaid by limestone. ...
Categories: Stub ...
At the onset of large-scale construction, a predetermined axis was typically established in congruence with the cardinal directions. Depending upon the location and availability of natural resources such as fresh-water wells, or cenotes, the city grew by connecting great plazas with the numerous platforms that created the sub-structure for nearly all Maya buildings, by means of sacbeob causeways. As more structures were added and existing structures re-built or remodeled, the great Maya cities seemed to take on an almost random identity that contrasts sharply with other great Mesoamerican cities such as Teotihuacan and its rigid grid-like construction. A Cenote or Cenotes (plural)is the name given in the south part of Mexico and centro-america for a large, subacuatic cave, (or series of) usually a Cenote has a mayan-linkage, because these was a important part of their rites. ...
Sacbeobs, or white ways were white, long and straight roads built by the Mayans to connect temples, plazas, and cities. ...
Teotihuacan is the largest Pre-Columbian archeological site in the Americas. ...
At the heart of the Maya city existed the large plazas surrounded by their most valued governmental and religious buildings such as the royal acropolis, great pyramid temples and occasionally ball-courts. Though city layouts evolved as nature dictated, careful attention was placed on the directional orientation of temples and observatories so that they were constructed in accordance with Maya interpretation of the orbits of the stars. Immediately outside of this ritual center were the structures of lesser nobles, smaller temples, and individual shrines: the less sacred and less important structures had a greater degree of privacy. Outside of the constantly evolving urban core were the less permanent and more modest homes of the common people. Great Ball Court at Chichén Itzá A Ball Court Goal, Chichén Itzá Ball court marker, from the Maya site of Chinkultic. ...
Classic Era Maya urban design could easily be described as the division of space by great monuments and causeways. In this case, the open public plazas were the gathering places for the people and the focus of the urban design, while interior space was entirely secondary. Only in the Late Post-Classic era did the great Maya cities develop into more fortress-like defensive structures that lacked, for the most part, the large and numerous plazas of the Classic. Mesoamerican chronology The chronology of Pre-Columbian Mesoamerica is usually divided into the following eras: Paleo-Indian Period c. ...
Building materials A surprising aspect of the great Maya structures is their lack of many advanced technologies that would seem to be necessary for such constructions. Lacking metal tools, pulleys and perhaps even the wheel, Maya architecture required one thing in abundance: manpower. Yet, beyond this enormous requirement, the remaining materials seem to have been readily available. All stone for Maya structures appears to have been taken from local quarries; most often this was limestone which, while being quarried remained pliable enough to be worked with stone tools ... only hardening once removed from its bed. In addition to the structural use of limestone, much of their mortar used crushed, burnt, and mixed limestone that mimicked the properties of cement and was used just as widely for stucco finishing as it was for mortar; however, later improvements in quarrying techniques reduced the necessity for this limestone-stucco as their stones began to fit quite perfectly, yet it remained a crucial element in some post and lintel roofs. In the case of the common homes, wooden poles, adobe, and thatch were the primary materials; however, instances of what appear to be common houses of limestone have been discovered as well. It should be noted that one instance, in the city of Comalcalco, fired-clay bricks have been found as a substitute for a lack of any substantial stone deposits. A wheel is a circular object that, together with an axle, allows low friction in motion. ...
Limey shale overlaid by limestone. ...
Stucco is a material made of an aggregate, a binder, and water which is applied to a surface in a paste-like consistency when wet and when dry becomes hard. ...
Categories: Move to Wiktionary | Buildings and structures stubs ...
This page deals with adobe, the construction material. ...
For the Ben Folds song see Brick A weathered brick wall. ...
Building process All evidence seems to suggest that most stone buildings existed on top of a platform sub-structure that varied in height from less than a meter, in the case of terraces and smaller structures, to 45 meters in the case of great temples and pyramids. A flight of often steep stone steps split the large stepped platforms on at least one side, contributing to the common bi-symmetrical appearance of Maya architecture. Depending on the prevalent stylistic tendencies of an area, these platforms most often were built of a cut and stucco stone exterior filled with densely packed gravel. As is the case with many other Maya relief, those on the platforms often were related to the intended purpose of the residing structure. Thus, as the sub-structural platforms were completed, the grand residences and temples of the Maya were constructed on the solid foundations of the platforms. As all structures were built, little attention seems to have been given to their utilitarian functionality and much to their external aesthetics; however, a certain repeated aspect, the corbeled arch, was often utilized to mimic the appearance and feel of the simple Maya hut. Though not an effective tool to increase interior space, as it required thick stone walls to support the high ceiling, some temples utilized repeated arches, or a corbeled vault, to construct what the Maya referred to as pibnal, or sweatbath, such as those in the Temple of the Cross at Palenque. As structures were completed, typically extensive relief work was added ... often simply to the covering of stucco used to smooth any imperfections; however, many lintel carvings have been discovered, as well as actual stone carvings used as a facade. Commonly, these would continue uninterrupted around an entire structure and contain a variety of artwork pertaining to the inhabitants or purpose of a building. Though not the case in all Maya locations, broad use of painted stucco has been discovered as well. Pre-fabricated, pre-tensioned concrete lintels spanning garage doors. ...
It has been suggested that, in conjunction to the Maya Long Count Calendar, every fifty-two years, or cycle, temples and pyramids were remodeled and rebuilt. It appears now that the rebuilding process was often instigated by a new ruler or for political matters, as opposed to matching the calendar cycle. However, the process of rebuilding on top of old structures is indeed a common one. Most notably, the North Acropolis at Tikal seems to be the sum total of 1,500 years of architectural modifications. The Maya Long Count Calendar is a subset of the Maya calendar used by the Pre-Columbian Maya civilization. ...
Notable constructions
Ceremonial platforms These were commonly limestone platforms of typically less than four meters in height where public ceremonies and religious rites were performed. Constructed in the fashion of a typical foundation platform, these were often accented by carved figures, altars and perhaps tzompantli, a stake used to display the heads of victims or defeated Mesoamerican ball game opponents. A stake used to display the heads of victims or defeated Mesoamerican ball game opponents. ...
Great Ball Court at Chichén Itzá A Ball Court Goal, Chichén Itzá Ball court marker, from the Maya site of Chinkultic. ...
Palaces Large and often highly decorated, the palaces usually sat close to the center of a city and housed the population's elite. Any exceedingly large royal palace, or one consisting of many chambers on different levels might be referred to as an acropolis. However, often these were one-story and consisted of many small chambers and typically at least one interior courtyard; these structures appear to take into account the needed functionality required of a residence, as well as the decoration required for their inhabitants stature. Archaeologists seem to agree that many palaces are home to various tombs. At Copán, beneath over four-hundred years of later remodeling, a tomb for one of the ancient rulers has been discovered and the North Acropolis at Tikal appears to have been the site of numerous burials during the Terminal Pre-classic and Early Classic periods.
E-groups This common appearance in the Maya cities remains somewhat of a mystery. Appearing without fail on the western side of a plaza is a pyramid temple, facing three smaller temples across the plaza. It has been theorized that these E-groups are observatories due to the precise positioning of the sun through the small temples when viewed from the pyramid during the solstices and equinoxes. Other ideas seem to stem from the possible creation story told by the relief and artwork that adorns these structures. Solstice is an astronomical term regarding the position of the Sun in relation to the celestial equator. ...
Illumination of Earth by Sun on the day of equinox In astronomy, an equinox is defined as the moment when the sun reaches one of two intersections between the ecliptic and the celestial equator. ...
Pyramids and temples
 Maya temple with intricate roof comb and corbeled arch Often the most important religious temples sat atop the towering Maya pyramids, presumably as the closest place to the heavens. While recent discoveries point toward the extensive use of pyramids as tombs, the temples themselves seem to rarely, if ever, contain burials. The lack of a burial chamber, however, allowed those sacred Mayas access to, at most, three cramped rooms to use for various ritual purposes. Residing atop the pyramids, some of over two-hundred feet, such as that at El Mirador, the temples were impressive and decorated structures themselves. Commonly topped with a roof comb, or superficial grandiose wall, these temples might have served as a type of propaganda. As occasionally the only structure to exceed the height of the jungle, the roof combs atop the temples were often carved with representations of rulers that could be seen from vast distances. Beneath the proud temples sat the pyramids that were, ultimately, a series of platforms split by steep stairs that would allow access to the temple. palenque -- temple of the inscriptions. ...
El Mirador is a large Pre-Columbian site of the Maya civilization located in the north of the modern department of El Petén, Guatemala. ...
Observatories
 Observatory-Temple at Chichen-Itza The Maya were keen astronomers and had mapped out the phases of celestrial objects, especially the Moon and Venus. Many temples have doorways and other features aligning to celestrial events. Round temples, often dedicated to Kukulcan, are perhaps those most often described as "observatories" by modern ruin tour-guides, but there is no evidence that they were so used exclusively, and temple pyramids of other shapes may well have been used for observation as well. The Observatory at Chichen-Itza File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ...
The Observatory at Chichen-Itza File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ...
Crust composition Oxygen 43% Silicon 21% Aluminium 10% Calcium 9% Iron 9% Magnesium 5% Titanium 2% Nickel 0. ...
(*min temperature refers to cloud tops only) Atmospheric characteristics Atmospheric pressure 9. ...
In Maya mythology, Gukumatz (feathered serpent) was a snake god, one of all three groups of gods who created Earth and humanity. ...
Ball courts As an integral aspect of the Mesoamerican lifestyle, the courts for their ritual ball-game were constructed throughout the Maya realm and often on a grand scale. Enclosed on two sides by stepped ramps that led to ceremonial platforms or small temples, the ball court itself was of a capital I shape and could be found in all but the smallest of Maya cities.
See also: Mesoamerican ballgame Great Ball Court at Chichén Itzá A Ball Court Goal, Chichén Itzá Ball court marker, from the Maya site of Chinkultic. ...
 Great Ball-court at Chichen Itza
 Great Ball-court at Chichen Itza 2
The Ball Court at Chichén Itzá, Mexico. ...
The Ball Court at Chichén Itzá, Mexico. ...
File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ...
File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ...
Writing and literacy
Writing system - Main article: Maya hieroglyphics
The Maya writing system (often called hieroglyphics from a vague superficial resemblance to the Ancient Egyptian writing, to which it is not related) was a combination of phonetic symbols and logograms. It is most often classified as a logographic or (more properly) a logosyllabic writing system, in which syllabic signs play a significant role. It is the only writing system of the Pre-Columbian New World which is known to completely represent the spoken language of its community. In total, the script has more than a thousand different glyphs, although a few are variations of the same sign or meaning, and many appear only rarely or are confined to particular localities. At any one time, no more than around 500 glyphs were in use, some 200 of which (including variations) had a phonetic or syllabic interpretation. Maya hieroglyphics is the system of writing used by the pre-Columbian Maya people to record the Maya language. ...
A writing system, also called a script, is a type of symbolic communication system used to represent elements or statements expressible in some spoken language, for the purpose of communication. ...
Hieroglyphs are a system of writing used by the Ancient Egyptians, using a combination of logographic, syllabic, and alphabetic elements. ...
Map of Ancient Egypt Ancient Egypt as a general historical term broadly refers to the civilization of the Lower Nile Valley, between the First Cataract and the mouths of the Nile Delta, from circa 3300 BC until the conquest of Alexander the Great in 332 BC. As a civilization based...
Phonetic (pho-NET-ic) is a nationwide voicemail-to-text messaging service available for most digital mobile phones in which a subscriber is provided a custom voice mailbox for the purpose of receiving all incoming voice messages as actual transcribed text for reading via short messaging (also known as SMS...
A Chinese logogram A logogram, or logograph, is a single written character which represents a word or a morpheme (a meaningful unit of language). ...
A syllabary is a set of written symbols that represent (or approximate) syllables, which make up words. ...
These are the astrological glyphs as most commonly used in Western Astrology A glyph is a carved figure or character, incised or in relief; a carved pictograph; hence, a pictograph representing a form originally adopted for sculpture, whether carved or painted. ...
The earliest inscriptions in an identifiably-Mayan script date back to the 1st century BCE. However, this is preceded by several other writing systems which had developed in Mesoamerica, most notably that of the Olmec culture, which originated around 700 - 500 BCE. The Maya system is believed by Mayanist scholars to have derived from this earlier script; however in the succeeding centuries the Maya developed their script into a form which was far more complete and complex than that of its predecessors. Mesoamerica is the region extending from central Mexico south to the northwestern border of Costa Rica that gave rise to a group of stratified, culturally related agrarian civilizations spanning an approximately 3,000-year period before the African discovery of the New World by Columbus. ...
The Olmec were an ancient people living in the tropical lowlands of south-central Mexico, roughly in what are the modern-day states of Veracruz and Tabasco on the Isthmus of Tehuantepec. ...
Since its inception, the Maya script was in use up to the arrival of Europeans, peaking during the Maya Classical Period (c. 200 - 900 CE). Although many Mayan centers went into decline (or were completely abandoned) during or after this period, the skill and knowledge of Mayan writing persisted amongst segments of the population, and the early Spanish conquistadores knew of individuals who could still read and write the script. Unfortunately the Spanish displayed little interest in it, and as a result of the dire impacts the conquest had on Maya societies the knowledge was subsequently lost, most probably within only a few generations.
At a rough estimate, around 10,000 individual texts have so far been recovered, mostly inscribed on stone monuments, lintels, stelae and ceramic pottery. Maya civilization also produced numerous texts using the bark of certain trees in a "book-format", called a codex. Unfortunately, shortly after the conquest all of these latter which could be found were ordered to be burnt and destroyed by the zealous Spanish priests, notably Bishop Diego de Landa. Out of these Maya codices, only three reasonably-intact examples are known to have survived through to the present day (these are now known as the Madrid, Dresden and Paris codices), plus a few pages from a fourth (the Grolier codex, whose authenticity is sometimes disputed, but mostly held to be genuine). Further archaeology conducted at Mayan sites often reveals other fragments, rectangular lumps of plaster and paint chips which formerly were codices; these tantalizing remains are however too severely damaged for any inscriptions to have survived, most of the organic material having decayed. Monument - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia /**/ @import /skins-1. ...
Pre-fabricated, pre-tensioned concrete lintels spanning garage doors. ...
Stele is also a concept in plant biology. ...
Look up book in Wiktionary, the free dictionary A book is a collection of leaves of paper, parchment or other material, bound together along one edge within covers. ...
A codex (Latin for book; plural codices) is a handwritten book from late Antiquity or the Early Middle Ages. ...
Roman Catholic priest LCDR Allen R. Kuss (USN) aboard USS Enterprise A priest or priestess is a holy man or woman who takes an officiating role in worship of any religion, with the distinguishing characteristic of offering sacrifices. ...
Diego de Landa ( 1524 - 1579) was Bishop of the Yucatán. ...
Maya codices (singular codex) are books written by the pre-Columbian Maya civilization, using the Maya hieroglyphic script. ...
The decipherment and recovery of the now-lost knowledge of Maya writing has been a long and laborious process. Some elements were first deciphered in the late 19th and early 20th century (mostly the parts having to do with numbers, the Maya calendar, and astronomy), but major breakthroughs came starting in the 1950s to 1970s, and accelerated rapidly thereafter. By the end of the 20th century the majority of Maya texts were able to be read to a large extent, and work done in the field continues to further illuminate the content. Alternative meaning: Nineteenth Century (periodical) (18th century — 19th century — 20th century — more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 19th century was that century which lasted from 1801-1900 in the sense of the Gregorian calendar. ...
(19th century - 20th century - 21st century - more centuries) Decades: 1900s 1910s 1920s 1930s 1940s 1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s As a means of recording the passage of time, the 20th century was that century which lasted from 1901–2000 in the sense of the Gregorian calendar (1900–1999 in the...
The Maya calendar is a system of complex and highly developed calendars created by the Maya Civilization of pre-Columbian Mesoamerica. ...
// Events and trends The 1950s in Western society was marked with a sharp rise in the economy for the first time in almost 30 years and return to the 1920s-type consumer society built on credit and boom-times, as well as the height of the baby-boom from returning...
This article provides extensive lists of events and significant personalities of the 1970s. ...
In reference to the few extant Maya writings, Michael Coe, a prominent linguist and epigrapher at Yale University stated: Epigraphy (Greek, επιγÏαφή - written upon) is the study of inscriptions engraved into stone or other permanent materials, or cast in metal, the science of classifying them as to cultural context and date, elucidating them and assessing what conclusions can be deduced from them. ...
For other uses, see Yale (disambiguation). ...
- "[O]ur knowledge of ancient Maya thought must represent only a tiny fraction of the whole picture, for of the thousands of books in which the full extent of their learning and ritual was recorded, only four have survived to modern times (as though all that posterity knew of ourselves were to be based upon three prayer books and 'Pilgrim's Progress')." (Michael D. Coe, The Maya, London: Thames and Hudson, 4th ed., 1987, p. 161.)
Most surviving Pre-Columbian Maya writing is from stone inscriptions at sites and on stelae already abandoned when the Spanish arrived (which largely deals with the dynasties and wars of the sites' rulers) and funeral pottery (which mostly deals with beliefs about the afterlife). Stele is also a concept in plant biology. ...
Writing tools Although the archaeological record does not provide examples, Maya art shows that writing was done with brushes made with animal hair and quills. Codex-style writing was usually done in black ink with red highlights, giving rise to the Aztec name for the Maya territory as the "land of red and black". Film poster for Quills. ...
An ink is a liquid containing various pigments and/or dyes used for colouring a surface to render an image or text. ...
This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ...
Scribes Scribes held a prominent position in Maya courts. Maya art often depicts rulers with trappings indicating they were scribes or at least able to write, such as having pen bundles in their headdresses. Additionally, many rulers have been found in conjunction with writing tools such as shell or clay inkpots.
Literacy Although the number of logograms and syllabic symbols required to fully write the language numbered in the hundreds, literacy was not necessarily widespread beyond the elite classes. Graffiti uncovered in various contexts, including on fired bricks, shows nonsensical attempts to imitate the writing system.
Mathematics The Maya (or their Olmec predecessors) independently developed the concept of zero, and used a base 20 numbering system (see Maya numerals). Inscriptions show them on occasion working with sums up to the hundreds of millions and dates so large it would take several lines just to represent it. They produced extremely accurate astronomical observations; their charts of the movements of the moon and planets are equal or superior to those of any other civilization working from naked eye observation. 0 (zero) or nought is both a number and a numeral. ...
The vigesimal (base-twenty) is a numeral system which is based on twenty. ...
The Pre-Columbian Maya civilization used a vigesimal (base-twenty) numeral system. ...
In ancient Greece and other early civilizations, astronomy consisted largely of astrometry, measuring positions of stars and planets in the sky. ...
Crust composition Oxygen 43% Silicon 21% Aluminium 10% Calcium 9% Iron 9% Magnesium 5% Titanium 2% Nickel 0. ...
A planet in common parlance is a large object in orbit around a star that is not a star itself. ...
The Maya calculation of the length of the solar year was somewhat superior to that used in the Gregorian Calendar. They did not use this figure for the length of year in their calendar, however. Instead, the Maya calendar(s) were based on a year length of exactly 365 days, and if one is trying to make a model of the Earth's rotation that marks a return to the same point every year. Maya priests however would not keep track of just the 365 day year and in fact some shamen are known to keep track of many. The Gregorian calendar is the calendar widely used in the Western world. ...
The Maya calendar is a system of complex and highly developed calendars created by the Maya Civilization of pre-Columbian Mesoamerica. ...
The Gregorian calendar accumulates a day's error in approximately 3257 years. The Julian calendar, used in Europe from Roman times until about the 16th Century, on the other hand, accumulated an error of one day every 128 years. The Gregorian calendar is the calendar widely used in the Western world. ...
The Julian calendar was introduced by Julius Caesar in 46 BC, taking force in 45 BC or 709 ab urbe condita. ...
Religion Like the Aztec and Inca who came to power later, the Maya belived in a cyclical nature of time. The rituals and ceremonies were very closely associated with hundreds (possibly thousands) of celestial/terrestrial cycles which they observed and inscribed as seperate calendars (all of infinite duration). The Maya shamen had the job of interpreting these cycles and giving a prophetic outlook on the future or past based on the number relations of all their calendars. If the interpretations of the shamen spelled bad times to come, sacrifices would be performed to make the gods happier. This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ...
For other meanings of Inca, see Inca (disambiguation). ...
Rather than looking at the polytheism in the Mayan religion, it must be understood that the multiple "gods" represented nothing more than a mathematical explanation of what they observed. Each god was literally just a number or a explanation of the effects observed by a combination of numbers from multiple calendars. Some of the calendars the shamen kept track of were a 260 day tolkien, a 365 day celestial year and the orbits of all the visible planets, with special interest in Venus. The Maya knew long before Kepler that the planets have elliptical orbits and used their findings to support their view of the cyclical nature of time. Polytheism is belief in, or worship of, multiple gods or divinities. ...
(*min temperature refers to cloud tops only) Atmospheric characteristics Atmospheric pressure 9. ...
Johannes Kepler Johannes Kepler (December 27, 1571 – November 15, 1630), a key figure in the scientific revolution, was a German astronomer, mathematician and astrologer. ...
Philosophically, the Maya belived that knowing the past means knowing the cyclical influences that create the present, and by knowing the influences of the present one can see the cyclical influences of the future. Interestingly the Maya did not distinguish between past, present and future. Instead they used one word to discribe all instances of time, which can be translated as "it came to pass".
The Maya believed that the universe was flat and square, but infinite in area. They also worshiped the circle, which symbolised perfection or the balancing of forces. Among other religious symbols were the swastika and the perfect cross. The swastika (å) is an equilateral cross with its arms bent at right angles either clockwise or anticlockwise. ...
Maya rulers figured prominently in many religious rituals and often were required to practice bloodletting, such as using sculpted bone or jade instruments to perforate their penises, or drawing thorn-studded ropes through their tongues.
- Main article: Maya mythology
Maya mythology refers to the pre-Columbian Maya civilizations extensive polytheistic religious beliefs. ...
Agriculture The ancient Maya had diverse and sophisticated methods of food production. It was formerly believed that slash and burn (swidden) agriculture provided most of their food but it is now thought that permanent raised fields, terraccing, forest gardens, managed fallows, and wild harvesting were also crucial to supporting the large populations of the Classic period in some areas. Indeed, evidence of these different systems persist today: raised fields connected by canals can be seen on aerial photographs, contemporary rainforest species composition has significantly higher abundance of species of economic value to ancient Maya, and pollen records in lake sediments suggest that corn, manioc, sunflower seeds, cotton, and other crops have been cultivated in association with deforestation in Mesoamerica since at least 2500 BCE.
Contemporary Maya people still practice many of these traditional forms of agriculture, although they are dynamic systems and change with changing population pressures, cultures, economic systems, climate change, and the availability of synthetic fertilizers and pesticides. This article will mostly concern itself with the Maya civilization after the conquest by Spain. ...
Decline of the Maya In the 8th and 9th centuries CE Classic Maya culture went into decline, with most of the cities of the central lowlands abandoned. Warfare, ecological depletion of croplands, and drought or some combination of those factors are usually suggested as reasons for the decline. There is archaeological evidence of warfare, famine, and revolt against the elite at various central lowlands sites. (7th century — 8th century — 9th century — other centuries) Events The Iberian peninsula is taken by Arab and Berber Muslims, thus ending the Visigothic rule, and starting almost 8 centuries of Muslim presence there. ...
This earthenware dish was made in 9th century Iraq. ...
A drought is an extended period where water availability falls below the statistical requirements for a region. ...
The Maya cities of the northern lowlands in Yucatan continued to flourish for centuries more; some of the important sites in this era were Chichen Itza, Uxmal, Edzná, and Coba. After the decline of the ruling dynasties of Chichen and Uxmal, Mayapan ruled all of Yucatan until a revolt in 1450; the area then devolved to city states until the Spanish Conquest. Edzná is a ruined city of the Maya civilization in the state of Campeche, Mexico. ...
Coba (Cobá in the Spanish language) is a large ruined city of the Pre-Columbian Maya civilization, located in the state of Quintana Roo, Mexico. ...
Mayapan (in Spanish Mayapán) is a Pre-Columbian Maya site in the state of Yucatán, Mexico, about 40 km south-east of Mérida and 100 km west of Chichen Itza. ...
Events March - French troops under Guy de Richemont besiege the English commander in France, Edmund Beaufort, Duke of Somerset, in Caen April 15 - Battle of Formigny. ...
The Spanish Conquest of Yucatán was a long and involved process taking some 170 years to complete. ...
The Itza Maya, Kowoj and Yalain groups of Central Peten survived the "Classic Period Collapse" in small numbers and by 1250 CE reconstituted themselves to form competing polities. The Itza kingdom had its capital at Noj Peten, an archaeological site thought to underlay modern day Flores, Guatemala. It ruled over a polity extending across the Peten Lakes region, encompassing the community of Eckixil on Lake Quexil. These sites and this region were inhabited continuously by independent Maya until after the final Spanish Conquest of 1697 CE.
Post-Classic Maya states also continued to thrive in the southern highlands. One of the Maya kingdoms in this area, the Quiché, is responsible for the best-known Mayan work of historiography and mythology, the Popol Vuh. The Kiche , or Quiché in Spanish spelling, are a Native American people, part of the Maya ethnic group. ...
Historiography is writing about rather than of history. ...
It has been suggested that Myth be merged into this article or section. ...
The name Popol Vuh was also adopted by two European rock bands; see Popol Vuh (Norwegian band) (1970s) and Popol Vuh (German band) (1970–2002). ...
The Spanish started their conquest of the Maya lands in the 1520s. Some Maya states offered long fierce resistance; the last Maya state, the Itza kingdom, was not subdued by Spanish authorities until 1697. Centuries: 15th century - 16th century - 17th century Decades: 1470s 1480s 1490s 1500s 1510s - 1520s - 1530s 1540s 1550s 1560s 1570s Years: 1520 1521 1522 1523 1524 1525 1526 1527 1528 1529 Events and Trends Fall of Tenochtitlán and conquest of Spanish. ...
Events September 20 - The Treaty of Ryswick December 2 – St Pauls Cathedral opened in London Peter the Great travels in Europe officially incognito as artilleryman Pjotr Mikhailov Use of palanquins increases in Europe Christopher Polhem starts Swedens first technical school. ...
Rediscovery of the Pre-Columbian Maya The Spanish American Colonies were largely cut off from the outside world, and the ruins of the great ancient cities were little known except to locals. In 1839 United States traveler and writer John Lloyd Stephens, hearing reports of lost ruins in the jungle, visited Copán, Palenque, and other sites with English architect and draftsman Frederick Catherwood. Their illustrated accounts of the ruins sparked strong interest in the region and the people, and they have once again regained their position as a vital link in Mesoamerican heritage. 1839 was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ...
John Lloyd Stephens (November 28, 1805–October 13, 1852) was a American explorer, writer, and diplomat. ...
Frederick Catherwood (February 27, 1799 - September 20, 1854) was an English artist and architect, best remembered for his explorations of ruins of the Maya civilization. ...
Much of the contemporary rural population of Guatemala and Belize is Maya by descent and primary language; a Maya culture still exists in rural Mexico.
List of Maya sites - See also: Category:Maya sites
Most important sites Temple of the Warriors Chichen Itza is the largest of the Pre-Columbian archaeological sites in Yucat n, Mexico. ...
Coba (Cobá in the Spanish language) is a large ruined city of the Pre-Columbian Maya civilization, located in the state of Quintana Roo, Mexico. ...
The Pre-Columbian city now known as Copán is a locale in extreme western Honduras, in the Copán Department, near to the Guatemalan border. ...
Calakmul is the name of both a municipality and a major archeological site in the Mexican state of Campeche, in the central part of the Yucatán Peninsula. ...
Tikal is the largest of the ancient ruined cities of the Maya civilization. ...
Uxmal is a large Pre-Columbian ruined city of the Maya civilization in the state of Yucatán, Mexico. ...
Other important Maya sites Altun Ha is the name given ruins of an ancient Maya city in Belize, located in the Belize District about 30 miles (50 km) north of Belize City and about 6 miles (10 km) west of the shore of the Caribbean Sea. ...
Becan is the name of an ancient Maya site. ...
Bonampak. ...
Caracol or El Caracol is the name given to a large ancient Maya site located in the Cayo District of the nation of Belize. ...
Ballcourt marker from Chinkultic. ...
Cival is an archaeological site in the Petén department of Guatemala, formerly a major city of the Pre-Columbian Maya civilization. ...
Dos Pilas is a Pre-Columbian site of the Maya civilization, located in what is now Peten, Guatemala. ...
El Mirador is a large Pre-Columbian site of the Maya civilization located in the north of the modern department of El Petén, Guatemala. ...
El Perú — known as Waká in ancient times — is an archeological site containing ruins from the Maya civilization. ...
Edzná is a ruined city of the Maya civilization in the state of Campeche, Mexico. ...
Gumarcaj, sometimes rendered as Cumarcaj or Kumarcaaj, is an archeological site in El Quiché department of Guatemala. ...
Izamal is a small city in Yucatán state, Mexico, 72 km (about 40 miles) East of Mérida, Yucatán, at 20°93′ N 89°02′ W. Izamal has been continuously occupied for thousands of years. ...
Joya de Cerén ( meaning Jewel of Cerén in the Spanish language) is an archaeological site in El Salvador, a pre-Columbian Maya farming village preserved remarkably intact under layers of volcanic ash. ...
Kabah (also spelled Kabaah, Kabáh, Kahbah and Kaba) is a ruined city of the Maya civilization in the south-east of the state of Yucatán, Mexico. ...
Kaminaljuyu is a Pre-Columbian site of the Maya civilization, in highland Guatemala, now within modern Guatemala City. ...
Palace of Labna Labná is a ruined ceremonial center of the Maya civilization in the state of Yucatán, Mexico. ...
Lamanai (Submerged Crocodile in the Maya language) was once a considerably sized city of the Maya civilization, located in the north of Belize, in Orange Walk District. ...
Louisville is a town in the Corozal District of the nation of Belize, located at 18° 19 N, 88° 30 W. According to the 2000 census, it had a population of 655 people. ...
Lubaantun (sometimes spelled Lubaantún) is a Pre-Columbian ruined city of the Maya civilization in southern Belize, Central America. ...
Mayapan (in Spanish Mayapán) is a Pre-Columbian Maya site in the state of Yucatán, Mexico, about 40 km south-east of Mérida and 100 km west of Chichen Itza. ...
Mixco Viejo is an archaeological site in the north east of the Chimaltenango district of Guatemala, some 50 km to the north of Guatemala City. ...
Inscription relating to the reign of king Itzamnaaj Kawil, 784-810. ...
Nim Li Punit, sometimes also known as Big Hat or Top Hat (especially shortly after its discovery) is an ancient Maya site in the Toledo District of the nation of Belize, about 40 km north of the town of Punta Gorda, at 16° 19 N, 88° 47 60W. The name...
The Palace, Ruins of Palenque Palenque is a Maya archeological site not far from the Usumacinta River in the state of Chiapas, Mexico, about 130 km. ...
Piedras Negras is the modern name for a ruined city of the Pre-Columbian Maya civilization located on the north bank of the Usumacinta River in the Peten department of Guatemala. ...
Quiriguá is an ancient Maya site in the Izabal department of Guatemala. ...
Río Bec is a sizable site of the Pre-Columbian Maya civilization, located in what is now southern Campeche state, Mexico. ...
Palace of Sayil Sayil is a ruined city of the Maya civilization in the state of Yucatán, Mexico. ...
Seibal (sometimes rendered as Ceibal) is a ruined site of the Maya civilization located in the south of the Peten department of Guatemala. ...
Takalik Abaj is an archeological site, formerly a site of the Pre-Columbian Maya civilization. ...
Tonina (Toniná in the Spanish language) is a Pre-Columbian ruined city of the Maya civilization located in what is now the state of Chiapas, Mexico, some 13 km east of the town of Oscosingo. ...
Tulum (sometimes rendered as Tuluum) is a Pre-Columbian walled city of the Maya civilization located on the Caribbean Sea coast of the state of Quintana Roo, Mexico. ...
Uaxactun (pronounced Wash-ak-toon) is an ancient ruin of the Maya civilization, located in the Peten department of Guatemala, some 40 km (25 miles) north of Tikal. ...
Gumarcaj, sometimes rendered as Cumarcaj or Kumarcaaj, is an archeological site in El Quiché department of Guatemala. ...
El Perú — known as Waká in ancient times — is an archeological site containing ruins from the Maya civilization. ...
Xunantunich (shoo-NAHN-too-nich) is a Maya archaeological site in western Belize, about 80 miles (130 km) west of Belize City, in the Cayo District. ...
One of the pyramids on the upper terrace of Yaxchilan. ...
Yookop is the name of a ruined city that was part of the ancient Maya civilization. ...
Zaculeu is a Pre-Columbian archeological site in the highlands of south western Guatemala, a short distance outside of the city of Huehuetenango. ...
See also Maya mythology refers to the pre-Columbian Maya civilizations extensive polytheistic religious beliefs. ...
The Maya calendar is a system of complex and highly developed calendars created by the Maya Civilization of pre-Columbian Mesoamerica. ...
The Mayan languages are a family of related languages spoken from South-Eastern Mexico through northern Central America as far south as Honduras. ...
This article needs cleanup. ...
The Vision Serpent is an important creature in Pre-Columbian Maya mythology. ...
The jaguar played an important role in the culture and religion of Pre-Columbian Mesoamerica. ...
Rollout photography, a type of peripheral photography, is a process used to create a two dimensional photographic image of a three dimensional object. ...
External links - Mayaweb (Dutch and English)
- Maya articles by Genry Joil.
- Mesoweb by Joel Skidmore.
- The Daily Glyph by Dave Pentecost.
- Junglecasts - podcasts by Ed Barnhart, Nicco Mele, Dave Pentecost
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