Essay on Maya - 2969 Words

Maya The ancient Maya were a group of American Indian peoples who lived in southern Mexico, particularly the present-day states of Chiapas, Tabasco, Campeche, Yucatan, and Quintana Roo, and in Belize, Guatemala, and adjacent Honduras. Their descendants, the modern Maya, live in the same regions today, in both highlands and lowlands, from cool highland plains ringed by volcanos to deep tropical rain forests. Through the region runs a single major river system, the Apasion-Usumacinta and its many tributaries, and only a handful of lesser rivers, the Motagua, Hondo, and Belize among them. The ancestors of the Maya, like those of other New World peoples, crossed the BERING LAND BRIDGE from Asia more than 20,000 years ago, during the†¦show more content†¦In 1960, Tatiana Proskouriakoff showed that the patterns of dates were markers of the important events in rulers lives. The chronological record turned out to serve history and the perpetuation of the memory of great nobles. Subsequently, major archaeological discoveries, particularly at PALENQUE and TIKAL, confirmed much of what the writings said, and examination of Maya art has revealed not only historical portraiture but also a pantheon of gods, goddesses, and heroes--in other words, Maya religion and mythic history. HISTORY OF THE ANCIENT MAYA By 5000 BC, the Maya had settled along Caribbean and Pacific coasts, forming egalitarian fishing communities. Certainly by 2000 BC the Maya had also moved inland and adopted agriculture for their subsistence. Maize and beans formed the Maya diet then as today, although many other foodstuffs--squash, tomatoes, peppers, fruits, and game--were supplements. The word for maize--wa--is synonymous with food itself, and the maize god was honored from early times. Preclassic Period During the Early Preclassic (2000-900 BC), civilization began to take shape in parts of MESOAMERICA. By 1200 BC, the OLMEC of the Gulf Coast had risen to preeminence, dominating trade routes that extended from the modern Mexican state of Guerrero to Costa Rica, passing through Maya regions. At COPAN, Honduras, and Cuello, Belize, around 1000 BC, local Maya leaders began to imitate Olmec styles of pottery and jades andShow MoreRelatedAnalysis Of Maya s The Maya 942 Words   |  4 PagesMaya Secrets Locked in Stone Maya scholars debated for decades over the fate of the Maya. Recent evidence from an unlikely source, points a sustained drought in the 9th and 10th Centuries. Stalagmites and Stone Carvings Offer Clues on the Collapse of the Maya Civilization Circa 900 A.D., the Maya world fell apart. How could an ancient Meso American civilization flourish for hundreds of years only to fade into the forest? That riddle has perplexed scholars ever since 19th century explorersRead MoreThe Aztec And Maya930 Words   |  4 Pagesshaped state authority and control. Mesoamerica is a culture and region in Mexico/northern South America, that existed from 3500 BCE to 1697 AD. Two important cultures within mesoamerica are the Aztec and Maya. More specifically, three examples of these important artifacts are the Templo Mayor, the Maya stelae and the ritual of bloodletting. These are great examples because each presents a different type of artifact and contributes to different aspects of state authority. The Templo Mayor (Spanish forRead More The Maya Essay1356 Words   |  6 Pages The Maya were a dominating society of Mesoamerica, rich in culture, community, and art. While life may not be completely interpretable yet, much in known about how these societies were constructed, and how their religion dominated their lives. 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The Maya were successful in farming, hieroglyph writing, pottery, mathematics, and architecture. They left behind impressive architecture and inscriptions that are a record of their symbolic artwork. Researchers have established that the Maya cities were completely abandonedRead MoreSecrets And The Collapse Of The Maya Essay926 Words   |  4 PagesSecrets Locked in Stone Maya scholars debated for decades over the fate of the Maya. Recent evidence from an unlikely source, points a sustained drought in the 9th and 10th Centuries. Stalagmites and Stone Carvings Offer Clues on the Collapse of the Maya Civilization Circa 900 A.D., the Maya world fell apart. How could an ancient Meso American civilization flourish for hundreds of years only to fade into the forest? That riddle has perplexed scholars ever since 19th century explorers John