The ancient Maya had a sophisticated and sustainable society. This civilization is considered to be one of the most fascinating and enduring civilizations in human history. The Maya civilization is a treasure trove of knowledge, lessons, and inspiration. They were a diverse group of people who were experts in mathematics, astronomy, science, art, and architecture.
A Brief History
This civilization had existed in the Mesoamerican region for over 5,000 years. The civilization was centered in the territory of what is now central and southern Mexico, Guatemala, Belize, and northern El Salvador.
They were some of the most advanced people in the region when they lived. Their civilization may have collapsed during the 900s A.D.
It is likely that their powerful rivals, the Aztecs and Zapotecs, may have taken control of their society for some time. The Maya people call themselves Tzotzil, Xinca, or K'iche.
The word Maya is a Spanish term for a larger group of indigenous people who inhabit the Yucatán Peninsula of Mexico and neighboring Central America.
The Maya are considered by many anthropologists to be among the most advanced pre-Columbian cultures on earth.
Their complex culture is considered by most scholars to be one of the most significant advanced cultures in pre-Columbian history. The Maya civilization flourished for over 5,000 years, but most of their discoveries are relatively recent. These Mayan artifacts date back to as far as 3500 B.C.
This is a very interesting feature of the Maya society and one which can be considered as an example for modern civilization to follow. The Ancient Maya culture and history is one of the richest in the world.
What The Maya Civilization Can Teach Us
The Maya Culture
The Maya civilization is famous for their artworks, carvings, and other artifacts and cultural heritage. The civilizations history is full of love, loyalty, forgiveness, poetry, music, dance, and so much more.
The Maya civilization had a highly developed economic system, organized along hierarchies. This is a fundamental organizational characteristic of many ancient civilizations.
The economic system was basically based on agriculture and tribute. They used their abilities as cultural experts to design and build with ceramics and stone. They made some of the most impressive works of art. The famous Maya architecture is such as the Great Pyramid of Chichen Itza.
Maya Calendar & Writing system
The Maya Calendar
The Maya calendar is the most studied calendar in the history of ancient civilization. It has been known to Westerners and most ancient civilizations and has even been applied by modern researchers.
The Maya calendar is not based on a daily rotation of the earth, but on a cycle of the moon. They believed the moon ruled over mankind. The calendar is made of 365 days divided into 12 months.
The first month is known as the Ox Elohim and it is dedicated to Lord Belen, the creation of the universe, the balance of good and evil, and fertility. The ancient calendar began in the year 4,220, meaning that they divided the year into 360 days and 30 weeks.
The ancient Maya calendar is called the Quetzalcoatl cycle because it represents the constellation of the quetzal bird. Their calendar was an advanced and precise astronomical and calendrical system.
The Maya Writing System
According to researcher, Jeff Meldrum, the Maya writing system was very advanced. The Maya had an exquisite and well-documented Maya writing system. It has not been fully deciphered because scholars have had to identify the different types of hieroglyphs and this has taken a long time and many steps.
According to Meldrum, Maya script is unlike any other ancient writing system ever discovered. Meldrum said that the Maya script was not a result of modern technology.
He added that he had personally done experiments on a computer in order to decode it. The ancient Mayans were a very literate group of people. They had several calendars, religions, myths, and astrology. Their art and architecture were extremely detailed and intricately put together. Even their mathematics was advanced for their time.
The Maya people were highly skilled at calculating, predicting the future, and with their buildings and calendars, they were able to grow their society. The main source of their wealth was in the country of El Mirador, located in Southern Mexico.
The settlement flourished from 300 B.C to 800 A.D. They grew large quantities of maize. They grew bananas, beans, potatoes, and a variety of spices. Much of their society was arranged according to their calendar, where the birthdays of the nobles determined who would rule the Maya over the next year.
My Verdict
The Mayan civilization is one of the most fascinating civilizations in the world. What the Maya could teach us is not limited to their mathematics and architecture but also their perspective on society and their culture.
The Maya civilization possessed many characteristics that are not present in modern society. They had a culture that was fully humanistic and focused on values such as love, family, togetherness, and culture.
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I like learning about ancient civilizations. Thanks for this one focused on the Maya.