Mayan CivilizationRosney HerreraHistory 101-005Essex County CollegeProfessor CacaceDecember 1, 2017Introduction”One of the Advanced Civilization Ever Recorder.” The Mayans were considered one of the best civilizations in Centro America, they built many pyramids and temples to honor their gods and keep the religion alive. Their lives revolved around their king and sacrifice of his blood.
The cultural achievements of the Maya come along with educational achievements came centauries before other cultures. These achievements still exist today along with the Mayan culture, some people of Centro America still holding some traditions and want to preserve them alive. Mayans were good at mathematics, astronomy and technology. The Mayan civilization were there for many years of existence and was the highest of any civilization ever existed.The Mayan civilization had a very rich and interesting history. The history of the Mayans can be classified into five historical periods. The first was developed of the early people, this period lasted from about 1500 BC to150 AD, a fast development of its early people and the first temples.
Another important period was the classic period, which lasted from about 250 to 900 A.D. and included the rise of the royal rule.
Another one is the postclassical period occurred from 900to 1500 AD and later the fall of the Mayan Civilization.The Mayan writing System stands one of the most advances of the civilization in the history to designs and usage. They spanned the countries of modern day Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras and Mexico.
Start of the Mayan CivilizationThe Maya are an indigenous people from Mexico and Central America, The Maya people refer to themselves by ethnicity and language bonds such as Quiche. The Mayan civilization began 1800 BC or called the beginning of the formative Period. The earliest Maya were agricultural, growing corns, beans, manioc. Mayans farmers began to expand in highland and low land of the regions. In addition to agriculture, The Preclassic Maya also had more advanced cultural traits like pyramid building, city construction and the monuments.
Mayan ReligionMost of the gods and goddesses take a form that combines animal and human features. For example, rain and earth deities often have characteristic derived from crocodiles and snakes. The traditional Mayan religion representing belief system, ritual practices. The Mayan landscape is a ritual topography with landmarks such as mountains, wells and caves being assigned to specific ancestors.
Offering sacrifices to contracts, pacts, with the other world and offering items such as maize, cacao, drinks, honey liquor, flowers, and cigars. The traditional Maya have their own religious, often organized, duties of praying and sacrificing with local groups or the entire community. For example. The indigenous priest that cure Mayan Society / PoliticalA lost civilization, The Mayan political structures was based on the establishments of many different political centers in city states. These cities represented the Mayan society, but each spoke their own peculiar Mayan dialect.
The city had numerous citizens, but these citizens were not all equal. This means that many different levels in the society, people would be treated according to their status. The difference in social treatment atomically meant that some citizens enjoyed a better standard of living with more of the amenities of life than other citizens.
The bottom of the social pyramid were agricultural farmers and foot soldiers. Above the pyramid system were the artesian, and the top were the priests, kings, etc. The Mayan economy depend ended trading and the markets. They used canoes to transport across the rivers and lakes.
Cacaos beans were used as currency, or traders to exchange goods. They trade food with cities close to them and develop wonderful cities with larger community centers. These centers are temples, pyramids, and palaces. These were good strategic central location which would increase the economy. The Mayan economies wonderful trade and agricultural products all helped from a great base for the Mayan economy.The end of the Mayan CivilizationThe end of the classic Maya Period,they abandoned The Maya Cities BibliographyBooksGendrop, Paul. Rio Bec, Chenes, and Puuc Styles in Maya Architecture. Lancaster, California 1998.
Proskouriakoff, Tatiana. An album of Maya Architecture, University of Oklahoma Press. Norman and London 1963.Spiden, Herbert J. A study of Mayans Art: Its Subject Matter and Historical Development.
New York, Dover Publications, Inc. 1975.
