History of the Maya Indians. Decline of the Maya civilization

In the lowland zone) and Quiche (mainly in Guatemala, in the mountain zone). According to another classification, 4 branches are distinguished: 1) the Huastec language; 2) the Yucatan branch (the language of the Yucatecs, or the Maya proper, Lacandons, Mopan); 3) the western branch - the Chol groups (the language of Chol, Chorti, Chontal, Tzeltal, Tsotsil) and Kankhobal (the language of Canhobal, Hakaltek, Mocho, Chukhov, Tojolabal); 4) the eastern branch - the groups of Mame (the language of Mame, Ishiles, Aguacateks) and Quiche (the language of Quiche, Kaqchikels, Tsutukhils, Uspanteks, Kekchi, Pokoman, Pokomchi).

According to ethnogenetic legends, the Maya believed that their ancestors sailed in boats from the north. This is confirmed by linguistic data, according to which the ancestors of the Maya migrated from the north along the coast Gulf of Mexico to the mountains of Chiapas and Guatemala, probably in the 4th-3rd millennium BC. As you move south, a number of tribes settled in the states of Tamaulipas, Veracruz and Tabasco; among them are the ancestors of the Huastecs, living far north of the main Mayan territory. According to another point of view, the Maya began to settle from the mountainous ancestral home in northwestern Guatemala at the end of the 3rd millennium BC. At the end of the 2nd millennium BC in Veracruz and Tabasco (the mythical country of Tamoanchan), the Maya-speaking Olmecs created the first urban civilization of Mesoamerica, which fell into decay in the middle of the 1st millennium BC due to the invasion of barbarian tribes - the ancestors of the Totonacs, the Mishe- soke (see Mikhe, Soke) and Nahua (see Aztecs), which separated the Huastecs from the rest of the Maya. In the middle of the 1st millennium BC, the Maya of mountainous Guatemala created the Kaminalhuyu civilization. At the turn of our era, on the basis of slash-and-burn and irrigation agriculture (the main crop is corn) and the traditions of the Olmecs and Kaminalhuyu, the classical Maya civilization developed (its area basically coincides with the territory of the settlement of the Mayan peoples). Several dozen city-states are known (El Mirador, Palenque, Tonina, Piedras Negras, Iashchilan, Dos Pilas, Seibal, Tikal, Vashaktun, Yaashkha, Copan, Quirigua, Lubaantun, Tsibilchaltun, Uxmal, Labna, Etzna, Kabah, etc.) with architectural monuments (temples and palaces on stepped pyramids and platforms, ball courts, steam baths, observatories, platforms for rituals and dramatic performances, arches, aqueducts, paved roads, fortifications), monumental painting and sculpture, developed fine plastic arts, ceramics (polychrome and carved vessels with historical and mythological scenes), jewelry art, solar calendar, hieroglyphic writing.

The Maya tribes are characterized by division into dual halves and 4 phratries, which is reflected in the structure of power, settlements, cult, and ritual.

At the end of the VIII-IX centuries. the Maya states are dying from the invasions of the western tribes and internal crises. The cities of Chiapas, Peten, South Yucatan and Belize are abandoned forever. In the 10th century, the Yucatan was conquered by the Toltecs who came from Tabasco and South Campeche and the Mayan-speaking tribes of Itza and Tutul Shiv allied to them, mountainous Guatemala by the tribes of the Quiche branch. The ancient Maya culture continues to develop in the states of Yucatan and mountainous Guatemala, being strongly influenced by the Central Mexican culture, which was carried by the Toltecs. At the end of the 14th century, large states of the Kiche (capital in Kumarkaakh) and Chontal (capitals Potonchan and Itsamkanak) were formed. In the early to mid-16th century, the Mayan state was conquered by the Spaniards. The last independent Itza state (on Lake Peten Itza in Northern Guatemala) was conquered in 1697.

Modern Maya in the countryside preserve traditional culture, typical of the Indians of Mesoamerica (see Indians). Main traditional occupation- manual slash-and-burn agriculture. Primitive agricultural tools are preserved (a pointed stick used to make holes for seeds, an ax-machete for cutting trees). In irrigated fields near cities, the plow is spreading. Traditional beekeeping is developed (especially in the Yucatan), poultry breeding (turkeys, after the Spanish conquest - chickens), hunting (in remote villages hunting for birds and monkeys with a wind pipe, collective driven hunting for deer and peccaries is preserved), gathering (wild honey , nuts, fruits, shellfish), fishing. Cows, pigs, horses, goats, mules, donkeys are also bred, and sheep in the mountains. Traditional crafts: pottery, embroidery, weaving, carpentry, wood carving, in the mountains - patterned weaving on vertical hand looms, jewelry production, musical instruments, boats, tiles, adobes. They work for hire on coffee plantations, are employed in salt mining, limestone mining and burning, fishing and forestry (collecting chicle resin, harvesting valuable wood), in the service sector and in industry. Women are employed as servants in the cities.

The settlements are typical of the Indians of Mesoamerica, some retain ancient division into 4 autonomous, sometimes endogamous or exogamous quarters (a relic of the phraterial division). Rectangular dwellings made of poles, reeds, straw with a high two- or four-pitched thatched or palm-leaf roof, often whitewashed inside and out, in the mountains often on a stone plinth prevail; in the villages, houses are built mainly of adobe, the roof is tiled. The floor is earthen, covered with mats. There is an archaic oval dwelling in plan. In the house there is a large clay vessel for water, a stone grain grater, low stools, a home altar, in the corner there is a hearth of three stones with a clay tripod frying pan, in the yard there is a barn, a kitchen. Steam baths are found in mountainous areas.

Traditional clothing is worn on holidays: men's and women's patterned belts, serape cloaks, uipili, women's wrap-around skirts. In Yucatan and Chiapas, clothes are light with red embroidery, in mountainous Guatemala - with a solid woven color ornament.

The main food is from maize with vegetables, pepper, cocoa, honey. Meat is mainly festive and ritual food (they ate the meat of domestic dogs). Milk is not consumed.

For social organization the religious-civil hierarchy, the system of ritual brotherhoods (kofradiy), compadrasgo are characteristic. In isolated areas, large and extended patrilineal families, patrilineages, communal endogamy persist, polygyny, temporary matrilocality of the marriage settlement, cross-cousin marriages, and work for the bride. The community consists of the population of villages and farms adjacent to the administrative, religious and shopping center- pueblo village.

Pre-Christian cults and beliefs were closely intertwined with Catholicism: cults of mountains, caves, wells, a cross and sacred trees in the center of settlements (in the lowlands - ceiba, in the mountains - cedar), associated with the cult of ancestors and gods of rain, agrarian and memorial rites (sacrifices and prayers in the fields, in caves and at wells, rain-making rites), nagualism, shamanism, witchcraft, quackery. In remote areas, burials under the floor of dwellings, burials of children and elders in caves are preserved. In rituals, the ancient Mayan calendar is used. On Catholic holidays - theatrical performances, masked dances on the subjects of traditional and old Spanish folklore. They preserve mythology, songs, legends, fairy tales, dances.

The modern Maya, especially in the cities, are being assimilated by the Ladins and Creoles.

2. Actually Maya, Maya of Yucatan, Yucatecs, the most ancient self-name - ah-keh (“deer hunters”), maseualob (from maseualli in the Nahua language), Indian people, one of the Mayan peoples, the indigenous population of the Yucatan Peninsula (in the states of Campeche, Yucatán, Quintana Roo in Mexico, in Belize and in the Petén department in Guatemala). The number in Mexico is 670 thousand people, Guatemala - 5 thousand people, Belize, together with mopan - 25 thousand people. They speak the Mayan language. There are dialect groups of Santa Cruz and Ikomche in Quintana Roo, and Itza in Guatemala (descendants of 12th-century settlers from Chichen Itza). Close to the Maya in the Mopan language in the south of Belize and the Lacandons. More than 60% also speak Spanish. Formally Catholic, traditional beliefs are preserved.

Mayan agricultural tribes came to the Yucatan at the beginning - the middle of the 1st millennium BC, where, apparently, they mixed with local tribes of hunters and gatherers. The heyday of the city-states in the Yucatan (Uxmal, Sayil, Labna, Kabakh, Etsna, Oshkintok, Tsibilchaltun, Chichen Itza, Koba, Tulum, etc.) began in the 6th-7th centuries. In the X century, Yucatan was conquered by the Mayan-speaking tribes of Itza and Tutul Shiv, who came from the west, led by the Toltecs. They founded a state with a capital in Chichen Itza, which fell as a result of a civil war at the end of the 12th century. In the XIII-XV centuries. Mayapan dominated the Yucatan, after the fall of which in 1441 the Yucatan disintegrated into a number of independent warring states. In the cities, sciences and arts developed, there were libraries of hieroglyphic books. In 1541-46, after fierce resistance, the Maya were conquered by the Spaniards (the capital of the Itza on Lake Peten Itza fell only in 1697). The statehood and culture of the Maya was destroyed, the Mayans were forcibly Christianized. Subsequently, they repeatedly rebelled. From 1847 to 1915 they participated in the "war of races" against the Mexican government. Captive Maya were sent to the sugar plantations of Cuba. After the defeat, part of the Maya went to the forests of Quintana Roo (where the Santa Cruz group maintained independence until the 1930s) and Belize. The Maya are now in the majority rural population Yucatan. Most assimilated in the north of the peninsula.

The main occupation is slash-and-burn manual farming (maize, beans, pumpkins, yams, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, chile peppers, melons, etc., in gardens near houses - fruits, vegetables, tobacco). The milpas (cornfields) are mostly worked by men, and the gardens by women. Breed chickens, turkeys, goats, donkeys, cows. There is sea and river fishing and gathering, in the interior regions hunting is preserved, including with a blowpipe, sometimes collective hunting. Beekeeping is developed, in the rainy season - the extraction of chicle resin. Weaving, leather processing, making jewelry and combs from shells and tortoise shells are developed. material culture typical of the Mayan peoples.

Villages number 15-30, in Quintana Roo 4-30 huts. The dwelling is one- and two-chamber, often on a low platform, rectangular, sometimes with rounded ends, with two entrances on the long sides, gable thatched roof turning into a canopy.

Women wear a long white peaked skirt and a white long ouipil, on holidays - with floral ornaments, silk. In the hinterland of Quintana Roo, wrap-around skirts are worn. Shawls, shawls, earrings, rings, beads are common.

The family is small bilateral, less often large (extended) patrilineal, there is polygyny and the custom of working off for the bride, patrilineages.

Maya religion - intertwining ancient and Christian ideas and rites. Rain gods (chaaks), patrons of fields and villages (balams), forests and game (kashi) are revered along with Christian saints - patrons of villages and lineages. Nagualism, ancient cosmogonic ideas, mythology, cults of cenotes (natural wells), caves, crosses (the Talking Cross in the village of Santo Cah is an oracle and the main shrine of Santa Cruz), the sacred ceiba tree in the center of the villages are preserved. Annual pilgrimages are made to the tops of the ancient pyramids (in Itzmal, Tulum, etc.). Agrarian rites (including rain calling ceremonies) are led by shaman-priests sh-men (“those who know”), who also divinate, heal and fortune-tell using the seeds of a narcotic plant (acacia). Widely used in rituals alcoholic drink from the bark of the balche tree. Often a cult pagan gods sent by men, Catholic saints by women. The cult of the cross and the patron saints of the lineages takes place at home altars and small chapels. The main holidays of the year are the day of the local patron, New Year(in January or March), when feasts, dance processions, masked pantomimes and theatrical performances are held on mythological and historical plots(dances of the Deer, Jaguar, Moors, Cortes, etc.). On New Year's Eve, in the dance of the Ox, or Pig, the ceremony of transferring power to the new ritual-civil leaders of the community takes place.

One of the most mysterious civilizations that existed on the planet is the Mayan civilization. The high level of development of medicine, science, architecture strikes the minds of our contemporaries. One and a half thousand years before the discovery of the American continent by Columbus, the Mayan people already used their hieroglyphic writing, invented the calendar system, were the first to use the concept of zero in mathematics, and the counting system in many respects surpassed that used by their contemporaries in Ancient Rome and Ancient Greece.

Secrets of the Mayan Civilization

The ancient Indians possessed amazing information about space for that era. Scientists still cannot understand how the Mayan tribes received such accurate knowledge in astronomy long before the invention of the telescope. The artifacts discovered by scientists raise new questions, the answers to which have not yet been found. Consider the most amazing of the finds related to this great civilization:

The most amazing feature of this architectural monument is the visual effect that is created 2 times a year, exactly on the days of the autumn and spring equinoxes. As a result of the play of sunlight and shadow, an image of a huge snake appears, the body of which ends with a stone sculpture of a snake's head at the base of a 25-meter pyramid. Such visual effect could only be achieved by carefully calculating the location of the building and having accurate knowledge in the field of astronomy and topography.

Another interesting and mysterious feature of the pyramids is that they are a huge sound resonator. Such effects are known as: the sounds of the steps of people going to the top are heard at the base of the pyramid, like the sounds of rain; people who are at a distance of 150 meters from each other at different sites can clearly hear each other, while not hearing the sounds made next to them. To create such an acoustic effect, the ancient architects had to make the most accurate calculations of the thickness of the walls.

Mayan culture

Unfortunately, one can learn about the culture, history, religion of the Indian tribes only from the surviving architectural and cultural material assets. Due to the barbaric attitude of the Spanish conquerors, who destroyed most of cultural heritage ancient Indians, there are very few sources left for descendants to gain knowledge about the origin, development and reasons for the decline of this majestic civilization!

Possessing developed writing, during their heyday, the Maya left great amount information about yourself. However, most historical heritage was destroyed by the Spanish priests who planted the Christian religion among the Indians of Central America during its colonization.

Only inscriptions on stone slabs have survived. But the key to deciphering the writing remained unsolved. Only a third of the signs are accessible to the understanding of modern scientists.

• Architecture: Maya erected stone cities, striking in their majesty. Temples and palaces were built in the center of cities. The pyramids are amazing. Without metal tools, the ancient Indians somehow amazingly created pyramids that were not inferior in their majesty to the famous Egyptian ones. The pyramids had to be built every 52 years. This is due to religious canons. A distinctive feature of these pyramids is that around the existing one, the construction of a new one began.
• Art: on the walls of stone structures, traces of painting and stone sculptures predominantly of a religious nature.
• Life: the ancient Indians were engaged in gathering, hunting, farming, growing beans, maize, cocoa, cotton. The irrigation system was widely used. Some tribes mined salt, then exchanging it for other goods, which served as the development of trade, which was of the nature natural exchange. Stretchers or boats were used to move goods, cargo, and to move along rivers.
• Religion: Maya were pagans. The priests had knowledge in the field of mathematics and astronomy, predicting lunar and solar eclipses. Religious rites contained rituals of suicide.
• The science: The Indians had developed writing, had knowledge in the field of mathematics and, as noted above, had amazing knowledge in the field of astronomy.

Why did the Maya disappear?

The beginning of the Maya civilization dates back to the second millennium BC. The heyday of culture occurred at the end of the first millennium - 200-900 years. BC. Major Achievements can be called:

• Fully designed calendar that accurately reflects the changing seasons;
• Hieroglyphic writing, which scientists have not yet fully deciphered;
• The use of the concept of zero in mathematics, which was absent in other advanced civilizations of the ancient world;
• Use of the number system;
• Discoveries in the field of astronomy and mathematics - Mayan scientists were hundreds of years ahead of their contemporaries. Their discoveries surpassed all the achievements of the Europeans who lived in those days.

The civilization of the New World reached its peak without such important technical achievements as the invention of the potter's wheel, the wheel, the smelting of iron and steel, the use of domestic animals in agriculture and other achievements that gave impetus to the development of other peoples.

After the 10th century, the Maya civilization fades away.

The reason for the decline of one of the greatest nations modern scientists still cannot name antiquity.

Exists several versions of the reasons for the disappearance of a great civilization. Consider the most likely of them:

The nationality was a group of disparate city-states, often at war with each other. The reason for the enmity was the gradual depletion of the soil and the decline Agriculture. The rulers, in order to maintain power, pursued a policy of capture and destruction. The surviving images of the end of the eighth century tell us that the number internecine wars increased. In most cities, an economic crisis developed. The scale of the ruin was so great that it led to the decline and further disappearance of the greatest civilization.

Where did the Mayan peoples live?

Maya inhabited most of the territory Central America, modern Mexico. The vast territory occupied by the tribes was distinguished by an abundance of flora and fauna, a variety of natural zones - mountains and rivers, deserts and coastal zones. This was of no small importance in the development of this civilization. The Maya lived in city-states such as Tikal, Kamaknul, Uxmal, and others. The population of each of these cities was more than 20,000 people. Merging into one administrative entity did not occur. Having common culture, a similar system of management, customs, these mini-states formed a civilization.

Modern Maya - who are they and where do they live?

Modern Maya - Indian tribes inhabiting the territory of South America. Their number is over three million. Modern descendants have the same distinctive anthropological features, as their distant ancestors: short stature, low wide skull.

Until now, the tribes live apart, only partially accepting the achievements of modern civilization.

The ancient Mayan people were far ahead of their contemporaries in the development of science and culture.

They had excellent knowledge in astronomy - they had an idea about the movement pattern of the sun, moon and other planets and stars. Written language and exact sciences were very developed. Unlike their distant ancestors, modern Indians do not have any achievements in the development of the culture of their people.

Video about the Mayan civilization

In that documentary will be told about mysterious peoples Maya, what mysteries they left behind, which of their prophecies came true, from what they died:

Maya lived in one of the most comfortable corners of our planet. They did not need warm clothes, they were content with thick and long strips of fabric, with which they wrapped their bodies in a special manner. They ate mainly corn and what was mined in the jungle, cocoa, fruits, and game. They did not keep domestic animals either for transportation or for food. The wheel was not used. According to modern concepts, it was the most primitive of the civilizations of the Stone Age, they were far from Greece and Rome. However, the fact remains that archaeologists have confirmed that during the period mentioned, this people managed to build several dozen amazing cities on a fairly large territory, far from each other. The basis of these cities is usually a complex of pyramids and powerful stone buildings, completely covered with strange mask-like icons and various dashes.

The highest of the Mayan pyramids are not lower than the Egyptian ones. For scientists, it still remains a mystery: how these structures were built!

And why were such cities of pre-Columbian civilization, perfect in beauty and sophistication, suddenly abandoned, as if on command, by their inhabitants at the turn of 830 AD?

At that very time, the center of civilization went out, the peasants who lived around these cities scattered into the jungle, and all the priestly traditions suddenly degenerated sharply. All subsequent bursts of civilization in this region were distinguished by sharp forms of power.

However, back to our topic. Those same Mayan, who left their cities, fifteen centuries before Columbus invented an accurate solar calendar and developed hieroglyphic writing, used the concept of zero in mathematics. The classical Maya confidently predicted solar and lunar eclipses and even predicted the Day of Judgment.

How did they do it

To answer this question, you and I will have to look beyond what is permitted by established prejudices and question the correctness of the official interpretation of some historical events.

Maya - Geniuses of the pre-Columbian era

During his fourth American voyage in 1502, Columbus landed on a small island off the coast of what is now the Republic of Honduras. Here Columbus met Indian merchants sailing on a large ship. He asked where they were from, and they, as Columbus recorded, answered: “From Mayan province". It is believed that the generally accepted name of the Maya civilization is formed from the name of this province, which, like the word "Indian", is, in essence, an invention of the great admiral.

The name of the main tribal territory of the Maya proper - the Yucatan Peninsula - is of a similar origin. For the first time anchoring off the coast of the peninsula, the conquistadors asked the local inhabitants what their land was called. The Indians answered all questions: "Siu tan", which meant "I do not understand you." Since then, the Spaniards began to call this large peninsula Siugan, and later Siutan turned into Yucatan. In addition to the Yucatan (during the conquest of the main territory of this people), the Maya lived in the mountainous region of the Central American Cordillera and in the tropical jungle of the so-called Metene, a lowland located in present-day Guatemala and Honduras. Maya culture probably originated in this area. Here, in the basin of the Usu-masinta river, the first Mayan pyramids were erected and the first magnificent cities of this civilization were built.

Mayan territory

By the beginning of the Spanish conquest in the 16th century Mayan culture occupied a wide and varied natural conditions territory that included the modern Mexican states of Tabasco, Chiapas, Campeche, Yucatan and Quintana Roo, as well as all of Guatemala, Belize (formerly British Honduras), the western regions of El Salvador and Honduras. or less than those mentioned above. At present, most scientists distinguish within this territory three large cultural and geographical regions, or zones: Northern, Central and Southern.

Maya civilization location map

The northern region includes the entire Yucatan Peninsula - a flat limestone plain with shrub vegetation, crossed in some places by chains of low rocky hills. The poor and thin soils of the peninsula, especially along the coast, are not very favorable for maize farming. In addition, there are no rivers, lakes and streams; the only source of water (except for rain) are natural karst wells - senates.

The central region occupies the territory of modern Guatemala (Peten department), the southern Mexican states of Tabasco, Chiapas (eastern) and Campeche, as well as Belize and a small area in the west of Honduras. This is a wet zone. rainforest, low rocky hills, limestone plains and extensive seasonal swamps. There are many large rivers and lakes here: rivers - Usumacinta, Grijalva, Belize, Chamelekon, etc., lakes - Isabel, Peten Itza, etc. The climate is warm, tropical, with an average annual temperature of 25 above zero Celsius. The year is divided into two seasons: dry (lasts from late January to late May) and the rainy season. In total, from 100 to 300 cm of precipitation falls here per year. Fertile soils, the lush splendor of the flora and fauna of the tropics greatly distinguish the Central Region from the Yucatan.

The central region of the Maya is central not only geographically. This is also the area where Mayan civilization reached the pinnacle of its development in the first millennium. Most of the largest urban centers were also located here at that time: Tikal, Palenque, Yaxchilan, Naranjo, Piedras Negras, Copan, Quiriguaidr.

TO Southern region include the mountainous regions and the Pacific coast of Guatemala, the Mexican state of Chiapas (its mountainous part), and certain regions of El Salvador. This territory is distinguished by an unusual diversity of ethnic composition, a variety of natural and climatic conditions and a significant cultural specifics, which noticeably distinguishes it from the background of other areas of the Maya.

These three regions differ not only geographically. They are different from each other and their historical destinies.

Although all of them were inhabited from very early times, there was certainly a kind of transfer of the "baton" of cultural leadership between them: the Southern (mountainous) region, apparently, gave a powerful impetus to the development of the classical Mayan culture in the Central region, and the last reflection of the great Mayan civilization is associated with the Northern region (Yucatan).

The history of the Mayan civilization remains shrouded in mystery. But science has managed to figure out that many of the secrets are nothing more than a myth. The representative of the international publishing house National Geographic Michael Shapiro destroyed the legends.

1 Mayan Civilization Suddenly Disappeared

Just as the fall of the Roman Empire did not mean the end of the existence of Roman citizens, so did the disappearance of the Mayan state, which reached its peak in the 9th century. BC, does not mean that the indigenous population disappeared without a trace.

Today, approximately 40% of the inhabitants of Guatemala, about 14 million people living in southern Mexico and the Yucatan Peninsula, are descendants of the Mayan peoples.

The Mayas have endured five centuries of Spanish occupation, while maintaining their cultural traditions, traditional agrarian lifestyle and the custom of celebrating festivals.

More than 20 provinces of Guatemala are inhabited by individual Mayan peoples. Each of them has its own culture, clothing and language. So for thousands of years the Maya have lived outside their empire.

2. Maya did not believe in the end of the world

In the films about the apocalypse, we are told that the mayas prophesied. This moment fell on the year 5000 according to the Mayan calendar. But this is not true.

Representatives ancient civilization celebrated the beginning of the next cycle, which will come in 5125, just as we celebrated the new millennium. Not a single record has been found that testifies to the end of time. In any case, they hoped that with the new era, humanity would enter an era of higher consciousness, the strengthening of peace and a deep understanding of other peoples inhabiting the earth.

3. The ancient Mayans came up with the concept of zero.

The Mayan calendar is based on the value of zero. However, the idea of ​​zero is probably not a secret of the Mayan civilization. It originated in . And only in the IV century. BC. this invention became associated with the Mayan peoples.

The zero in civilization's writing was represented by a shell-like symbol. The Mayan numerical system was based on 20 factors. Their numbers consisted of whole units: 1, 20, 400, etc. To write, for example, the number 403, they used the unit 400, plus zero units 20, and three units 1. This is how the concept of zero arose.

4 Mayan City Stayed Underground

Major landmarks built by the Mayan peoples, like Palenque in southern Mexico and in the north, have been found during archeological excavations. Others remain buried underground. Mounds have been found in Guatemala that may have hidden great temples.

The least visited attractions are in El Mirador and Auxactun, north of Tikal in the jungles of Guatemala. In Belize, there are open ruins of Altun Ha, 30 km from Belize City

In all these places you can see the pyramids.

5. The Mayans invented saunas

This is really the secret of the Mayan civilization, the existence of which is difficult to argue. The ancient Maya used a steam room in a stone sain known as "temazcal" in the Yucatan Peninsula. Mayan saunas, "sweathouse", still popular place recreation for tourists. They are offered to guests of hotels and resorts around the world.

The Mayan peoples built ancient cities from mud bricks. They were used for spiritual satisfaction and health. Steam was made by mixing water with fire. Sometimes leaves were added to the water. Sweat cleansed the skin and mind.

6 The Mayan Empire Was Destroyed By A Volcano

A number of volcanoes in Guatemala remain active. In the city of Antigua Guatemala, you can see the eruption of the Fuego volcano, throwing down columns of smoke and dropping fiery lava. Especially magnificent sight at night. Not far from Antigua, about 1.5 hours away, is the Razaua volcano, which has been erupting regularly for several years now.

In Antigua, there is a sale of one-day tours on foot walking a few meters from the lava.

7. The white-water rivers of the Maya were crossed by boats.

The secret of the Mayan civilization about the construction of reliable rafts has long been unraveled. Guatemala has created conditions for first-class boating in the Rio Cajabon. During the trip, you can get a lot of impressions and get to know the area where the ancient Mayans lived - the jungle on the banks of the river.

The Usumacinta River passes through the borders of Mexico and Guatemala. While walking along the river, the group stops to view the ruins of Piedras Negras.

8. Sports were popular in the Mayan civilization.

Ball courts have been found in cities. There were competitions among teams. The soccer ball was made from hard rubber. Some scientists believe that a human skull was placed inside the ball.

Cultural and entertainment events ended with human sacrifices. Probably, this fate awaited the losers. Tikal guides claim that the winner was sacrificed.

“It was considered an honor to die in Tikal,” local guides say.

9 Mayan Pyramids Are Built With Astronomical Events In Mind

It's no secret that the Mayans were experts in astronomy. Many buildings such as El Castillo(Temple of Kukulkan) and the pyramids at Chichen Itza reflect astronomical events.

This secret of the Mayan civilization connects the history of the people with the neighboring state - ancient Egypt. , a shadow resembling a snake passes along the northern face of Kukulkan. This phenomenon is caused by the passage of a ray of the sun through the nine terraces of the building.

The El Caracol Temple at Chichen Itza is known as an observatory associated with the orbit of Venus. The main staircase is directed towards the northern part of Venus, and the corners of the building correspond to the position of the sun on the day of the summer solstice at sunrise and the winter solstice at sunset.

10 Nobody Knows What Caused The Decline Of The Mayan Civilization

From the end of the 8th to the beginning of the 9th century. BC. Maya cities fell into disrepair. People died or went to other settlements. Culture, highly organized irrigation, agriculture, astronomy and building technology were forgotten. Why, no one knows the answer.

Scientists have put forward several hypotheses about the death of an ancient civilization:
Confrontation between the city-states of the Maya.
Overpopulation, which led to environmental degradation, soil depletion and climate change.
Strengthening the influence of the ruling class, the clergy and the ruling elite.

What actually caused the decline of an advanced civilization, archaeologists still find it difficult to say.

About 10,000 years ago, when the last ice age ended, people from the north moved to explore southern lands now known as Latin America. They settled in the territory that later formed the Mayan region, with mountains and valleys, dense forests and waterless plains. The Maya region includes modern Guatemala, Belize, southern Mexico, Honduras, El Salvador. Over the next 6,000 years, the local population moved from a semi-nomadic existence of hunter-gatherers to a more sedentary agricultural lifestyle. They learned to grow corn and beans, grind grain with a variety of stone tools, and cook food. Gradually, settlements arose. Around 1500 B.C. e. the widespread construction of rural-type settlements began, which served as a signal for the beginning of the so-called "before classical period”, from which the countdown of the centuries of the glorious Mayan civilization begins. The entire history of the Mayan civilization is usually divided into four periods: "Preclassic", early "classic", late "classic" and "postclassic".

"PRE-CLASSICAL" PERIOD (1500 BC-250 AD) People acquired some agricultural skills, learned how to increase the yield of fields. Throughout the Mayan region, densely populated rural-type settlements arose. Around 1000 B.C. e. the villagers of Cuello (on the territory of Belize) made pottery and buried the dead. Observing the prescribed ceremonial: pieces of green stone and other valuable items were placed in the grave. The Mayan art of this period shows the influence of the Olmec civilization, which arose in Mexico on the Gulf coast and established trade relations with all of Mesoamerica. Some scholars believe that the creation of a hierarchical society and royal power the ancient Maya are indebted to the Olmec presence in the southern regions of the Maya region from 900 to 400 BC. e.

The power of the Olmecs was over. The growth and prosperity of the southern trading cities of the Maya begins. From 300 B.C. e. to 250 AD e. there are such large centers as Nakbe, El Mirador and Tikal. The Maya made significant advances in the field scientific knowledge. Ritual, solar and lunar calendars. They represent complex system linked calendars. This system allowed the Mayans to record the most important historical dates, make astronomical predictions and boldly look into such distant times, which even modern specialists in the field of cosmology cannot judge. Their calculations and records were based on a flexible system of counting, which included a symbol for zero, unknown to the ancient Greeks and Romans, and in the accuracy of astronomical calculations they surpassed other civilizations of their time. Of all the ancient cultures that flourished in Northern and South America, only the Maya had a developed writing system. And it was at this time that Mayan hieroglyphic writing began to develop. Mayan hieroglyphs are like miniature drawings crammed into tiny squares. In reality, these are units of written speech - one of the five original writing systems created independently of one another. Some hieroglyphs are syllabic, but most of them are ideograms denoting phrases, words, or parts of words. Hieroglyphs were carved on steles, on lintels, on the vertical planes of stone stairs, on the walls of tombs, and also written on the pages of codes, on pottery. About 800 hieroglyphs have already been read, and scientists are deciphering new ones with unflagging interest, as well as giving new interpretations to already known symbols.

In the same period, temples were erected, which were decorated with sculptural images of the gods, and then the Mayan rulers. Rich offerings are found in the tombs of the Maya rulers of this period.

EARLY "CLASSICAL" PERIOD (AD 250-600) By 250 AD Tikal and the neighboring city of Washaktun become the main cities in the central lowland zone of Maya territory. Tikal had everything: giant pyramid temples, a palace complex, ball courts, a market, and a steam bath.

Society was divided into the ruling elite and the working class of farmers, artisans, and merchants subordinate to it. Thanks to the excavations, we have learned that the social stratification in Tikal concerned, first of all, the dwelling. While ordinary community members lived in villages scattered here and there among the forests, the ruling elite received at their disposal a more or less clearly defined living space of the Central Acropolis, which by the end of the classical period turned into a real labyrinth of buildings built around six spacious courtyards. on an area of ​​about 2.5 square kilometers. The buildings consisted of one or two rows of long rooms, divided by transverse walls into a number of rooms, each room had its own exit. "Palaces" served as a home for important people, in addition, the city administration was probably located here.

Since the 3rd century, rulers, endowed with supreme power, have been erecting pyramid temples and steles with images and inscriptions designed to perpetuate their reign; the rite of passage consists of a ritual of bloodletting and human sacrifice. The earliest known stele (dated 292) was found in Tikal, it was erected in honor of one of the heirs of the ruler Yash-Mok-Shok, who founded a dynasty at the beginning of the century, which was destined to rule the city for 600 years. In 378, under the ninth ruler of this dynasty, Paw the Great Jaguar, Tikal conquered Vashaktun. By that time, Tikal was under the influence of a tribe of warriors and merchants from the Mexican center of Teotihuacan, having adopted some methods of warfare from foreigners.

LATE "CLASSIC" PERIOD (AD 600-900) The classical Mayan culture, which is characterized by the rapid construction of palaces and temples, reached a new level of development in the 7th-8th centuries. Tikal is regaining its former glory, but other equally influential centers are emerging. Palenque thrives in the west of the Maya region. Which is ruled by Pacal, who came to power in 615 and was buried with the highest honors in 683. The rulers of Palenque were distinguished by great construction zeal and created a large number of temples, palace complexes, the royal tomb and other buildings. But most importantly, the sculptural images and hieroglyphic inscriptions that abound in these structures give us an idea of ​​what the rulers and the people obedient to them considered the main thing. After studying all the monuments, one gets the impression that during this period there were some changes in the role that was assigned to the ruler, and these changes indirectly indicate the cause of the collapse of such a seemingly prosperous civilization as the Maya civilization was in the "classic period".

In addition, at four different sites in Palenque, Pacal and his heir erected the so-called royal registers, steles with records of the members of the ruling dynasty, tracing its roots back to 431 CE. e. Apparently the two were very concerned with proving their legal right to power, and the reason for this was two cases in the history of the city, when the ruler received the right of succession to the throne through the maternal line. This is what happened to Pacal. Since the Mayan right to the throne was usually passed down through the paternal line, Pacal and his son were forced to make some adjustments to this rule.

In the 7th century, the southeastern city of Copan also gained fame. Many inscriptions and steles of Copan show that the city for 4 centuries, from the 5th century AD. e., ruled by one dynasty. Thanks to this stability, the city gained weight and influence. The founder of the dynasty, the ruler Yash-Kuk-Mo (Blue-Ketual-Parrot), came to power in 426 AD. e. And it can be assumed that his authority was very great, and all subsequent rulers of Kopan considered it necessary to count their royal line from him. Of his 15 royal descendants, the energetic Smoke-Jaguar, who ascended the throne in 628 and ruled for 67 years, lived the longest. Known as the Great Instigator, Jaguar Smoke led Copan to unprecedented prosperity, greatly expanding its dominions, possibly through territorial wars. The noble people who served under him probably became the rulers of the conquered cities. During the reign of Jaguar Smoke, the urban population reached approximately 10,000 people.

At that time, wars between cities were common. Despite the fact that the rulers of the cities were related to each other due to inter-dynastic marriages, and in culture - art and religion - these cities had much in common.

Art continues to develop, artisans supply the nobility with various exquisite handicrafts. The construction of ceremonial buildings and numerous stelae extolling the personal merits of the rulers continues. However, starting from the 8th century, and especially in the 9th century, the cities of the central lowlands declined. In 822, a political crisis shook Copan; the last dated inscription in Tikal is from 869.

"POST-CLASSICAL" PERIOD (AD 900-1500) The depletion of natural resources, the decline of agriculture, overcrowding of cities, epidemics, invasions from outside, social upheavals and ongoing wars - all this, both together and separately, could cause the decline of the Mayan civilization in the southern plains. By 900 A.D. e. Construction on this territory stops, the once crowded cities, abandoned by the inhabitants, turn into ruins. But the Maya culture still lives in the northern Yucatan. Such beautiful cities as Uxmal, Kabakh, Sayil, Labna in the hilly region of Puuk exist until the year 1000.

Historical chronicles on the eve of the conquest and archeological data clearly indicate that in the 10th century AD. The Yucatan was invaded by warlike central Mexican tribes - the Toltecs. But, despite all this, in the central region of the peninsula, the population survived and quickly adapted to the new living conditions. And later a short time a kind of syncretic culture appeared, combining Mayan and Toltec features. In the history of the Yucatan began new period, which has received the name "Mexican" in the scientific literature. Chronologically, its framework falls on the X - XIII centuries AD.

the center of this new culture becomes the city of Chichen Itza. It was at this time that the time of prosperity began for the city, lasting 200 years. Already by 1200, a huge building area (28 square kilometers), majestic architecture and magnificent sculpture suggests that this city was the main cultural center Mayan last period. New sculptural motifs and architectural details reflect the increased influence of Mexican cultures, predominantly Toltec, which developed in Central Mexico before the Aztec. After the sudden and mysterious fall of Chichen Itza, Mayapan becomes the main city in the Yucatan. The Yucatan Maya, apparently, fought among themselves more brutal wars compared to those fought by their brethren in the south. Although detailed descriptions there are no specific battles, it is known that the warriors from Chichen Itza fought against the warriors from Uxmal and Koba, and later the Mayapan people attacked Chichen Itza and plundered it.

According to scientists, the influence of other peoples who invaded the territory of the Maya affected the behavior of the northerners. It is possible that the invasion took place peacefully, although this is unlikely. For example, Bishop de Lande had information about some people who came from the west, whom the Maya called "Itza". These people, as the remaining descendants of the Maya told Bishop de Lande, attacked Chichen Itza and captured it. After the sudden and mysterious fall of Chichen Itza, Mayapan becomes the main city in the Yucatan.

If the development of Chichen Itza and Uxmal repeats other Mayan cities, then Mayapan in this case was quite different from general scheme. Mayapan, walled, was a chaotic city. In addition, there were no huge temples here. The main Mayapan pyramid was not a very good copy of the El Castillo pyramid at Chichen Itza. The population in the city reached 12 thousand people. Scientists suggest that Mayapan had a fairly high level of economy, and that Maya society gradually switched to business relations, paying less and less attention to the ancient gods.

For 250 years, the Kokom dynasty ruled in Mayapan. They maintained their power by holding their potential enemies hostage behind the city's high walls. The Kocomas further strengthened their position when they took into their service an entire army of mercenaries from Ah Kanul (Mexican state of Tabasco), whose loyalty was bought by promises of spoils of war. Everyday life The dynasty was mostly occupied with amusements, dances, feasts and hunting.

Mayapan fell in 1441 as a result of a bloody uprising raised by the leaders of neighboring cities, the city was sacked and burned.

The fall of Mayapan sounded the death knell over the entire Maya civilization, which had risen from the jungles of Central America to an unprecedented height and sunk into the abyss of oblivion. Mayapan was the last city in the Yucatan that managed to subjugate other cities. After its fall, the confederation broke up into 16 competing mini-states, each of which fought for territorial advantages with the help of its own army. In the constantly flaring wars, the cities were raided: mostly young men were captured to replenish the army with them or to sacrifice them, the fields were set on fire to force the farmers to submit. In continuous wars, architecture and art were abandoned as unnecessary.

Shortly after the fall of Mayapan, just a few decades later, the Spaniards landed on the peninsula, and the fate of the Maya was sealed. Once upon a time, a prophet, whose words are quoted in the Books of Chilam-Balam, predicted the appearance of strangers and its consequences. This is how the prophecy sounded: "Receive your guests, bearded people who come from the east ... This is the beginning of destruction." But the same books also warn that not only external circumstances, but the Maya themselves, will be to blame for what happens. "And there were no more happy days," says the prophecy, "the sanity left us." One might think that long before this last conquest, the Maya knew that their glory would fade and ancient wisdom will be forgotten. And yet, as if anticipating future attempts by scientists to call their world out of oblivion, they expressed the hope that someday voices from the past would be heard: “At the end of our blindness and our shame, everything will open again.”