The Mayans are one of the pre -Columbian peoples Mesoamerican, born between the third and 9th century AD and still existing today, known for their art and their astronomical and mathematical knowledge. Their story is generally divided into three great phases: the preclaxic era, from the second millennium a. C. to the third century AD. C., during which the Mayan people formed and started their development; The classic era, from the III to the 9th century AD. C., during which the Mayans reached the maximum splendor from a political and cultural point of view; The decline: from the 9th century AD forward, it is a period characterized first by the domain of other Amerindi peoples, then by the Spanish conquest.
In the past, the Mayans equipped with a hieroglyphic writing system and were capable of profitablely developing the arts and sciences. The current Mayans, although largely assimilated to modern lifestyles, retain some elements of their original culture.
Who are the Mayans and where they live today
The Mayan people today are made up of about six million individuals, mostly poor and dedicated to agriculture, allocated largely in Guatemala and, to a lesser extent, in southern Mexico. In the past, the people roughly occupied the current states of Chiapas, Tabasco, Campeche, Yucatan and Quintana Roo and the territories today belonging to some Central American states: Guatemala Belize, Honduras.
Today the Mayans profess the Catholic religion and speak the Spanish language, but retain some ancestral cultural traits, especially in the field of oral culture, magical-religious beliefs and crafts. In addition, their traditional languages speak next to the Spaniard.
The origins of the Mayan civilization: ethnogenesis and preclaxic era
The origins of the Mayans must be traced, in all likelihood, in the wider strain of the Olmeca population, which emerged in Central America in the second millennium a. C. In an age that can be placed around 2000-1500 years before Christ, this people differ from the other Olmechi, thus starting the preclaxic period of the Mayan history, which lasted approximately until the third century AD. C. During this era the Mayans founded before the villages and, later, real cities; They also developed a syllabic writing system, based on hieroglyphics; From an economic point of view, they proved to be dedicated to agriculture: the most important culture was corn, a fundamental element not only of nutrition, but also of their culture.
The classic age of Maya
In the third century AD, the Mayan civilization went against a flourishing development: urban centers became more extensive and large steps were built, which had the function of temple and, sometimes, of burials for the sovereigns and other powerful people. Most of the buildings, however, was not built in stone but with wood and earth, therefore it did not survive the centuries. The largest city was Tikal, located in the current Guatemala, of which the archaeological remains can be visited today.
In classical times, the Mayans perfected agriculture, which became more productive, and developed the trade with other Mesoamerican peoples. After a short period of decline around the 6th century, civilization returned to splendor and, next to Tikal, new cities were established, including Palenque in Chiapas (Mexico), Chichén Itzá in Yucatan (Mexico) and Copán in Honduras. The Mayan cities were independent of each other and a unified empire or kingdom was never constituted, unlike other pre -Columbian peoples such as the Aztecs and the Inca, which instead managed to structure their kingdoms according to these political models. In Mayan cities, power was held by a sovereign, considered a divine being and, consequently, endowed with an almost absolute authority.
The decline of the Mayan people: the Spanish conquest
The decline of the Mayans began around the ninth century AD are not clear and scholars have advanced several explanations: the excessive exploitation of natural resources, which would have caused an “ecological collapse”; socio -political factors, such as the strengthening of oligarchies at the expense of the monarch authority; invasions by peoples of central Mexico. What is certain is that starting from the ninth century the Mayans abandoned a part of the territory in which they lived: in the 16th century, when the Spaniards arrived, they suffered the conquest without being able to oppose significant resistance. The last independent city, ITza Tayasal, was conquered in 1697.
The culture of the Maya: astronomy, mathematics, sport, religion
The Mayans equipped themselves with a very refined culture, which flourished above all in the classical age. First of all, they were careful observers of the sky and to measure time they developed a 365 -day calendar. In addition to counting the years, they supported the theory of cycles of civilization: the cycle that was underway during the maximum flowering of the Mayans had started in 3114 BC and would end on December 21, 2012 (date in which, as we remember, some people really feared the “end of the world”). The Mayans also excelled in mathematics and developed a vigesimal calculation system, they were also great architects, artists and musicians.
Like other pre-Columbian peoples, the Mayans developed some recreational-sports activities, including a game with the ball that was probably similar, at least in some respects, to basketball (but the exact rules are not known). From the point of view of religion, they were polytheists: the cult was administered by special priests and also provided for human sacrifices.
