What Are The Achievements Of Mayan Civilization

The Maya were often misinterpreted as uncivilized people that practiced human sacrifice, bloody rituals, and war. In contrast to European explorers, modern historians see the Maya quite differently in terms of sophistication. Located in Mexico, Belize, Central America, El Salvador, Honduras and Guatemala. The majority of their surroundings was made up of volcanic mountains, scrub plains, and tropical rain forests. This ancient Mesoamerican world lasted for more than 2000 years, and was split into different time periods, from before the time of Christ to after the Spanish conquest in the 16th century. The Maya reached admiring heights, leading their society to success. The Classic period between 300-800 A.D was considered the golden age. Abundant innovation, as well as advancements in writing, math, agriculture, astronomy, and architecture occurred during this time. Their highly accurate calendar, beautiful buildings, precise astronomical observations, and clever farming techniques are few testaments for their progressive culture. Creating a written language was also a great achievement as well. The Mayas’ intellectual expression often surpassed those of future civilizations. Despite the Europeans characterizing the Maya as uneducated people, they were in fact a sophisticated civilization with many achievements that …show more content…
Some monuments were built and arranged as observatories for further astronomical studies. Many houses were built with specific windows, allowing the sun to light up rooms at certain dates. Specific stars also represented the coming and going of the seasons, based on the time when they were above or below the horizon. Priests recognized the stars and planets changing their course everyday, resulting in the invention of the calendar. The Mayas’ intelligent understanding of architecture and astronomy, allowed them to develop a more unique