Ancient Maya Indians Of Central America (1971)

The origins of Maya civilization have been traced back to about 1500 years before Christ. Among the most advanced of American Indian civilizations, the Maya had their beginnings in southern Mexico and the highlands of Guatemala. By 800 BC, they had spread over much of Yucatan, Guatemala, and Honduras. The development of the Mayan culture progressed with expansion, and by 300 BC, they began to erect sculptured stone monuments. During the next 1,000 years, the Mayas built such magnificent ceremonial centers that the first European visitors were to think them Roman or Phoenician constructions or the work of the lost tribes of Israel. Mayan cities were chiefly ceremonial and governmental centers. Very few people except the priests and nobility actually lived in them. Temples were the focal points of every city, and ceremonial buildings surrounded them. Copan was a typical Mayan city. Copan, like other Mayan ceremonial centers, appeared similar to the ancient Greek city-states in that no central government controlled it. The cities were joined culturally, but not politically. By 1000 AD, Mayan society began to fail, and soon after 1500 AD, they were conquered by the Spanish. Hundreds of years, their abandoned cities lay forgotten, buried beneath dense jungle overgrowth. Today, archaeologists are slowly recovering the buildings and artifacts of Mayan culture, but many city ruins may not have yet been found. This carved stone preserves records showing that the Mayas had an almost perfect calendar, more accurate than those of Europe at that time. Corn was a foundation of Mayan society and their principal food. Mayas devoted their lives to growing crops and fields temporarily wrested from the forests with stone axes and fires. In spite of the primitive farming methods, the lands produced abundantly. Peasants had to work only 6 weeks a year to produce surpluses of corn. Cotton was also raised and woven into cloth. Peasants lived outside the ceremonial centers in reed huts without furniture. To the Mayas, flat heads and crossed eyes were considered beautiful. They pressed children's heads with boards and hung balls between their eyes. Grinding corn into meal was always the duty of the Mayan wife. Although squash and chicle and some other crops were produced, failure of the corn crop meant starvation. Usually, the Mayas had plenty of food, but they did depend on regular harvests. So, their religion was devoted to securing the favor of gods who they believed controlled the seasons and the weather. This end, the Mayas built elaborate temples high on the rooftops of pyramids and spent much of their time in ceremonies and ritual sacrifices. The temples were remarkable architectural achievements, yet they were built without metal tools, draft animals, or wheeled vehicles. Only the priests were believed to be in direct contact with the gods. During ceremonies, the priests sacrificed birds or small animals. In times of extreme hardship, such as droughts, human sacrifices were made. If the priests reported that the offering had been accepted by the gods, the people rejoiced, assured that they would have a good harvest. Ball courts such as this were built to celebrate religious games. Also, the priests and nobles occasionally held games for amusement. Games, festivals, and musical pageants were all devoted to honoring the gods. This fragment of relief sculpture shows ball players performing a ritual celebration. Note the protective clothing and the similarity to those used in modern sports. Mayan science was developed and taught in secret among the priests and nobles. Writing, astronomy, mathematics, and engineering were all a part of religious knowledge. The priests developed a written language to record events such as droughts, wars, and seasons. Much of this has not yet been translated. The Maya used number symbols from 1 to 19 instead of 1 to 10 as we do. Combinations of these symbols were used to designate numbers above 19. Relief sculptures and geometrical designs covered the surfaces of many Maya buildings. Walls were sometimes painted with scenes of Mayan court life. From these, we have learned much about how the people dressed and lived. For hundreds of years, the Maya peacefully extended and developed their civilization. Then they began to abandon their cities. Scholars have guessed that the people may have depleted their soil and had to move, or that disease reduced them, but no sure answer can be given today. The Toltecs and other Mexican groups began to invade Mayan territory. As the Mayas sought to resist invasion, their armies increased theirs. More and more farmers were forced to leave their fields to fight the invaders. The leaders of the Maya city-states quarreled and began conflict among themselves. A great many prisoners were captured by the Mayas in battle. It became common then to use these prisoners in human sacrifice rituals. Soon peasant revolts became widespread, and finally the warrior chiefs were overthrown. This brought the final collapse of Mayan civilization. The magnificent culture developed by the Mayas during thousands of years disintegrated in a few centuries. Temples and cities were abandoned, and jungle growth soon hid them from sight. In recent years, archaeologists probing the jungles and valleys of Yucatan have unearthed relics which reveal the high development of Mayan art. Scholars depend on fragments as small as this clay whistle for their knowledge about the Mayas. Bits of sculpture, such as this jade relief, show us the skill developed by Mayan artists. All carving was done without metal tools. Here is a strangely shaped flint knife, which was used in sacrifices. An intricate jade mask, carved and built up from tiny stones, was designed for a ceremonial offering. Fine pottery vessels have been discovered on religious sites. Elaborate handicraft products, such as this modeled clay incense burner, were used in temple ceremonies. Each piece recovered the buried and forgotten past serves to shed some light on the ancient history of the Mayan civilization. Today, descendants of the Mayas grow corn in much the same way their ancestors did. But the old religious arts and sciences have not been practiced for hundreds of years. Much remains to be learned of the highly developed culture of the modern Maya has long forgotten. Gradually, the answers will come as archaeologists return again and again to the jungles hiding the ancient land of the Mayas.