Mesoamerica's cilvilzation included the cultivation or corn, the building of pyramids, a 260-day ritual calendar, similiar deities, an important ritual ball game, and a belief in the role of human blood iinstaining the gods and the universe. The Aztecs (the most powerful culture in the region) collected and admired jad sculptures by the Olmec. When the Aztecs arrived to Teotihuacan it was abadoned, and they viewed the city as a sacred site where the gods had created the universe. They are who…
In the world of the ancient Maya there were many sacred days, most often associated with celestial events. But none perhaps more widely celebrated than the Spring and Fall Equinox at the ancient site of Chichén Itza in central Yucatan.Each year thousands of pilgrims and curiosity seekers flock to the nearly six square miles of national park ruins to watch a phenomena that was carefully mapped by ancient architects and astronomers. On the day of both the vernal equinox and the autumnal equinox…
Mexico, it is known for its steep volcanoes, ancient Mayan cities and vast rainforests. It is a national place of religion, culture and ethnology. Guatemala has a rich and distinctive culture from the many mixes of elements from Spain and the native Maya people. Their pre-columbian history, and many beauties of the land show a lot about their country. Guatemalan art is usually a mix of traditional styles with the Spanish and Catholic Church influences that had a major outcome on the country…
'Among Us' is an Australian documentary developed in 2013 featuring Indigenous Australians that experienced being apart of 'The Stolen Generation'. Documentaries like 'Among Us' empower Indigenous Australians when they are identified as a respected and valuable race. The 2013 'Among Us' documentary portrays the Australian Indigenous race positively by highlighting their resilience, perseverance and mercy. The documentary 'Among Us' portrays the Australian Indigenous people as undeniably…
Chocolate has an important role in Mayan and Aztec culture. Known as chocolatl to the Aztecs and Xocolatl for the Mayans, they are believed to be the first cultures to discover and domesticate cocoa pods in 1900 BCE. Chocolate was very prominent in their societies and it was present in their marital celebrations and, even funeral rituals. Cocoa beans were so valuable back in this era. It was a form of currency which was mainly used by the Aztecs for exchanging food, clothing, taxes, and even…
Modern day people have a strange affinity for using aspects of ancient cultures as a basis for their cults, prophecies and as spiritual guides to the future. Perhaps the most memorable occurrence of this affinity was the infamous prophecy concerning the Mayan Apocalypse of 2012, an idea created from belief that the world would end or change in some fashion once that year ended. Of all the actions generated by the aforementioned mentality, this prophecy was perhaps the most ridiculous considering…
sacrifices were completely normal to the Maya people, sacrifices to them would be like singing a hymn at church to everybody now. The Maya's religion was a very unique and gory religion that had little to no logic or reason. That's not all to the Maya people, they were an extremely intelligent race achieved many intellectual milestones, and made their on original religion. All early Maya life was based on maize farming or corn (Perl 17). Most early Maya were purely agricultural (history.com…
been born in Mexico and introduced to Guatemala at least 4,000 years ago (FAO). After its introduction, it became an integral part of ancient Maya society and daily life (FAO). In fact, it was so crucial to the ancient Maya, that the Popol Vuh maintains that maize was decided by the gods to be what people were made of (FAO). Moreover, even many modern Maya people hold the belief that it is quite literally what they are made of, referring to themselves as “people of maize” (Carlsen 2003). This…
The Ancient Mayan Civilization Centuries ago, the Mayan civilization was born. This was a civilization skilled in the art of agriculture, pottery, hieroglyphic writing, calendar making, and mathematics. The time in which the Mayan’s existed can be broken down into three different parts. Originally, the earliest settlements of the Mayans existed in a time around 1800 B.C.E. During this time the native’s days were predominantly composed of tending to the civilizations agricultural commitment.…
animism - Animism was followed by the native civilizations of America. The natives greatly respected nature for all it is, believing the plants and animals all had a spiritual essence to them. This deep respect for the environment shaped the customs and traditions of the native people, creating societies so different from the European, Asian, and African ones of the time. Animism can also be contributed to the divide between the settlers and the natives. While the Native Americans believed…