Research Paper On Mayan Civilization

Mayan Civilizations
The Mayan civilization had great historical significance, it was one of the most advanced and innovative civilizations in our world 's history.they were a civilization that thrived for many years and during that time made progress in numerous areas “The Mayan ruins testify to a civilization which was more sophisticated than its contemporaries in the West. The Mayans are the 'Greeks of the New World, ' …They also reveal their advanced knowledge in mathematics, the biological sciences and astronomy and a complex theology.” ( ) also had great influence in the development of art, architecture, and a complex writing system. The Mayans may not have been the true innovators of all these, but they were known for fully developing …show more content…
The Maya are well known for their use of jade, obsidian and stucco. There isn 't much left of the Mayan art culture, because a lot of it was destroyed by the spanish.On the other hand, the art that has survived are funerary pottery and other Maya ceramics, and buildings which contain many ancient murals. Art shows archaeologists the “grace and accurate observation of the human form.” (encyclopedia). Art can reveal so much about history, it is a “reflection of their lifestyle and culture” ( ) It gives us an insight on what their daily life was like. Not only does it reflect daily life, but it is also a way of documenting historical events. Without art we would not know about many events that occurred, and not just for the Mayans, but for many other cultures throughout the world and it continued well into the today. Society today still uses art to depict our culture, but mostly through photos. Every time we are taking a picture we are documenting our culture, just as the mayans,and as many other cultures did, through carvings, sculptures and paintings. The art that survived were all of “great artistic and iconographic perfection.” ( ) Also the Maya were one of few civilizations …show more content…
they were some of the first people to do that. They were behind the innovation of large cities. The Maya were able to build very elaborate pyramids,temples, palaces, and observatories all without the modern technology and tools we have today, such as the wheel and even without metal. To build these very large and elaborate pyramids and buildings was through creating and using their own innovations. Maya Architects didn 't let the lack of tools stop them. What they did was take advantage of their resources. One being an abundance of manpower, and the use of stone tools. Each part of the city had a purpose and was built in a specific spot and for a reason. The Mayans had these ball courts where they would play various ball games to honor the Gods. Some historians believe that is where the evolution of many of our sports we have today originated from. “Each pyramid was dedicated to a deity whose shrine sat at its peak.”(encyclopedia). These pyramids became the center for their cultural, religious, commercial and bureaucratic power. Which would grow into large and incredible cities, including Chichen Itza, Tikal, and Uxmal. archaeologist were able to understand key components from the different styles and elements that were used. That