The Mayan People - 2269 Words

The Maya refers to a group of ancient Mesoamerican people famous for the development of the Western Hemisphere’s sophisticated culture prior to the Spanish arrival (Cook Offit 32). One of the primary factors of their culture was their religion which was characteristic of nature gods’ worship, a priestly class, astrology’s and astronomy’s importance, human sacrifice rituals, and pyramidical temples’ construction (Cook Offit 32). In addition to the religion, the Maya people are also special because of elaborate systems of art, architecture, mathematics, and astronomy. The Maya’s written language, available in the form of several codices and inscriptions, reveals principal aspects of rainforest civilization and mysteries. Just like several modern Mesoamerican religions, the Maya religion is a consequence of hundreds of years’ symbiosis with Roman Catholicism (Cook Offit 32). Considering the pre-Spanish antecedents of the Maya religion, it emerges that the traditional religion was already there for over 2000 years in the form of a distinct phenomenon. Currently, the religion exhibits interaction and coexistence with syncretism of pan-Maya which is a tradition’s re-invention by Christianity and the movement of Pan-Maya (Cook Offit 32). Indeed, several Mayan religion’s aspects survive among the current Mexican Mayan Indians alongside Central American Mayan Indians, with their practices being an integration of Roman Catholicism and the old religion. This has the implicationShow MoreRelatedAncient Civilization And The Mayan People917 Words   |  4 PagesEvery ancient civilization had a set of beliefs and the Mayan people were no different. The Mayan people believed in two worlds, the â€Å"everyday world and the underworld, or the Place of Awe,† (2012). The Mayans believed in many gods, human sacrifice and the burial process for the poor and the kings were very different. The Mayans became around 250 AD and the Olmec’s influenced their religious culture. It was not until 900 AD that the Mayans began to flourish in cities across modern day Mexico, GuatemalaRead MoreThe first thing I think of or most people think of when they hear the word Mayans, is how they1600 Words   |  7 Pagesor most people think of when they hear the word Mayans, is how they think the Mayans believed the world was ending December 21, 2012. From research though, you find out that this not the case at all. And the Mayans didn’t believe that at all it is just a new age theory. The Mayans are such a rich culture and have so much history behind them. The ethnic Mayans are one of the earliest developed civilizations. They are a native Mesoamerican people that were founded back in 250 A.D. The Mayans flourishedRead MoreThe Silent Holocaust : The Silent Holocaust1099 Words   |  5 Pagesdevastating events that people often think of as vastly different. Where war usual ly reveals political difference, genocide demonstrates the idea of a certain party that desires to use mass destruction on another group. However, war and genocide have similarities which create uncertainty on how to define the event. â€Å"The Silent Holocaust†, more specifically known as the Guatemalan genocide of the Mayans, is a model example of confusion between war and genocide; many Mayans were killed, but the governmentRead MoreMayan Civilization : Ancient Civilizations1314 Words   |  6 PagesMayan Civilization The mayan civilization was one of the earliest civilizations that occupied areas that are today known as Guatemala, Northern Belize, and Mexico. The mayan civilization lived through what is known as the Classic Period. Their culture began about 250 C.E. and ended near 900 C.E. While most of the population lived in what is present day Guatemala the population of the mayans rose from 5,000 to almost two million people near the end of the Classic Period. Although the mayans are knownRead MoreCharacteristics Of The Mayan Civilization814 Words   |  4 PagesMayan Civilization There were many incredible civilizations in mesoamerica including the Incas, Aztecs, and the Mayas. They all had many strengths and weaknesses but the strongest among them were the Mayans. The Mayans were a very advanced civilization who survived for many, many years. The Mayans were very advanced in astronomy. They could map out the stars, the planets, the sun, and the moon. They knew so much about astronomy that they built all of their buildings in perfect alignment with compassRead MoreHistory of Mayan Culture1499 Words   |  6 PagesHistory of Mayan Culture The mysterious culture of ancient Maya once covered a vast geographic area in Central and South America. Their civilization extended to parts of what are now Mexico, Honduras, and El Salvador, and most of Guatemala and Belize. The Mayans first settled in 1500BC. The Mayans environment consisted of tropical rainforests, which was also one of their main sources of resources, they turned the jungles into great cities. The rainforest would provide them with food, clothing,Read MoreThe Maya And The Mayan Civilization1439 Words   |  6 Pageswere a people from Middle America, which includes modern Guatemala, Southern Mexico, and Northern Belize (Editors). The Maya civilization was considered to be â€Å"one of the most dominant indigenous societies of Mesoamerica,† (Maya). â€Å"The Maya excelled at agriculture, pottery, hieroglyph writing, calendar-making, and mathematics, and left behind an astonishing amount of impressive architecture and symbolic artwork,† (Maya). They also gave mankind the modern calendar (Jarus, Maya). The Mayans were aRead MoreThe Mayan Civilization : Ancient Civilization1425 Words   |  6 PagesThe Mayan Civilization: For many centuries the Mayan was of life was a mystery to archaeologists. Their geography, social structure, government, economy/trade, technology, writing, and arts were all thought to be forever lost. Now, as archaeologists are still uncovering more information, what was once referred to as â€Å"The Lost Civilization of Maya†, has been awakened from the grave of unknown. Geography: The ancient Mayan Civilization surrounded by the Gulf of Mexico and the Pacific Ocean stretchedRead MoreThe Survival Of The Yucatec Maya Culture1490 Words   |  6 Pagesconquistadors had on the indigenous Mayans, with their respective focuses standing in diametric opposition to one another. In â€Å"The Survival of the Yucatec Maya Culture,† Clendinnen stresses the importance of how Mayan tradition persisted through the traumas of conquest and the ruthless conversion campaign imposed by colonial leaders. Furthermore, she argues that despite the slaughters and disease that traditionally define the native experience of the conquest, that the Mayan were able to rationalize andRead MoreThe Cultural Similarities Differences Between the Inca and Mayan Empires619 Words   |  3 PagesThough the Inca and Mayan empires existed at different times in history, they have a few things in common. Like other societies throughout history though, they have many things that set them apart fr om each other. The biggest similarity they share is that they both had control of massive empires that eventually ceased to exist. To start off with, the Mayans existed earlier in history than the Incas. The Mayans existed from 1000 BC to AD 1697 and no one is quite certain what wiped out their ancient