Mayan+Culture

= Mayan Culture and Civilization = Kelsey Watkins 

__ History __

__ Architecture and Art __

__ Lifestyle __

__ Gods and Worship Practices __

= History: =

//Pre-classic Period- 2000 BC-250 AD// The largest constructions in Mesoamerica were built under the Maya in this time period. Such as El Mirador and Nakbe. They were not necessarily completed during the pre-classic period but were started then.

//Classic Period- 250 AD- 900 AD// Tikal, Uaxactun, Quirigua, Copan, and Palenque Uxmal, Kabah, Sayil, Labna, Etzna, Old Chichen, and Coba were built in the Yucatan Peninsula and Guatemala. Over 40 cities were built each containing around 20,000 people **. **

//Post Classic Period- 900 AD- 1500 AD// The invasion of Francisco de Montejo. The Mayan downfall in 1542.

= Lifestyle: =

The Mayans lived in a theocratic society run by the religious priests and kings that lived in the temples at the city center. Although the priests lived in the city, the common people of each "city" lived in the countryside in order to harvest their maize. The common people would only enter the city for major religious or astrological events that were conducted by the priests.

Also involved in the hierarchical society of the Mayans were the gender roles involved in day to day life. The dominance associated with men is slightly different than that which our society experiences today. The men were the main providers and workers of the family but the women had the right to own land and also to be divorced after marriage. In order to become married the groom to be was required to live with the bride and her family for one year so that they could deam him acceptable for marriage, or not. The wife also had the option of getting a divorce within one year of her marriage if the man proved not to be an acceptable husband.

The Mayans succeeded in surviving in an area lacking abundance in vital resources. The landscape spanned from volcanic mountains to rainforest and swap filled lowland. They used a slash and burn type of agriculture that allowed them to keep the soil of their farm lands fertile. They mainly [|grew] maize, squash, beans, chili peppers, cacao, and cotton, but also harvested crops from the local trees Originally the Mayans were known as a people of peace, a people more focused on the sciences and arts than "[|Stoop[ing so low as to go to war or record the doings of vainglorious kings]]" but as research developed, archeologists found evidence of battle scenes in hieroglyphs and defense mechanisms on some of the major lowland cities. They were also discovered to have performed ritual sacrifices, which also marked against their peaceful nature.

The Mayan people also proved to be a very diverse group of people, as I discovered from the professor from the University of Oregon that I interviewed, the Mayan people we think of not may not be who they really are. The Mayans were never truly a united group of people. There were many different cities, and kings, and among them there were also many different languages and dialects. Some of those languages live on today but after the Spanish conquest some of those languages were completely suppressed. And the speakers of these dialects today are commonly also speakers of Spanish, due to the increased pressures of know a more standard language. The Mayan people of today still remember their culture, and some hold on to their language, because for them it is a badge of identity that they are not willing to let go of.

= Architecture and Art: =

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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 140%;">Mayan art typically [|depicts] realistic experiences, rather than focusing on the gods, they mainly display the more prestigious members of the community and the notable actions that they performed. Along with depicting these actions the Mayans also kept detailed records of births, deaths, and conquests of those in power. This could have been due to the fact that the artists were commissioned by the rulers of the time, and that they wanted their legacy to live on amongst the rulers before and after them. These same rulers also wanted their legends to live on in the voices of their people and so storytelling was greatly encouraged as well.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 140%;">The Mayans were actually the first to complete a successful calender and hieroglyphic system. Archeologists are just now beginning to more fully comprehend the Mayan scripture. And thankfully these hieroglyphs are normally associated with images, which improves comprehension. The Mayans though were not the ones to create the calender of hieroglyphic system. They borrowed many of their ideas from their neighboring indigenous communities.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 140%;">The Mayan's architecture is and was famous throughout Mesoamerica. They constructed over 40 <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 140%;">temples, each designated to worshiping a specific god. These temples were typically built based off of a pyramidic design, with the altar for one of the various gods upon its peak.

For more pictures of Mayan ruins click [|here.]

= Gods and Worship Practices: =

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 140%;">In order to become a ruler, or king of a city, one first had to capture a prisoner of war. This prisoner would be brought back to the city in order to be the ritual sacrifice in the ascension ceremony of the new king. To complete the ceremony the king would then also offer his own blood to the gods. The belief in a rule was understood by the Mayan people because they believed that "Maya rulers were necessary for continuance of the [|Universe]"

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 140%;">This is the Mayan Sun God called Kinich Ahau. This was one of the gods worshiped in times of war and was frequently made sacrifices to. The god is typically depicted with his upper row of teeth filed and as being cross eyed, these traits come from his perceived jaguar-like appearance.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 140%;">**There are many other Mayan gods such as:**

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 140%;">//Chac// - Rain God <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 140%;">//Quatzequatel// - Winged God <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 140%;">//Yumil Kaxob// - Maize God <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 140%;">//Yum Cimil// - Death God <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 140%;">//Ixtab// - Suicide Goddess <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 140%;">//Kukulcan// - Wind God <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 140%;">//Ix Chel// - Moon Goddess <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 140%;">//Ahau Chamahez// - God of Medicine

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 140%;">These gods are the sole purpose for the temples that the Mayans built. They were constructed as places of worship and offering, and only the most prestigious of the community were allowed to be priests, and speakers to the gods. The Mayans worshiped a god for every aspect of their lives, the list above only names a few.