The Mayans formed a civilization that inhabited part of Central America, during one of the longest periods of the pre-Columbian era: approximately 2,500 BC until the beginning of the 16th century. ancient Mayans
The Mayan civilization was spread across a series of city-states that occupied southern Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, Belize, and El Salvador.
Even though it is one of the oldest pre-Columbian civilizations , the Mayans did not build an empire, as the Incas and Aztecs did, for example.
Mayan society consisted of three main nuclei: the nobility (first class); tax collectors and masters of ceremonies (second class); and peasants and artisans (third class).
First and second class members inhabited the cities, while peasants lived on the periphery and were forced to pay high taxes to their leaders.
Social mobility was not common in Mayan society. Therefore, the individual who was born in a certain class had no possibility of ascending to other social levels. ancient Mayans
Economically, the Mayan people lived off agriculture, through the cultivation of cotton, tomatoes, potatoes, cocoa and other fruits. They were also dedicated to raising some animals, such as turkeys and bees.
The decline of the Mayan civilization, unlike other pre-Columbian empires, was not motivated by the Spanish invasion in the 16th century. In this period, the Mayans were already in crisis, probably because of the constant wars, combined with a serious problem in agricultural production, causing the Mayan population to perish.
However, there are approximately 4 million descendants of the Mayan people today, who inhabit villages and regions in Central America.
Mayan Prophecies
One of the most famous Mayan prophecies was the supposed “end of the world”, scheduled for December 21, 2012, according to the contemporary interpretation made from the Mayan calendar. ancient Mayans
However, according to the experts and scholars of the Mayan culture, this civilization did not make prophecies or predictions for the future. They were limited to predicting the fate of a person or city from the analysis of the calendar, and based on their religious principles.
Mayan Calendar
The Mayans are known for their complex and precise calendar, which is actually a combination of several other different calendars.
The Mayan calendars were built in the form of pyramids, which also served as observatories for astronomical priests.
Religion
The Mayans were polytheistic, meaning they worshiped different types of gods. However, there were four main deities in the Mayan religion, known as bacabs , and they represented different aspects of nature.
Human sacrifices were common in rituals dedicated to their gods. Typically, people sacrificed were prisoners of war captured from other tribes, for example. Because they were considered “pure beings”, many children were also offered in Mayan sacrifices. ancient Mayans
Another particularity of the Mayan religion is the absence of the dualistic concept of “good” and “evil”.
Culture
Artistically, the Mayans produced ceramics and dyed fabrics, as well as enormous architectural constructions, such as temples and pyramids that they used as astronomical observatories or for rituals to the gods.
The Mayans also excelled in the field of astronomical and mathematical studies. They are known for having created the decimal places and the concept of the value of zero, for example.
The official language that was spoken by the Mayans was Yucatan, however they also spoke different types of dialects, formed from influences absorbed from other smaller cultural groups.
The Mayans developed a writing system that, like the Egyptians, was based on the use of hieroglyphics. The interior of temples and pyramids served as spaces for important events to be recorded by Mayan priests.
Mayans, Aztecs and Incas
They are important pre-Columbian civilizations that occupied different regions of the American continent during different periods of time. ancient Mayans
Each culture is known for its particularities and notable advances in various areas of human knowledge, such as mathematics, astronomy, agriculture, architecture, the arts, etc.
