Who conquered the Mayans. Where did the Mayans go: the mystery of a vanished civilization

Mayan- a Central American civilization known for its writing, art, architecture, mathematical and astronomical systems. It began to take shape in the pre-classical era (2000 BC - 250 AD), most of its cities reached the peak of their development in the classical period (250-900 AD). The Mayans built stone cities, many of which were abandoned long before the arrival of Europeans, others were inhabited even after. The calendar developed by the Mayans was also used by other peoples of Central America. A hieroglyphic writing system was used, partially deciphered. Numerous inscriptions on the monuments have been preserved. They created an effective farming system and had deep knowledge of astronomy. The descendants of the ancient Mayans are not only the modern Mayan peoples, who have preserved the language of their ancestors, but also part of the Spanish-speaking population of the southern states of Mexico, Guatemala, and Honduras. Some Mayan cities are included in the UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites: Palenque, Chichen Itza, Uxmal in Mexico, Tikal and Quirigua in Guatemala, Copan in Honduras, Hoya de Ceren in El Salvador - a small Mayan village that was buried under volcanic ash and is now excavated.

Territory
The territory where the Mayan civilization developed is part of the states: Mexico (states of Chiapas, Campeche, Yucatan, Quintana Roo), Guatemala, Belize, El Salvador, Honduras (western part). About 1,000 Mayan sites have been found, but not all of them have been excavated or explored by archaeologists, as well as 3,000 villages.

Story
In ancient times, the Mayans represented various groups that shared a common historical tradition. As a result of research carried out in relation to the Mayan language, it was concluded that approximately around 2500-2000. BC e., in the area of ​​modern Huehuetenango (Guatemala), there was a group of Proto-Mayans, whose members spoke the same language, also called Proto-Maya by researchers. Over time, this language split into different Mayan languages. Subsequently, speakers of these languages ​​emigrated and settled in different areas, where the Mayan zone was later formed and a high culture arose. Population migrations have led both to the separation of various groups and to their rapprochement with representatives of other cultures. The periodization of Mayan culture is similar to the chronology of all of Mesoamerica, although it is more accurate due to the deciphering of time hieroglyphs and their comparison with the modern calendar. The history and culture of the Mayan people are usually divided into three main periods, the boundaries between which are very fluid:
- period of formation (1500 BC - 250 AD);
- Ancient Kingdom (250 - 900 AD);
- New Kingdom (900 AD - XVI century).
The Mayan civilization developed on the Mexican Yucatan Peninsula and mountainous Guatemala. In the Maya region, three major language groups emerged: Yucatecan, Tzeltan and Quiché. At the beginning of 1000 The Quiches were the most powerful group of Mayan tribes. The Mayan tribes began their cultural development around the 2nd millennium BC. During this period, in Yucatan and surrounding areas, two cultures replaced each other - "Ocos" and "Quadros", at that time beautiful ceramic products appeared, the surface of clay vessels was covered with a stamped pattern of stripes, which was created using agave fibers. Mayan history begins from 500 BC. by 300
AD Mayan culture begins its formation. This is especially noticeable on humanoid clay figurines, where the physical characteristics of the population of that era are present. The patterns that decorate the first Mayan buildings are also examples. It was then that large cult centers began to appear in the southern regions of Guatemala. Izapa on the Pacific coast and the mountainous regions of Guatemala are rapidly developing. In the late archaic period, Kaminaljuyu appeared, the oldest center of Mayan culture, not far from the present Ciudad de Guatemala. At this time, the Miraflores culture was emerging in Guatemala, and, apparently, Kaminaljuyu became Izapa's military opponent. To the north, at the same time, the Olmec and Mayan cultures came into contact. By the 1st century. n. e. All traces of the Olmec culture, the decline of which began three centuries earlier, completely disappear. In the early Preclassic period, Maya society was composed of groups of families united by the same language, customs and territory. They banded together to cultivate the soil and fish, hunt and gather to obtain food for survival. Later, with the development of agriculture, irrigation systems were built and the range of crops grown expanded, some of which were already sold. Population growth accelerated, the construction of cities and large ceremonial centers began, around which the people settled. As a result of the division of labor, classes emerged. From the Preclassic period, the Mayans began to build individual structures in which the influence of other cultures can be discerned. Later, Mayan architecture began to express mystical and religious ideas; therefore, temples and palaces, ball fields were erected in the central part of the cities, and residential buildings were located in the surrounding areas. 250 Beginning of the Early Classic period. This year, Teotihuacan and Kaminalhuyu form a trade alliance with Tikal. In 400 AD Kaminalhuyu completely falls under the power of the Teotihuacan Pochteca merchants - the Teotihuacans come to the city and in its place build a miniature copy of their capital, which becomes the southeastern outpost of the empire. During the Esperanza stage, the Maya mountain region was under the protectorate of the Teotihuacan dynasties and, of course, under the influence of Teotihuacan artistic styles. Then, to the north of Kaminalhuyu, the first cyclopean Mayan structures began to be built, which at first served as mausoleums for the Teotihuacan “viceroys” - the pochteca. A distinctive feature of this stage is thin “orange” ceramics. It is covered with geometric patterns, clearly of Teotihuacan origin. Tripod vessels appear. Similar products were also common in Central Mexico. Subsequently, when the hegemony of Teotihuacan in the Mayan lands ends, the “Esperanza” stage passes into an equally noticeable stage in the history of the Maya - “tsacol”. During the Tsacol phase, the influence of the Teotihuacan culture on the Petén and highland Maya region is still strong.
Classic period:
From 325 to 925 AD e. It is divided into the Early Classic (325-625 AD), when outside influence ceased and its own characteristics appeared. The Period of Heyday (625-800 AD), when mathematics, astronomy, ceramics, sculpture and architecture reached their maximum brilliance, and the Period of Crisis (800-925 AD) - the time when culture came to decline and ceremonial centers were abandoned.
The Classical era is the time of the true heyday of the Maya, both in mountainous Guatemala, both in Peten and in the North of Yucatan. The classical Mayan culture emerged, hieroglyphic writing developed, and cyclopean limestone structures were erected. There is a flourishing of sciences - astronomy, mathematics, healing. During the Classic period, the Mayans developed their own elements in architecture, such as, for example, false vaults, built-on terraces, stucco decorations, ridges on the roof ridges, which, when mixed, led to the emergence of what is called the Peten style in architecture. It is characterized by structures on stepped terrace foundations, thick walls, staircases outside the facade, high ridges above the rear wall and plaster decorations in the form of grotesque masks. In Guatemala, powerful dynasties of native Mayan rulers succeed each other - at the beginning of the late period of the classical era, the rise of Tikal occurs. Not far from Copan, in eastern Guatemala, is the “city” of Quirigua. It is no less remarkable than Copan and is quite similar to it in its architectural style. Quirigua's most magnificent monument is undoubtedly the Stela E, reaching an impressive height and covered with exquisite reliefs of baroque excess. Apparently Quirigua was the main city of the region, and Copan was its protectorate. Copan is a unique city. But the Mayans achieved the true greatness of the “city” in the 8th-9th centuries. Tikal defeats Calakmul and begins to rule all of Peten. At the same time, Palenque, Bonampak, Yaxchilan, and Piedras Negros flourish in the Usamancita River basin. In these places, Mayan art reached its peak. In Bonampak, magnificent wall paintings are created that tell the story of the victory of the local ruler over the army of Yaxchilan.

Postclassic period:
In the postclassic period, the high Mayan culture was preserved only in the North of Yucatan, but in synthesis with a completely different civilization - the Toltec. The cities of Petén and mountainous Guatemala fell into disrepair, many were abandoned by their inhabitants, others turned into tiny villages. The north of Yucatan flourished even in the classical era - several large regions formed there: Chenes, Rio Bec, Puuc. The center of the first was the “city” of Chikanna, the second - Calakmul, El Mirador, Saros, in the third Uxmal, Coba, Sayil, and the “necropolis” of the island of Haina flourished. In the classical era, these were the richest cities in Yucatan, as they were able to trade with the Toltecs. But by the end of the classical era, these cities were destroyed by the invasion of the Maya-Chontal people, who were at a lower stage of development than the Yucatecs and Quiches. They were influenced by Toltec culture more than by Mayan culture. Soon after the Chontal invasion, a cult center was founded Chichen Itza. The city is believed to have been founded in the 5th-6th centuries and was one of the largest Mayan cities. By the end of the 10th century, however, for unknown reasons, life here had practically ceased. Structures dating from this period are located mainly in the southern part of modern Chichen Itza. The city was then occupied by the Toltecs, who came to Yucatan from central Mexico. The arrival of the Toltec leader, obviously, was not a peaceful event: the inscriptions from Chichen talk about the invasion of invaders who overthrew the Mayan dynasty. The most famous religious buildings of Chichen are a huge ball court, the Well of Victims - a karst gap and, of course, the famous El Castillo, the Temple of Kukulcan. Period from 1200 to 1540 AD. e. An era of conflict, when intertribal alliances are broken and a series of armed clashes occur that divide the people and further impoverish the culture. Yucatan is entering a period of fragmentation and decline. On its territory the states of Vaymil, Campeche, Champutun, Chiquinchel, Ekab, Mani-Tutuk-Shiu, Chetumal, etc. are formed. These states are continuously at war with each other, and when the Spaniards arrived in the Mayan zone, large ceremonial centers had already been abandoned, and culture was in complete decline.

Art
The art of the ancient Mayans reached its peak during the Classic period (circa 250 - 900 AD). The wall frescoes in Palenque, Copan and Bonampak are considered some of the most beautiful. The beauty of the images of people on the frescoes allows us to compare these cultural monuments with cultural monuments of the ancient world. Therefore, this period of development of the Mayan civilization is considered classical. Unfortunately, many of the cultural monuments have not survived to this day, as they were destroyed either by the Inquisition or by time.

Cloth
The main attire for men was the loincloth, which was a palm-wide strip of fabric that was wrapped several times around the waist, then passed between the legs so that the ends hung in front and behind. The loincloths of eminent persons were decorated “with great care and beauty” with feathers or embroidery. A patti was thrown over the shoulders - a cape made of a rectangular piece of fabric, also decorated in accordance with the social status of its owner. Noble people added to this outfit a long shirt and a second loincloth, similar to a wrap-around skirt. Their clothes were richly decorated and probably looked very colorful, as far as can be judged from surviving images. Rulers and military leaders sometimes wore a jaguar skin instead of a cape or attached it to their belt. Women's clothing consisted of two main items: a long dress, which either began above the chest, leaving the shoulders bare, or was a rectangular piece of material with slits for the arms and head, and an underskirt. The outerwear, like for men, was a cape, but longer. All items of clothing were decorated with multicolor patterns.

Architecture
Mayan art, which found expression in stone sculpture and bas-reliefs, works of small sculpture, wall paintings and ceramics, is characterized by religious and mythological themes, embodied in stylized grotesque images. The main motifs of Mayan art are anthropomorphic deities, snakes and masks; it is characterized by stylistic grace and sophistication of lines. The main building material for the Mayans was stone, primarily limestone. Typical of Mayan architecture were false vaults, upward-facing facades, and ridged roofs. These massive facades and roofs, crowning palaces and temples, created an impression of height and majesty.

Mayan writing and timekeeping
The exceptional intellectual achievements of the pre-Columbian New World were the writing and timekeeping systems created by the Maya people. Mayan hieroglyphs served both ideographic and phonetic writing. They were carved on stone, painted on ceramics, and used to write folding books on local paper called codices. These codices are the most important source for the study of Mayan writing. The Mayans used Tzolk'in or Tonalamatl, counting systems based on the numbers 20 and 13. The Tzolk'in system, common in Central America, is very ancient and was not necessarily invented by the Maya people. The Olmecs and the Zapotec culture of the formative era developed similar and fairly developed time systems even earlier than the Mayans. However, the Mayans advanced much further in improving the numerical system and astronomical observations than any other indigenous people of Central America. The Mayans had a complex and quite accurate calendar system for their time.
Writing
The first Mayan monument with hieroglyphs carved on it, discovered by archaeologists in the territory of the modern Mexican state of Oaxaca, dates back to approximately 700 AD. e. Immediately after the Spanish conquest, attempts were made to decipher the Mayan writing system. The first researchers of Mayan writing were Spanish monks who tried to convert the Mayans to the Christian faith. The most famous of these was Diego de Landa, the third bishop of Yucatan, who in 1566 wrote a work entitled Reports of Affairs in Yucatan. According to de Landa, Mayan hieroglyphs were akin to Indo-European alphabets. He believed that each hieroglyph represented a specific letter. The greatest success in deciphering Mayan texts was achieved by the Soviet scientist Yuri Knorozov from the Leningrad Institute of Ethnography of the USSR Academy of Sciences, who made his discoveries in the 1950s. Knorozov became convinced that de Landa's list was not an alphabet, but he did not reject it entirely for this reason. The scientist suggested that de Landa's "alphabet" was actually a list of syllables. Each sign in it corresponded to a certain combination of one consonant and one vowel. The signs joined together were the phonetic notation of words.
As a result of the discoveries of the 20th century, it became possible to systematize knowledge about the Mayan writing. The main elements of the writing system were signs, of which about 800 are known. Usually the signs look like a square or an oblong oval; one or more characters can be placed together, forming a so-called hieroglyphic block. Many such blocks are arranged in a specific order in a rectilinear grid, which determined the spatial framework for most known inscriptions.
The ancient Mayan counting system
The Mayan counting system was not based on the usual decimal system, but on the twenty-digit system common in Mesoamerican cultures. The origins lie in the method of counting, which used not only ten fingers, but also ten toes. At the same time, there was a structure in the form of four blocks of five numbers, which corresponded to the five fingers and toes. Also interesting is the fact that the Mayans had a designation for zero, which was schematically represented as an empty shell from an oyster or snail. The notation zero has also been used to denote infinity.

Mayan religion
Among the ruins of Mayan cities, buildings of a religious nature dominate. It is assumed that religion, together with the servants of the temples, played a key role in the life of the Mayans. In the period from 250 to 900 AD. e. At the head of the city-states of the region were rulers who included, if not the highest, then at least a very important religious function. Archaeological excavations suggest that representatives of the upper strata of society also took part in religious rituals. Like other peoples who inhabited Central America at that time, the Mayans believed in the cyclical nature of time and astrology. For example, their calculations of the movement of Venus differed from modern astronomical data by only a few seconds per year. They imagined the Universe divided into three levels - the underworld, earth and sky. Religious rituals and ceremonies were closely related to natural and astronomical cycles.
According to astrology and the Mayan calendar, the “time of the fifth Sun” will end on December 21-25, 2012 (winter solstice). The “Fifth Sun” is known as the “Sun of Movement” because, according to the Indians, during this era there will be a movement of the Earth, from which many will die.
Gods and sacrifices
Like other peoples of Central America, human blood played a special role among the Mayans. Judging by the various household items that have survived to this day - vessels, small plastic and ritual instruments - we can talk about a specific ritual of bloodletting. The main type of ritual bloodletting in the classical period was a ritual in which the tongue was pierced, and this was done by both men and women. After piercing the organs (tongue, lips, palms), a lace or rope was threaded through the holes. According to the Mayans, the blood contained the soul and vital energy. The Mayan religion was polytheistic. At the same time, the gods were mortal creatures similar to people. In this regard, human sacrifice was considered by the ancient Mayans as an act that would, to a certain extent, prolong the life of the gods. Human sacrifice was common among the Mayans. People were sacrificed by hanging, drowning, poisoning, beating, and also by being buried alive. The most cruel type of sacrifice was, like the Aztecs, ripping open the stomach and tearing out the still beating heart from the chest. Both captives from other tribes captured during wars and representatives of their own people, including members of the upper strata of society, were sacrificed. It is well established that representatives of other tribes captured during wars, including members of the highest strata of the enemy, were sacrificed on a huge scale. However, it is still unclear whether the Mayans waged bloody wars to obtain more prisoners of war for the purpose of sacrificing them in the future, as the Aztecs did.
Political and social structure of society
The Mayans were primarily foreign policy oriented. This was due to the fact that individual city-states competed with each other, but at the same time had to control trade routes to obtain the necessary goods. Political structures varied depending on the region, time and people living in the cities. Along with hereditary kings under the leadership of the "ayawa" (ruler), oligarchic and aristocratic forms of government also took place. The Quiche also had noble families who performed various tasks in the state. Also, democratic institutions took place at least in the lower layer of society: the procedure that exists to this day for electing a burgomaster, a “Mayan burgomaster,” every three years, has probably existed for quite a long time. In the social structure of society, any member of Mayan society who reached the age of 25 could challenge the chief of the tribe. In case of victory, the tribe had a new leader. This usually happened in small settlements.

The Mayan civilization preceded the Aztecs and experienced several major ups and downs over the past 2 thousand years. In fact, it is still alive and is reflected in the culture of the people who inhabit the Yucatan Peninsula. We have collected 19 fantastic facts about this ancient and mysterious tribe that will surely surprise you!

Although this civilization was conquered and limited in its development, in many rural areas of Mexico and Guatemala the Mayan language and culture are preserved with enviable tenacity

According to recent estimates, about 7 million Mayans still live on the Yucatan Peninsula

Some linguists believe that the word "shark" comes from the Mayan language.

The Colombian Maya often sought to improve the physical characteristics of their children. Mothers pressed boards against their children's foreheads to flatten the bone.

An object was often hung in front of the child's eyes and it dangled until the baby developed strabismus - another desirable and noble feature

Children were given a name corresponding to the day on which they were born

Mayan medicine is actually quite advanced. They sewed up wounds with human hair, filled teeth and even made dentures.

Some Mayans still practice blood sacrifices. But human sacrifices no longer exist in their culture. Today only chickens are used

The Mayans use painkillers obtained from the natural environment, both in religious rituals (as hallucinogens) and in medicine (as anesthesia)

Like the Aztecs, the Mayans were avid players of the Mesoamerican ball game. Sites for the game have been found in all major cities of civilization, and the game itself was often associated with the beheading of a victim, most likely from the losing team.

In fact, the severed heads are believed to have been used as balls.

Saunas and baths played a huge role in Mayan culture

Prisoners, slaves and others were prepared for sacrifice through painting blue and torture.

They were then led to the top of one of the pyramids, where they were shot with a hail of arrows, and if the heart was still beating, it was cut out of the chest by the priest of the temple. Sometimes the assistant priests removed the skin from the victim, after putting it on, the chief priest performed a ritual dance.

The Mayans had one of the most advanced writing systems and left inscriptions wherever they could, including on the walls of buildings

Like the Aztecs, the Mayans never used iron or steel. Their weapons were made from obsidian or volcanic rocks

In addition to flat foreheads and squints, the Mayan nobleman gave his nose the shape of a beak using a special putty, and his teeth were encrusted with jade

Speaking of teeth, the aristocratic women of the tribe sharpened their teeth

The Mayans were perhaps the first civilization to use the number 0. Subsequently, Indian mathematicians were the first to use it as a mathematical quantity in calculations

No one knows for sure the reasons for the fall of the Mayan Empire. Scientists name several possibilities - from drought and famine to overpopulation and climate change.

Your friends will be interested to know this. Share this post with them!

Michael Ko::: Maya. Vanished civilization: legends and facts

Up to this point, we have mainly talked about ceramic vessels, jade products and the ruins of settlements, that is, about the material culture of a once great civilization. We also know a lot about how the daily life of the Mayan people proceeded. We know especially much about the life of the peoples who inhabited Yucatan on the eve of the conquest. Fortunately, the Spanish missionaries working in Yucatan during this period were quite educated people who sought to understand as deeply as possible the life of the peoples they wanted to convert to Christianity. They left us with magnificent anthropological descriptions of what the local culture was like before the arrival of Europeans. It is thanks to these documents that modern scientists can correctly interpret finds dating back to the Postclassic period.

The economic basis of the Mayan civilization, as mentioned in Chapter 1, was agriculture. They grew maize, beans, squash, chili peppers, cotton, and various varieties of fruit trees. There is no doubt that the lowlanders practiced slash-and-burn agriculture, but it is not entirely clear how they cut trees before they developed copper axes during the Postclassic period and, after the Spanish conquest, steel axes. Most likely, Mayan farmers made ring-shaped notches in the trees and left them to dry out. The time of planting was regulated by a kind of agricultural calendar, examples of which can be found in all three Mayan codes that have come down to us. According to Diego de Landa, the fields were communally owned. They were processed jointly by groups of 20 people, but, as we will soon see, this is not entirely true.

In Yucatan, the Mayans stored their harvests in wooden barns raised above the ground, as well as in “beautiful underground chambers,” which were most likely the aforementioned chultans so often found in settlements of the classical era. It cannot be said with certainty that in those days the Mayans of the lowland region already knew how to prepare flat tortillas, but the sources that have reached us mention many other ways of preparing dishes from maize. This is “atole” - porridge cooked from grains, to which chili pepper was supposed to be added; it was usually eaten during the first meal. And posol - a drink made with sour leaven, which was usually taken with you to the field to maintain strength, as well as the well-known tamails. Most of all we know what simple farmers ate. Their menu was not very varied, they were content with simple food, although sometimes a stew made from meat and vegetables, to which pumpkin seeds and peppers were added, appeared on their table. We know very little about how the elite ate.

Industrial crops played a very important role in the economy of Yucatan. Cotton was grown in many areas. Yucatan was famous for its fabrics, which were exported even to very distant regions. In the south of Campeche and Tabasco, as well as in British Honduras, cocoa trees were grown in areas along river channels, but in areas further north, planting of these trees was limited. They could only grow where there were cenotes or natural depressions. From the cocoa beans that were collected from these trees, a drink was prepared that was very highly valued by members of the ruling class, and, in addition, even during Spanish rule, cocoa beans were used in local markets as money. They were highly valued. There is a story that Mayan merchants, whose canoe collided with Columbus’s caravel off the coast of Honduras, were so concerned about the safety of their “treasures” that they rushed for any of the beans that fell to the bottom of the canoe with such haste, as if they were not beans, but theirs. own eyes.

Next to each of the Mayan dwellings there was a plot of land with a vegetable garden and an orchard. In addition, entire groves of fruit trees grew near the villages. The Mayans grew avocados, apple trees, papaya, sapodilla and breadfruit trees. When the ripening season arrived, large quantities of wild fruits were eaten.

The Mayans had dogs of several breeds, each of which had its own name. Dogs of one of these breeds did not know how to bark. Males were castrated and fed grain, and then either eaten or sacrificed. Another breed was used for hunting. The Mayans were intimately familiar with both wild and domestic turkeys, but they used only domestic ones for religious sacrifices.

Since ancient times, Mayan farmers have bred a local breed of stingless bees. In the times we are interested in, bees were kept in small hollow logs, which were covered with clay on both sides and mounted on trestles shaped like the letter “A”. The Mayans also collected wild honey.

Large mammals, such as deer and peccaries, were hunted by the Mayans with bows and arrows. Dogs were used to track animals. It should probably be recalled here that throughout the classical era the main weapons of the Mayan warriors were spears and javelins.

Birds such as wild turkeys, partridges, wild pigeons, quails and ducks were hunted using blowpipes. Images of various hunting snares and traps that the Mayans used when hunting can be seen on the pages of the so-called “Codex Madrid”. There you can also see an image of a trap designed to catch armadillos.

Fish in Yucatan was caught mainly in coastal waters. Fishing equipment included seines, drags, and hooks tied to strings. In addition, in shallow lagoons, fish were hunted with a bow and arrow. Inside the mainland, especially in mountainous areas, drugs were thrown into the water to stun the fish. When the fish, stunned in this way, swam into special artificial dams, they were simply collected by hand. An image on one of the carved bone items found in Tikal, which dates back to the Late Classical period, proves that this method of fishing was also common in Petén. On the sea coast, the catch was salted, dried in the sun or over fire, preparing it for subsequent sale.

In the wild forests of the Mayans, copal tree resin was mined, which was of great value and was used (together with rubber and sapote tree resin) for incense. This substance was so revered that one of the local Indian chronicles describes it as “the fragrance of the center of heaven.” Special bark was collected from other trees, which was intended to flavor “balchi,” a “strong and stinking” honey drink, huge quantities of which were consumed during the holidays.

Yucatan was the main supplier of salt in Mesoamerica. Salt beds stretch along the entire coast of Campeche and along the lagoons located on the northern side of the peninsula, all the way to Isla Mueros in the east. The salt, which Diego de Landa described as “the best I have ever seen in my entire life,” was collected at the end of the dry season by people living along the coast. They held a monopoly on the entire salt industry, which at one time was completely in the hands of the lords of Mayapan. There were salt mines in several other places inland, such as the Chixoy Valley in Guatemala, but it was salt from the coastal regions that was in greatest demand. It was exported to many regions of the Mayan region. Other exports included honey and capes made from cotton fabric, which were also highly valued. It can be assumed that it was not the cultivation of maize, but the supply of precisely such goods that formed the basis of the Yucatan economy. In addition, Yucatan also supplied slaves.

In Mayan markets one could find things from a variety of places: cocoa beans, which could only be grown where there was an abundance of moisture; feathers of the quetzal bird, which were imported from Alta Verapaz; flints and siliceous shale, mined from deposits in the central region; obsidian from the mountainous regions northeast of modern Guatemala City, and colorful shells, mainly spiny oyster shells, which were imported from the Atlantic and Pacific coasts. Jade and a huge amount of small green stones were also sold there, most of which were delivered from deposits located in the Motagua River basin. Some of the items that were traded in the markets were simply stolen from ancient burials.

Since cargo was heavy and roads other than narrow trails did not exist in the area at that time, the vast majority of goods were transported by sea. This type of trade was concentrated in the hands of the Chontal people, who were such good sailors that Thompson called these people the "Phoenicians of Central America." Their voyage route went along the coast. It stretched from the Aztec trading port of Xicalango, located on the coast of the state of Campeche, and, skirting the entire peninsula, descended to Naito, located near Lake Izabal, into which they entered in their huge canoes to exchange goods with the Mayans who lived in the interior of the mainland.

There were also traders who traveled overland, along dangerous paths, guided by the North Star and relying on the protection of their god Ek Chuah, otherwise called the “black god.”

In Mexico, the markets were so large that their size amazed the Spaniards. One source tells us that in the mountainous regions of Guatemala at that time the markets were also “huge, famous and very rich,” as they are in these areas to this day. But when it comes to the Mayans living in the lowlands, markets are rarely mentioned. It is possible that in the lowland zone markets did not play a significant role, since people did not have to engage in such hard work to obtain their livelihood, trying to establish commodity exchange in these regions, which were very homogeneous in their culture.

It was trade that served as a link between the Mayan regions and Mexico, since each of these regions had many things that were highly valued in the other. Most often, cocoa beans and tropical bird feathers were exchanged for copper tools and jewelry. It is possible that it was the implementation of these operations, which were carried out by the same Indians of the Chontal people, that saved the Mayans from enslavement by the Aztecs, who by this time had already captured many other, less inclined to cooperate, peoples of Mesoamerica.

In Yucatan, the child was washed immediately after birth and then placed in the cradle. The baby's head was clamped between two planks in such a way that after two days the skull bones were permanently deformed and became flat, which was considered a sign of beauty among the Mayans. Parents sought to consult with the priest as soon as possible after the birth of the child and find out what fate awaited their offspring and what name he should bear until the official naming.

The Spanish priests were quite surprised that the Mayans had a ritual very similar to the Christian ritual of baptism, which was usually performed at an auspicious time when the settlement had a sufficient number of boys and girls aged three to twelve years. The ceremony was held in the house of the village elder, in the presence of parents, who on this occasion had to observe various fasts before the holiday. While the priest performed various cleansing rituals and blessed them with aromatic incense, tobacco and blessed water, the children and their fathers were inside a circle bounded by a thin rope held by four elderly, venerable men representing the rain god Chaka. It was from the moment of such a ritual that it was believed that older girls were ready to get married.

In both the highland and lowland Mayan regions, boys and young men lived separately from their parents, in special men's houses, where they were taught the art of war and other necessary things. Landa reports that these houses were often visited by prostitutes. Other youthful pastimes included gambling and playing ball. The Mayans had double standards of morality - girls were raised strictly by their mothers and were subjected to severe punishment for deviations from the prescribed rules of chaste behavior. Marriages were arranged by matchmakers.

Just like all peoples who practice exogamous marriages, that is, marriages outside their tribe or clan, the Mayans had strict rules about who could or could not marry whom. Marriages between paternal relatives were especially strictly prohibited. Marriages were mostly monogamous, but the exception was for important people who could afford to support several wives. Among the Mayans, as well as in Mexico, treason was punishable by death.

The Maya's ideas about external attractiveness were very different from ours, although the beauty of their women made a strong impression on the Spanish monks. In both sexes, the front teeth were filed in such a way as to create different patterns. Many ancient skulls belonging to Mayan people have been found, with teeth inlaid with small jade plates.

Before marriage, young men painted their bodies black. Mayan warriors did the same at all times. Tattoos and decorative scars, which generously “decorated” the upper half of the body of both men and women, appeared after marriage. A slight squint was considered very beautiful, and parents tried to ensure that the appearance of their children met this criterion of beauty, for which purpose small beads were attached to the children’s noses.

All Mayans were very afraid of death, because, in their opinion, death did not mean an automatic transition to a better world. Ordinary people were buried under the floors of their own houses, and food and jade beads were placed in the mouths of the dead. Ritual objects and things that the deceased used during life were buried along with the bodies. There is information that books were placed in their graves along with the dead priests. The bodies of representatives of the highest nobility were burned. It is possible that this custom was borrowed from Mexico. Funeral temples were erected above the urns containing ashes. But there is no doubt that in the early stages the burial of the body in tombs under mausoleums was the general rule. During the reign of the Kokom dynasty, there was a custom to mummify the heads of deceased rulers. These heads were kept in the family shrine and were "fed" regularly.

The ancient Mayan state was not a theocracy, not a primitive democracy, but a class society with strong political power concentrated in the hands of a hereditary elite. To understand the basis of the state that existed in the 16th century. on the Yucatan Peninsula, one should study very carefully what kind of relationships existed between people at that time.

In Yucatan, every Mayan adult had two names. The first he received from the mother, and it could only be transmitted from a woman to her child, that is, through the maternal line. A person inherited his second name from his father, that is, through the male line. There is now a wealth of evidence to suggest that these two names were a kind of cross-reference to which of the many hereditary groups, paternal and maternal, a particular person belonged to. At the time of the Conquista, there were approximately 250 groups in the Yucatan, united by a common descent through the male line, and from the reports of Diego de Landa we know how important belonging to such a group was for the Maya. For example, marriages were prohibited within such groups, property inheritance was exclusively patrilineal, and people united by a common descent through the male line formed a group bound by strict obligations of mutual assistance. The titles, which can be traced back to early colonial times, prove that such groups had ownership of the land, and perhaps this is what Landa means when he argues that the fields were communally owned. As for origin on the second, maternal line, it may have played an important role in the system of regulating marriage opportunities. The Mayans allowed marriage with a woman who was the daughter of an uncle or aunt, but more closely related marriages were prohibited. Among many peoples of the earth at a lower stage of development, all members of such large clans have equal rights, but among the Mayans this was not the case.

For the Maya, it was very important to be able to trace the origins of each person back to his very distant ancestors, and a person's social status was determined precisely by his belonging to one or another genealogical line. Origin was taken into account on both the paternal and maternal sides.

There were strictly defined classes of people. At the top of the Mayan social hierarchy were noble people - “almehens”, whose pedigree was impeccable on both lines. These people owned land, held responsible positions in the state and senior positions in the army, they were wealthy landowners, merchants and representatives of the highest clergy.

People of humble birth were free citizens of society who, perhaps, as was customary among the Maya-related Aztec people, received from their noble relatives related to them by common paternal descent the right to use a piece of land that they could clear from the forest and use like agricultural land. This layer was also heterogeneous; among them there were both rich and poor.

There is evidence that the Mayans had serfs who worked the lands that belonged to the nobility. At the very bottom of the social hierarchy were slaves, who were mostly commoners captured during hostilities. High-ranking prisoners were usually sacrificed. Children of slaves also became slaves. These people could be ransomed with fees collected by their paternal relatives.

By the time the Spaniards arrived in America, political power in the Maya region was in the hands of castes originating from Mexico. The entire politics of Yucatan was under the control of such groups, which, of course, proclaimed that they descended straight from Tula and Zuihua, the legendary ancestral home located in the west. There was a custom according to which any person aspiring to occupy a high position had to pass a certain occult examination known as the “Language of Zuihua.”

Each of the small regions of Yucatan had a local ruler, who was called "halach huinik" - "real man", who received his post by inheritance, through the male line, although in earlier eras the Mayans living in the mountainous region had real kings - " Ahau", who had power over quite vast territories. The residences of the Halach Uiniks were located in large cities. Each of these rulers existed both on the funds that his own land, cultivated by slaves, brought him, and on the collected tribute.

The rulers of small provincial towns were “batabs”, whom the Halach Uiniki appointed from among the noble people related to them by common descent on their father’s side. The Batabs ruled the cities through a local council consisting of elderly wealthy people. The head of such a council was usually a person of humble birth, who was chosen every four years from among the inhabitants of the four quarters that together formed the settlement.

In addition to performing administrative and judicial duties, each of them was also a military leader, but he shared command of the troops with Nakom, a man who was subject to a huge variety of taboos and who usually held this position for three years.

The Mayans were simply crazy about war. The Chronicles of the Kaqchikel Indians and the epic Popol Vuh tell of a small conflict that broke out between the inhabitants of a mountainous region, which then led to the fact that all 16 states of Yucatan were drawn into an endless war with each other, the cause of which was both territorial claims and desire to defend the honor of one's family. If we add to these chronicles of bloodshed the data obtained from the study of architectural monuments and inscriptions of the classical period, materials and eyewitness accounts that have come down to us - the Spanish conquistadors, we can imagine exactly how the Mayans waged their wars. The "Blokans", meaning "brave", were foot soldiers. These warriors wore armor made from quilted cotton fabric or tapir skin. They were armed with spears with flint tips and darts with devices for throwing them - atlatls, and in the postclassical era bows and arrows were added to their weapons. Hostilities usually began with an unannounced guerrilla raid into an enemy camp to capture prisoners, and major battles were preceded by a terrifying cacophony of pounding drums, screeching whistles, shell trumpets and battle cries. The leaders and idols of each of the fighting sides were accompanied by several priests, who were located on the flanks of the infantry, whose warriors fired at the enemy a whole rain of darts, arrows and stones, which were thrown using slings. If the enemies managed to invade enemy territory, then guerrilla methods of warfare came to the fore, which included ambushes and various traps. Unknown people who were captured became slaves, and noble captives and military leaders had their hearts cut out on a sacrificial stone.

Maya, historical and modern Indian people who created one of the most highly developed civilizations of America and the Ancient World in general. Some cultural traditions of the ancient Maya preserve ca. 2.5 million of their modern descendants, representing more than 30 ethnic groups and linguistic dialects.

Habitat

During the 1st - beginning of the 2nd millennium AD. The Maya people, speaking various languages ​​of the Maya-Kiche family, settled over a vast territory that included the southern states of Mexico (Tabasco, Chiapas, Campeche, Yucatan and Quintana Roo), the present-day countries of Belize and Guatemala, and the western regions of El Salvador and Honduras.

These areas, located in the tropical zone, are distinguished by a variety of landscapes. In the mountainous south there is a chain of volcanoes, some of which are active. Once upon a time, powerful coniferous forests grew here on generous volcanic soils. In the north, the volcanoes give way to the limestone Alta Verapaz Mountains, which further north form the Petén limestone plateau, characterized by a hot and humid climate. Here the center of development of the Mayan civilization of the classical era was formed.

The western part of the Petén plateau is drained by the Pasion and Usumacinta rivers, which flow into the Gulf of Mexico, and the eastern part by rivers carrying water to the Caribbean Sea. North of the Petén plateau, humidity decreases with the height of forest cover. In the northern Yucatecan Plains, tropical rainforests give way to shrubby vegetation, and in the Puuc Hills the climate is so arid that in ancient times people settled here along the shores of karst lakes (cenotes) or stored water in underground reservoirs (chultun). On the northern coast of the Yucatan Peninsula, the ancient Mayans mined salt and traded it with the inhabitants of the interior regions.

Early ideas about the ancient Maya

It was initially believed that the Maya lived in large areas of tropical lowlands in small groups, practicing slash-and-burn agriculture. With the rapid depletion of soils, this forced them to frequently change their settlement sites. The Mayans were peaceful and had a special interest in astronomy, and their cities with tall pyramids and stone buildings also served as priestly ceremonial centers where people gathered to observe unusual celestial phenomena.

According to modern estimates, the ancient Mayan people numbered more than 3 million people. In the distant past, their country was the most densely populated tropical zone. The Mayans knew how to maintain soil fertility for several centuries and transform lands unsuitable for agriculture into plantations where they grew maize, beans, pumpkins, cotton, cocoa and various tropical fruits. Mayan writing was based on a strict phonetic and syntactic system. The decipherment of ancient hieroglyphic inscriptions has refuted previous ideas about the peaceful nature of the Mayans: many of these inscriptions report wars between city-states and captives sacrificed to the gods.

The only thing that has not been revised from previous ideas is the exceptional interest of the ancient Mayans in the movement of celestial bodies. Their astronomers very accurately calculated the cycles of movement of the Sun, Moon, Venus and some constellations (in particular, the Milky Way). The Mayan civilization, in its characteristics, reveals commonality with the nearest ancient civilizations of the Mexican Highlands, as well as with the distant Mesopotamian, ancient Greek and ancient Chinese civilizations.

Periodization of Mayan history

In the Archaic (2000-1500 BC) and early Formative periods (1500-1000 BC) of the Preclassic era, small semi-wandering tribes of hunters and gatherers lived in the lowlands of Guatemala, feeding on wild edible roots and fruits, as well as game and fish. They left behind only rare stone tools and a few settlements that definitely date back to this time. The Middle Formative Period (1000-400 BC) is the first relatively well-documented era of Mayan history. At this time, small agricultural settlements appeared, scattered in the jungle and along the banks of the rivers of the Peten plateau and in the north of Belize (Cuelho, Colha, Kashob). Archaeological evidence suggests that in this era the Mayans did not have pompous architecture, class divisions or centralized power.

However, during the subsequent Late Formative Period of the Preclassic era (400 BC - 250 AD), major changes occurred in Mayan life. At this time, monumental structures were built - stylobotes, pyramids, ball courts, and rapid growth of cities was observed. Impressive architectural complexes are being built in cities such as Calakmul and Zibilchaltun in the north of the Yucatan Peninsula (Mexico), El Mirador, Yashactun, Tikal, Nakbe and Tintal in the jungle of Peten (Guatemala), Cerros, Cuello, Lamanay and Nomul (Belize), Chalchuapa (Salvador). There was a rapid growth of settlements that arose during this period, such as Kashob in northern Belize. At the end of the late formative period, barter trade developed between settlements remote from each other. The most prized items are items made from jade and obsidian, sea shells and quetzal bird feathers.

At this time, sharp flint tools and the so-called appeared for the first time. eccentrics are stone products of the most bizarre shape, sometimes in the form of a trident or the profile of a human face. At the same time, the practice of consecrating buildings and arranging hiding places where jade products and other valuables were placed was developed.

During the subsequent Early Classic period (250-600 AD) of the Classical era, Mayan society developed into a system of rival city-states, each with its own royal dynasty. These political entities showed commonality both in the system of government and in culture (language, writing, astronomical knowledge, calendar, etc.). The beginning of the Early Classic period approximately coincides with one of the oldest dates recorded on the stela of the city of Tikal - 292 AD, which, in accordance with the so-called. The “long count of the Maya” is expressed in numbers 8.12.14.8.5.

The possessions of individual city-states of the classical era extended on average 2000 square meters. km, and some cities, such as Tikal or Calakmul, controlled significantly larger territories. The political and cultural centers of each state were cities with magnificent buildings, the architecture of which represented local or zonal variations of the general style of Mayan architecture. The buildings were located around a vast rectangular central square. Their facades were usually decorated with masks of the main gods and mythological characters, carved from stone or made using the technique of piece relief. The walls of long narrow rooms inside buildings were often painted with frescoes depicting rituals, holidays, and military scenes. Window lintels, lintels, palace staircases, as well as free-standing steles were covered with hieroglyphic texts, sometimes interspersed with portraits, telling about the deeds of the rulers. On lintel 26 at Yaxchilan, the wife of the ruler, Shield of the Jaguar, is depicted helping her husband put on military regalia.

In the centers of Mayan cities of the classical era, pyramids rose up to 15 m high. These structures often served as tombs for revered people, so kings and priests practiced rituals here with the goal of establishing a magical connection with the spirits of their ancestors.

The burial of Pakal, the ruler of Palenque, discovered in the “Temple of the Inscriptions”, provided a lot of valuable information about the practice of honoring the royal ancestors. The inscription on the lid of the sarcophagus says that Pacal was born (according to our chronology) in 603 and died in 683. The deceased was decorated with a jade necklace, massive earrings (a sign of military valor), bracelets, and a mosaic mask made of more than 200 pieces of jade. Pakal was buried in a stone sarcophagus, on which were carved the names and portraits of his illustrious ancestors, such as his great-grandmother Kan-Ik, who had considerable power. Vessels, apparently containing food and drinks, were usually placed in burials, intended to nourish the deceased on his way to the afterlife.

In Mayan cities, the central part stands out, where the rulers lived with their relatives and retinue. These are the palace complex in Palenque, the acropolis of Tikal, and the Sepulturas zone in Copan. The rulers and their immediate relatives were exclusively engaged in state affairs - they organized and led military raids against neighboring city-states, organized magnificent festivities, and took part in rituals. Members of the royal family also became scribes, priests, soothsayers, artists, sculptors and architects. Thus, scribes of the highest rank lived in the House of Bakabs in Copan.

Outside the cities, the population was dispersed in small villages surrounded by gardens and fields. People lived in large families in wooden houses covered with reeds or thatch. One of these classical-era villages survives in Serena (El Salvador), where the Laguna Caldera volcano allegedly erupted in the summer of 590. Hot ash covered nearby houses, a kitchen fireplace and a wall niche with painted plates and pumpkin bottles, plants, trees, fields, including a field with corn sprouts. In many ancient settlements, buildings are grouped around a central courtyard, where joint work was carried out. Land ownership was communal in nature.

In the late classical period (650-950), the population of the lowland regions of Guatemala reached 3 million people. Increased demands for agricultural products forced farmers to drain swamps and use terrace farming in hilly areas, such as along the banks of the Rio Bec.

In the late classical period, new cities began to emerge from the established city-states. Thus, the city of Himbal left the control of Tikal, which was announced in the language of hieroglyphs on architectural structures. During the period under review, Mayan epigraphy reached the peak of its development, but the content of the inscriptions on the monuments changed. If earlier messages about the life path of rulers with dates of birth, marriage, accession to the throne, and death prevailed, now the main attention is paid to wars, conquests, and the capture of captives for sacrifices.

By 850 many cities in the south of the lowland zone had been abandoned. Construction stops completely in Palenque, Tikal, and Copan. The reasons for what happened are still unclear. The decline of these cities could be caused by uprisings, enemy invasion, epidemic or environmental crisis. The center of development of the Mayan civilization moves to the north of the Yucatan Peninsula and the western highlands - areas that received several waves of Mexican cultural influences. Here the cities of Uxmal, Sayil, Kabah, Labna and Chichen Itza flourish for a short time. These magnificent cities surpassed the previous ones with tall buildings, multi-room palaces, higher and wider stepped vaults, sophisticated stone carvings and mosaic friezes, and huge ball courts.

The prototype of this game with a rubber ball, which requires great dexterity, arose in Mesoamerica as early as two thousand years BC. The Mayan ball game, like similar games of other peoples of Mesoamerica, contained elements of violence and cruelty - it ended with human sacrifice, for which it was started, and the playing fields were framed with stakes with human skulls. Only men participated in the game, divided into two teams, which included from one to four people. The players' task was to prevent the ball from touching the ground and to bring it to the goal, holding it with all parts of the body, with the exception of the hands and feet. The players wore special protective clothing. The ball was more often hollow; sometimes a human skull was hidden behind the rubber shell.

The ball courts consisted of two parallel stepped stands, between which there was a playing field, like a wide paved alley. Such stadiums were built in every city, and in El Tajin there were eleven of them. Apparently, there was a sports and ceremonial center here, where large-scale competitions were held.

The ball game was somewhat reminiscent of gladiator fights, when prisoners, sometimes representatives of the nobility from other cities, fought for their lives so as not to be sacrificed. The losers, tied together, were rolled down the stairs of the pyramids and fell to their deaths.

Last Mayan cities

Most northern cities built in the Postclassic era (950-1500) lasted less than 300 years, with the exception of Chichen Itza, which survived until the 13th century. This city shows architectural similarities with Tula, founded by the Toltecs ca. 900, suggesting that Chichen Itza served as an outpost or was an ally of the warlike Toltecs. The name of the city is derived from the Mayan words “chi” (“mouth”) and “itsa” (“wall”), but its architecture is so-called. Puuc style violates classical Mayan canons. For example, stone roofs of buildings are supported on flat beams rather than on stepped vaults. Some stone carvings depict Mayan and Toltec warriors together in battle scenes. Perhaps the Toltecs captured this city and over time turned it into a prosperous state. During the Postclassic period (1200-1450), Chichen Itza was for a time part of a political alliance with nearby Uxmal and Mayapan, known as the League of Mayapan. However, even before the arrival of the Spaniards, the League had collapsed, and Chichen Itza, like the cities of the classical era, was swallowed up by the jungle.

In the Postclassic era, maritime trade developed, thanks to which ports emerged on the coast of Yucatan and nearby islands, for example, Tulum or a settlement on the island of Cozumel. During the Late Postclassic period, the Mayans traded slaves, cotton, and bird feathers with the Aztecs.

Ancient Mayan calendar

According to Mayan mythology, the world was created and destroyed twice before the third, modern era began, which began in European terms on August 13, 3114 BC. From this date, time was counted in two chronology systems - the so-called. long count and calendar circle. The long count was based on a 360-day annual cycle called tun, divided into 18 months of 20 days each. The Mayans used a base-20 rather than a decimal counting system, and the unit of chronology was 20 years (katun). Twenty katuns (i.e. four centuries) made up a baktun. The Mayans simultaneously used two calendar time systems - a 260-day and a 365-day annual cycle. These systems coincided every 18,980 days, or every 52 (365-day) years, marking an important milestone at the end of one and the beginning of a new time cycle. The ancient Mayans calculated time forward to 4772, when, in their opinion, the end of the current era would come and the Universe would once again be destroyed.

Your opinion is very important to me in terms of further development of the site! Therefore, please vote for the article if you liked it. and if you don’t like it... vote too. :) See "Rating" below.

The Mayan civilization was one of the greatest pre-Columbian civilizations. Its scale extended to the entire northern region of Central America, including the territories of modern states - Guatemala, Belize, El Salvador, Mexico and the southwestern outskirts of Honduras.

Most Mayan city-states reached the peak of their urbanism and large-scale construction during the Classic period from 250 to 900 AD. The most notable monuments of this period are the ancient temples, which were built in almost every major city. For reasons still unknown, most Mayan centers fell into disrepair over the next few centuries. And by the time the conquistadors arrived, the Mayan civilization was already in deep decline.

There are several versions of the possible cause of the death of civilization, including soil depletion, loss of water sources and erosion, earthquakes, diseases, as well as probable military invasions of other highly developed cultures. Some Mayan cities of the highest historical and cultural value are included in. Of particular tourist interest today is ancient architecture, stone sculptures, bas-reliefs and stylized religious paintings on the walls of houses. As well as preserved massive palaces, ancient temples and pyramids.

We have already told you about the impressive ones, today you can get acquainted with the most interesting ancient cities of the Mayan civilization.

Ancient Mayan cities - PHOTO

The ruins of Tikal are located in the national park of the same name. And this is perhaps one of the largest archaeological sites of the Mayan civilization in Central America. It was this place that became the inspiration and was later reflected in Mel Gibson’s film “Apocalypse.” A trip to Tikal is quite expensive financially, compared to other destinations to the ruins of the Mayan civilization. But the surviving pyramids, stone royal palaces, paintings and frescoes are worth seeing. In 1979, Tikal National Park was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. By the way, be on the lookout, there are predatory jaguars in the dense forests surrounding the park.

The large pre-Columbian city of Chichen Itza is located in the Mexican state of Yucatan. This large ruined city appears to have been one of the Tollans - a place of worship for the mythological deity Quetzalcoatl (feathered serpent). This is evidenced by images found at the ballpark. Chichen Itza is known for its wide variety of architectural styles. This city was attractive to residents because there were two deep cenotes that provided the population with water all year round. One of these natural wells is the Sacred Cenote, a place of sacrifice and pilgrimage of the ancient Mayans. Chichen Itza is very popular among tourists, with more than 1.2 million people visiting each year.

This Mayan city flourished in southern Mexico in the 7th century BC. After the fall, the city was swallowed up by the jungle for a long time before being rediscovered and turned into a famous archaeological site. Palenque is located on the Usumacinta River, 130 km south of Ciudad del Carmen. It is much smaller than Tikal, but can boast of its architecture, preserved sculptures and bas-reliefs of the ancient Mayans. Numerous hieroglyphic inscriptions on the monuments have allowed experts to reconstruct much of Palenque's history. These same experts and archaeologists claim that at the moment only 10% of the territory of the ancient city has been excavated and studied. The rest is nearby, but hidden underground, in the dense jungle.

The ancient ruins of the city of Calakmul are hidden in the jungles of the Mexican state of Campeche. This is one of the largest Mayan cities. More than 6,500 buildings were discovered on an area of ​​about 20 square kilometers. The largest pyramids reach a height of 50 meters and a base width of 140 meters. The classical period saw the dawn of Calakmul. At this time he was in a fierce rivalry with Tikal, this confrontation can be compared to clarifying the political ambitions of the two superpowers. Called the Snake Kingdom, Calakmul spread its active influence over a radius of several hundred kilometers. This is evidenced by the characteristic stone emblems depicting a snake's head found in small Mayan villages.

The Mayan ruins of Uxmal are located 62 kilometers from Merida, the capital of the state of Yucatan. The ruins are famous for their size and decoration of the buildings. But little is known about them, since significant archaeological research has not been carried out here. Uxmal was founded in 500 AD. Most of the surviving buildings date back to 800–900 years; pyramids and various structures can be seen in almost their original form. The predominant Puuk architectural style here is distinguished by a variety of decorations on the facades of buildings.

The ruins are located on the shores of a lagoon in the Orange Walk District in north-central Belize. Translated from the Mayan language, the name of the city, which has a three-thousand-year history, means “drowned crocodile.” Unlike other Mayan cities, Lamanai was still inhabited when Spanish conquistadors invaded in the 16th century. During excavations carried out in the 1970s, the focus was on three significant structures: the Temple of the Mask, the Temple of the Jaguar and the High Temple. To be among these ruins, located deep in the jungle, you must join an organized boat tour from the city of Orange Walk. There is a small museum here displaying ancient artifacts and telling the history of the Mayans.

The name of this ancient archaeological site translated means “Stone Woman”. It is connected with the history of the Belizeans, according to which, supposedly, the ghost of a woman has periodically appeared in these places since 1892. A white-robed ghost with fiery red eyes climbs the stairs to the top of the main temple and disappears through the wall. The ruins are located near the village of San Jose Succotz in the west of the country. In this village you need to take a small ferry to cross the Mopan River. Once you reach the ruins, do not deny yourself the opportunity to climb to the top of the Xunantunich Palace - a huge pyramid, which offers stunning views of the river valley.

The fortified city of Tulum, which served as a port for the city of Coba, is located on the eastern coast of the Yucatan Peninsula. It was built in 1200, at a time when the Mayan civilization was already in decline. Therefore, it lacks some of the elegance and grace of architecture characteristic of the classical period of development. But its unique location on the Caribbean Sea, the proximity of numerous beaches and Mexican resorts, made the Mayan port city of Tulum very popular among tourists.

The large ancient Mayan city, home to 50 thousand inhabitants at its peak, is located 90 kilometers east of Chichen Itza, approximately 40 kilometers west of the Caribbean Sea and 44 kilometers northeast of Tulum. All directions today are connected with each other by modern, convenient roads. Most of the sites were built between 500 and 900 years. There are several tall pyramids in the city. The tallest pyramid, El Castillo, belonging to the Nohoch Mul group of buildings, reaches a height of 42 meters. There are 120 steps leading to the top of the temple, where there is a small altar that served as a place of sacrifice, along which those who wish can climb.

The Mayan ceremonial and trading center of Altun Ha is located 50 kilometers from Belize City. This area, located just 10 kilometers from the Caribbean coast, is known for its rich wildlife. Typical inhabitants of the local forests are armadillos, tapirs, agoutis, foxes, tayras and white-tailed deer. In addition to its impressive wildlife, Altun Ha is famous for the artifacts found here by archaeologists from . Among them is a huge jade sculpture depicting the head of the sun god Kinich Ahau. This find is considered today a national treasure of Belize.

The major archaeological site of Caracol is located 40 kilometers south of Xunantunich in Cayo district. The ruins extend 500 meters above sea level on the Vaca plateau. Caracol is now known as one of the most important political centers of the Mayan civilization during the Classic period. At one time, Karakol extended over an area of ​​more than 200 square kilometers. This is larger than the territory of modern Belize, the largest city in the country. Even more surprising is that the current population of Belizeans is only half of its ancient predecessors.

The stunning Mayan ruins are located on the banks of the Usumacinta River in the southeastern Mexican state of Chiapas. Yaxchilan was at one time a powerful city-state, and was a kind of competition to such cities as Palenque and Tikal. Yaxchilan is known for the large number of well-preserved stone decorations decorating the door and window openings of the main temple. On them, as well as on various statues, there are hieroglyphic texts telling about the ruling dynasty and the history of the city. The names of some rulers sounded ominous: Moon Skull and Jaguar Bird dominated Yaxchilan in the fifth century.

In the department of Izabal in southeastern Guatemala there is a three-kilometer archaeological site of Quirigua. During the classical period of the Mayan civilization, this ancient city was located at the intersection of several important trade routes. An interesting attraction of this place is the Acropolis, the construction of which began in 550. The Quirigua Archaeological Park is famous for its tall stone monuments. Considering that the city is located on the site of a transform geological fault and was subject to major earthquakes and floods in ancient times, it is worth a visit to see the preserved monuments and appreciate the urban planning skills of the ancient Mayans.

The archaeological site of the Mayan civilization Copan is located in the western part of Honduras on the border with Guatemala. This relatively small city is famous for a series of well-preserved architectural artifacts. Some steles, sculptural decorations and bas-reliefs are among the best evidence of the art of ancient Mesoamerica. Some of Copan's stone structures date back to the 9th century BC. The tallest temple reaches a height of 30 meters. The dawn of the settlement dates back to the 5th century, at which time about 20 thousand inhabitants lived here.

The ruins of Cahal Pech are located near the city of San Ignacio in the Cayo region on a strategic hill at the confluence of the Macal and Mopan rivers. Most of the major construction dates are from the Classical period, but existing evidence suggests continuous habitation at the site as far back as 1200 BC. The city is a concentration of 34 stone structures in a small area located around a central acropolis. The tallest temple is about 25 meters high. Cahal Pech, like many other cities, was abandoned in the 9th century AD for unknown reasons.

This is only a small part of the huge historical and cultural heritage that the mysterious civilization left behind. In total, more than 400 large archaeological sites and over 4,000 small, but no less interesting ancient settlements belonging to the peoples and cultures of the Mayan civilization that existed for more than 2,500 years were discovered in the northern region of Central America.