Could civilizations separated by an ocean and over one thousand years with no modern technology, like the Internet to share ideas, have similar cultures? Two ancient cultures that archeologists have discovered that had shared ideas, were the Egyptian and Mayan cultures despite being 1,000 years apart. They had some cultural aspects in common like ideas about mythology and hieroglyphics but each developed differently. For example, each of these two civilizations left a legacy of pyramids. The Egyptian civilization, located in Africa, was at their peak from 2640-1814 BC, but their pyramid building was done primarily from 2660 BC and 2180 BC. The Mayan civilization was at their peak around 200- 900 BC and was located in Mesoamerica in the Yucatan.
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The two civilizations used their pyramids as a burial tomb for their dead. For example, Temple 1 in the Maya city of Tikal and the Pyramid of Khufu at Giza in Egypt were built to bury pharaohs and kings. Both cultures also buried the dead with gold masks to honor them. Although both cultures used the pyramids to bury their dead, the Mayan pyramid was a place for religious ceremonies. If a king was buried in the Mayan pyramid they were buried in a lower chamber in the structure because at the top was a temple. The temples were used for religious ceremonies including human sacrifices. A staircase on the front of the building made the temple at the top accessible. In Egypt, the pharaohs were buried in the pyramids along with treasures and their tombs were sealed so the no one could enter. Location was different. They Mayan pyramids, like the Pyramid of the Sun and the Pyramid of the Moon, were located in the middle of the city and not out in the desert like the Great Pyramids in …show more content…
As discussed, both cultures used stone to build these massive structures. Using similar stones both cultures carved bulges in the stones. Both cultures did not use mortar to make the stones stick together. Instead they carved the stones so that they fit together so tightly that nothing could pass through the crevices. For these structures, both cultures used a doorway that was shaped like a trapezoid. Despite these similarities the ideas of how long the building should last differed amongst the Egyptians and Mayans. Since Egyptians were burying their dead pharaohs the construction was supposed to last forever so that the remains could be honored forever. They did not want intruders so there was no visible doorways or staircases. The Mayans did not build their pyramids to last and knew that they would have to rebuild. They often rebuilt on old structures. Their pyramids were built to follow important events in the calendar. For example, El Castillo is 79 feet high and has a staircase with 365 steps. During the spring and fall equinox, a shadow that looks like a serpent
The two civilizations used their pyramids as a burial tomb for their dead. For example, Temple 1 in the Maya city of Tikal and the Pyramid of Khufu at Giza in Egypt were built to bury pharaohs and kings. Both cultures also buried the dead with gold masks to honor them. Although both cultures used the pyramids to bury their dead, the Mayan pyramid was a place for religious ceremonies. If a king was buried in the Mayan pyramid they were buried in a lower chamber in the structure because at the top was a temple. The temples were used for religious ceremonies including human sacrifices. A staircase on the front of the building made the temple at the top accessible. In Egypt, the pharaohs were buried in the pyramids along with treasures and their tombs were sealed so the no one could enter. Location was different. They Mayan pyramids, like the Pyramid of the Sun and the Pyramid of the Moon, were located in the middle of the city and not out in the desert like the Great Pyramids in …show more content…
As discussed, both cultures used stone to build these massive structures. Using similar stones both cultures carved bulges in the stones. Both cultures did not use mortar to make the stones stick together. Instead they carved the stones so that they fit together so tightly that nothing could pass through the crevices. For these structures, both cultures used a doorway that was shaped like a trapezoid. Despite these similarities the ideas of how long the building should last differed amongst the Egyptians and Mayans. Since Egyptians were burying their dead pharaohs the construction was supposed to last forever so that the remains could be honored forever. They did not want intruders so there was no visible doorways or staircases. The Mayans did not build their pyramids to last and knew that they would have to rebuild. They often rebuilt on old structures. Their pyramids were built to follow important events in the calendar. For example, El Castillo is 79 feet high and has a staircase with 365 steps. During the spring and fall equinox, a shadow that looks like a serpent