One of the most dominant indigenous societies in Mesoamerica includes the Maya civilization. The Maya primarily inhabited the Yucatan Peninsula of modern-day Mexico and other sections of modern-day Guatemala and Mexico; they occupied the area from around 1800 BC. The Mayans dominated the area in the time period from 300 C.E. to 900 C.E., which historians consider the classical period of the Maya civilization. The Empire reached its peak—its golden age—in sixth century C.E. Nineteen million people, which constituted three culturally and linguistically different groups, very densely populated the area. The Mayans excelled in ornate pottery, innovative agriculture, astronomical observations, and complex yet foundational mathematics; they also
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Ancient Mayans occupied the eastern third of Mesoamerica. The Maya civilization was not one unified empire; instead, it was a multitude of separate entities with common cultural backgrounds or city-states. The geology of the region significantly fluctuated from volcanic mountains—regions in the good countries in the South—to permeable limestone rock—a region known as the Lowlands—in the focal and northern districts. Teotihuacan, the Olmec’s first major city, influenced the Maya civilization considerably. The Mayans were very religious; they worshipped multiple gods relating to nature. Some of the gods that they worshipped included the sun god, the moon god, the rain god, and the corn god (Owen Jarus). The Mayans performed human sacrifice—methods included beheading victims, cutting the their hearts out, or tying them up and pushing them down the steps of the temples—in order to please their gods. Rebirth and creation were the concept of spiritual death and sacrifice. In addition to the common Maya people, the kings also participated in these rituals; the king’s blood played an important role in Mayan ceremonies. The kings had to pierce their skin and smear the resulting blood on paper; the paper was then put into the fire to honor their gods (Christopher Minster). This great civilization flourished in a tropical rainforest climate. The Mayans dedicated a lot of time to construct giant monuments of stone, such as temples, pyramids, and palaces; Tikal, the capital of the Maya civilization, was known for pyramid building. Palenque is a famous Maya city, known for its soft lime stone sculptures. A Mayan city, called Copan, is known for its “Temple of the Hieroglyphic Stairway,” which had more than 2,000 glyphs adorning its 63 steps; the temple contains the longest known engraving of the ancient Maya, conveying the histories of the rulers (Owen Jarus). An intricate system of writing was created to record the
Ancient Mayans occupied the eastern third of Mesoamerica. The Maya civilization was not one unified empire; instead, it was a multitude of separate entities with common cultural backgrounds or city-states. The geology of the region significantly fluctuated from volcanic mountains—regions in the good countries in the South—to permeable limestone rock—a region known as the Lowlands—in the focal and northern districts. Teotihuacan, the Olmec’s first major city, influenced the Maya civilization considerably. The Mayans were very religious; they worshipped multiple gods relating to nature. Some of the gods that they worshipped included the sun god, the moon god, the rain god, and the corn god (Owen Jarus). The Mayans performed human sacrifice—methods included beheading victims, cutting the their hearts out, or tying them up and pushing them down the steps of the temples—in order to please their gods. Rebirth and creation were the concept of spiritual death and sacrifice. In addition to the common Maya people, the kings also participated in these rituals; the king’s blood played an important role in Mayan ceremonies. The kings had to pierce their skin and smear the resulting blood on paper; the paper was then put into the fire to honor their gods (Christopher Minster). This great civilization flourished in a tropical rainforest climate. The Mayans dedicated a lot of time to construct giant monuments of stone, such as temples, pyramids, and palaces; Tikal, the capital of the Maya civilization, was known for pyramid building. Palenque is a famous Maya city, known for its soft lime stone sculptures. A Mayan city, called Copan, is known for its “Temple of the Hieroglyphic Stairway,” which had more than 2,000 glyphs adorning its 63 steps; the temple contains the longest known engraving of the ancient Maya, conveying the histories of the rulers (Owen Jarus). An intricate system of writing was created to record the