Mysteries of Mayan history. Mayan civilization. Short description. Rise of the Mayan civilization

One of the most mysterious civilizations that existed on the planet is the Mayan civilization. High level the development of medicine, science, architecture amazes the minds of our contemporaries. One and a half thousand years before Columbus discovered the American continent, the Mayan people had already used their hieroglyphic writing, invented a system of calendars, were the first to use the concept of zero in mathematics, and the counting system was in many ways superior to that used by their contemporaries in Ancient Rome and Ancient Greece.

Secrets of the Mayan civilization

The ancient Indians had amazing information about space for that era. Scientists still cannot understand how the Mayan tribes obtained such accurate knowledge of astronomy long before the invention of the telescope. The artifacts discovered by scientists raise new questions, the answers to which have not yet been found. Let's look at the most amazing finds related to this great civilization:

The most amazing feature of this architectural monument is the visual effect that is created 2 times a year, exactly on the days of the autumn and spring equinox. As a result of the play of sunlight and shadow, an image of a huge snake appears, the body of which ends in a stone sculpture of a snake’s head at the base of a 25-meter pyramid. Such a visual effect could only be achieved by carefully calculating the location of the building and having accurate knowledge of astronomy and topography.

Another interesting and mysterious feature of the pyramids is that they are a huge sound resonator. Such effects are known as: the sounds of the steps of people walking to the top are heard at the base of the pyramid, like the sounds of rain; people located at a distance of 150 meters from each other on different sites can clearly hear each other, while not hearing the sounds made next to them. To create such an acoustic effect, ancient architects had to make precise calculations of the thickness of the walls.

Mayan culture

Unfortunately, the culture, history, and religion of Indian tribes can only be learned from the preserved architectural and cultural material values. Due to the barbaric attitude of the Spanish conquerors, who destroyed most of the cultural heritage of the ancient Indians, descendants were left with very few sources for obtaining knowledge about the origin, development and reasons for the decline of this majestic civilization!

Possessing a developed written language, during their heyday, the Mayans left a huge amount of information about themselves. However, most of the historical heritage was destroyed by Spanish priests who instilled the Christian religion among the Indians of Central America during its colonization.

Only inscriptions on stone slabs have survived. But the key to deciphering the writing remained unsolved. Only a third of the signs are understandable to modern scientists.

• Architecture: The Mayans built stone cities that amazed with their majesty. Temples and palaces were built in the centers of cities. The pyramids are amazing. Without metal tools, the ancient Indians in some amazing way created pyramids that were not inferior in their majesty to the famous Egyptian ones. The pyramids were supposed to be built every 52 years. This is due to religious canons. Distinctive feature of these pyramids is that the construction of a new one began around the existing one.
• Art: On the walls of stone buildings, traces of paintings and stone sculptures, mainly of a religious nature, have been preserved to this day.
• Life: The ancient Indians were engaged in gathering, hunting, and farming, growing beans, maize, cocoa, and cotton. The irrigation system was widely used. Some tribes mined salt, then exchanging it for other goods, which served as the development of trade, which was in the nature of natural exchange. To move goods and cargo, stretchers or boats were used to move along rivers.
• Religion: The Mayans were pagans. The priests had knowledge of mathematics and astronomy, predicting lunar and solar eclipses. Religious rituals contained suicide rituals.
• The science: The Indians had a developed written language, had knowledge of mathematics and, as noted above, had amazing knowledge of astronomy.

Why did the Mayans disappear?

The beginning of the Mayan civilization dates back to the second millennium BC. The heyday of culture occurred at the end of the first millennium - 200-900. BC. The most important achievements include:

• A fully developed calendar that accurately reflects the changing seasons;
• Hieroglyphic writing, which scientists have not yet fully deciphered;
• The use of the concept of zero in mathematics, which was absent in other developed civilizations of the ancient world;
• Using the number system;
• Discoveries in the field of astronomy and mathematics - Mayan scientists were hundreds of years ahead of their contemporaries. Their discoveries surpassed all the achievements of Europeans living at that time.

The civilization of the New World reached the peak of its development without such major technical achievements as the invention of the potter's wheel, the wheel, the smelting of iron and steel, the use of domestic animals in agriculture and other achievements that gave impetus to the development of other peoples.

After the 10th century, the Mayan civilization fades away.

Modern scientists still cannot name the reason for the decline of one of the greatest nations of antiquity.

Exists several versions of the reason for the disappearance of a great civilization. Let's consider the most likely of them:

The nation was a group of disparate city-states, often at war with each other. The cause of hostility was the gradual depletion of soils and the decline of agriculture. The rulers, in order to maintain power, pursued a policy of capture and destruction. Surviving images from the late eighth century show that the number of internecine wars was increasing. An economic crisis was developing in most cities. The scale of the devastation was so great that it led to the decline and further disappearance of the greatest civilization.

Where did the Mayan peoples live?

The Mayans inhabited most of Central America, modern Mexico. The vast territory occupied by the tribes was distinguished by an abundance of flora and fauna, diversity natural areas- mountains and rivers, deserts and coastal zones. This was of no small importance in the development of this civilization. The Mayans lived in city-states such as Tikal, Camaknul, Uxmal, etc. The population of each of these cities was more than 20,000 people. There was no unification into one administrative entity. Having a common culture, a similar management system, and customs, these mini-states formed a civilization.

Modern Mayans - who are they and where do they live?

Modern Mayans are Indian tribes inhabiting the territory South America. Their number is more than three million. Modern descendants have the same distinctive anthropological features as their distant ancestors: short stature, low, wide skull.

Until now, the tribes live separately, only partially accepting the achievements of modern civilization.

The ancient Mayan people were far ahead of their contemporaries in the development of science and culture.

They had excellent knowledge of astronomy - they had an idea of ​​​​the pattern of movement of the sun, moon and other planets and stars. Writing and exact sciences were very developed. Unlike their distant ancestors, modern Indians do not have any achievements in the development of the culture of their people.

Video about the Mayan civilization

This documentary will tell about the mysterious Mayan peoples, what mysteries they left behind, which of their prophecies came true, and why they died:

Date December 10, 36 BC. e. is inextricably linked with the mysterious culture of the Mayans. The first stela with the date of the Mayan calendar, discovered in excavations in Mexico, dates back to this day. Scientists are still struggling with the solution to the calendar. Why is there only 260 days in it, why did the Mayans call it “Traces of God”, and most importantly, is it true that it contains the exact date of the end of the world? There are no answers to these questions yet. The calendar became just one of the many Mayan secrets, the most interesting of which are in the RG collection.

Man-made skulls

The Mayan Indians are credited with the authorship of the amazing skulls carved from quartz, amethyst and crystal discovered by archaeologists. One of the artifacts, known as the “Skull of Fate,” is kept in a New York museum. The skull has unusual optical properties. By placing any light source under it, you can see how the eye sockets of the skull begin to glow. If you place a small object under the skull in place of the light source, then by peering into the eye sockets you can discern this object inside the skull itself. Scientists cannot yet explain how the Indians carved these skulls with pinpoint precision and optical surprises. By the way, the German Nazis believed that whoever collected 13 of these skulls would gain power over the world.

Cenotes

One of the Mayan secrets is kept at the bottom of wells. Special holes in the ground in which underground water flowed were considered sacred by the Indians. Sacrifices were left there, and through the Maya wells they kept in touch with the mystical underworld. According to another version, from these failures the Indians - famous lovers of astronomy - observed the sun at its zenith. At the same time, a column of sunlight sank vertically into the water. It is noteworthy that now tourists can visit cenotes. Some of them are open for diving.

Bloodletting

The Mayan Indians remained in legends as a very bloodthirsty people. It is known that they performed human sacrifices, tore out the hearts of victims and even, it seems, did not disdain cannibalism. And there is another Indian secret in this. Since modern scientists suggest that the Mayans were not cruel at all, but released blood to people for sacred purposes, releasing and freeing the soul of the deceased. Another version, sacred - bloodletting changed the functioning of the brain, hallucinations appeared, which the Mayans considered visions from above.

Game for life

The football passions of the Mayan Indians are well known. However, scientists suspect it was more than sport. According to one version, the Mayans drove a skin-covered human skull across the field, symbolizing the epic struggle of the forces of Light with the evil gods. Moreover, the losers of the whole team were sacrificed. This gave rise to the second version, according to which the Mayans had a kind of gladiator fights. And at the same time, Indian captives came out onto the field. The losers were tied together and rolled down the many steps of the temples. At the same time, little of anything reached the bottom of the temple.

Talking crosses

Another Mayan mystery is related to Christianity. Symbols of the cross were discovered in Indian temple buildings in Palenque. According to legend, the wooden crosses spoke to the Mayans and gave valuable instructions. For example, fight with pale-faced people. Now these same crosses are located in the Mexican Quitana Roo and are still an object of worship. They just don't say anything yet.

Indian astronauts

In the same temple in Palenque, a sarcophagus lid was found, which provided rich food for the research of the famous ufologist Erich von Däniken. The fact is that on the lid the Mayans depicted a man (presumably) sitting in something similar to a spaceship (presumably). The ufologist himself believed that this was a representative of the disappeared Atlantean civilization in the cockpit of an aircraft of that time. Daniken even saw a seat belt on the pilot. Some prefer a more prosaic explanation: on the lid of the sarcophagus is the priest-ruler Pacal on the way to Xibalba - the underworld.

Origin of the Maya

The origins of the Maya Indians have always remained a headache for anthropologists. When the tombs of the Indians were partially explored, it turned out that the Mayans buried their fellow tribesmen in sarcophagi, according to the principle of the Egyptians. Rich jewelry, symbolic objects, and carefully crafted death masks have led scientists to believe that the Maya's ancestors may have been Egyptian. Which radically changes the version about the origin of the tribe from Atlantis. This means that relatives of the Indians still live somewhere.

The Mayans are an Indian people who, before Central America was conquered by the Spaniards, lived in a cultural-geographical region called Mesoamerica.

Mayan civilization - city-states that appeared in the 1st millennium AD. e. in southeastern Mexico, Honduras, and Guatemala. Hieroglyphic writing, palace and temple architecture were created, art etc. After the conquest by the Toltecs in the 9th - 10th centuries. The center of the state becomes the city, from the end of the 12th century - the city of Mayapan. The Mayan civilization was destroyed in the 16th century by the Spanish conquerors. The ruins of more than 100 cities have been preserved, the largest being Chichen Itza, Copan, Mayapan, Uxmal, and Tikal.

Disputes about the origin of the Mayan civilization, their culture and history continue. Mysterious ghost towns, built only with the use of muscle power in the jungles of Southern Mexico, attract archaeologists and various adventurers.

What do we know? Mysteries of the Mayans

Mayan settlements occupied vast areas of the south of what is now South America and neighboring countries of Central America. The spaces inhabited by modern descendants of the Mayans include the Yucatan Peninsula, Guatemala, British Honduras, the western regions of Honduras and El Salvador, and certain areas of the Mexican states of Chiapas and Tabasco.

The Mayan civilization was the most developed and longest existing in South America. The Yucatan Peninsula was its center. For a century and a half, this people has been of genuine interest to historians and researchers.

The culture of this great civilization gave rise to many questions, many of which remain unanswered to this day, for example, the jungle of Southern Mexico is not a very suitable place for life, but the Mayans decided to settle there. Why? Mystery.

The Mayan civilization used the concept of zero much earlier than the Arabs and Hindus, created a complex hieroglyphic writing system, surpassed its contemporary civilizations in the accuracy of astrological calculations, had a complex system of calendars, erected amazing temples, pyramids and palaces, reached its unprecedented heyday, living almost in the Stone Age .

Until the 10th century AD e. The Mayans did not know such achievements as metal smelting (except iron), breeding pack and draft animals, plow farming, and the wheel.

Another of the most mysterious secrets is connected with the Mayan civilization. For unknown reasons, these people left their inhabited lands and suddenly moved to the distant, undeveloped north. The cities were deserted, they were swallowed up by the jungle, magnificent palaces began to collapse due to time and the trees that grew in their fractures. The riddle is all the more unclear because at the time of the resettlement this empire was at the peak of its heyday.

The territory occupied by the Mayan civilization is highlighted in red.

So who are they, the Mayans?

What the Mayans looked like

The average height of the Mayan Indians was approximately 150 cm. Immediately after birth, the head of a Yucatan baby was pressed between two planks so that over time the cranial bones became flat due to deformation. Flat skull, long hair, arranged in a hairstyle, the front part of the head was hairless, amber was inserted into the nostrils pierced through the cartilage, bracelets made from sea oyster shells - this is what the Mayan Indian looked like. To this can be added painted bodies and faces, while the color of the paint had great importance. Red was worn by warriors, black by unmarried youths, yellow by prisoners, blue by priests. To the unique idea of ​​beauty were added teeth filed in a triangle, sometimes decorated with inlaid stones. Surprisingly, the Mayans considered squinting to be a sign of beauty. That is why a thread with a resin or wax ball was attached to the baby’s hair so that he would squint his eyes at him. Another distinctive Mayan feature is tattooing. Her absence was considered indecent.

The emergence of the Mayan civilization

There is an opinion that the ancestors of the Mayans appeared in the Mexican highlands (zones of Chiapas and Guatemala) in the first half of the 3rd millennium BC. e., to which the first shoots of the Mayan culture are related. This can be evidenced by ceramics discovered by archaeologists, stone tips for throwing weapons, rough utensils in the form of baked clay vessels and massive clay figurines.

From the middle of the 2nd millennium BC. e. Large settlements appeared in Mayan territory, and agriculture began to develop. The Mayans build huts out of wood and clay in the jungle. The high roofs of their homes were made of palm leaves.

So, from 1500 BC. e. The so-called preclassic period begins, which gave the starting point for the historical existence of the most developed civilization of Ancient America - the Maya. And it lasts from 1500 BC. e. to 250 AD e. During this time, people gained agricultural experience and began to build rural-type settlements.

Story

There are several periods of this ancient civilization:
Early Preclassic period (2000-900 BC)
Middle Preclassic period (899-400 BC)
Late Preclassic period (400 BC - 250 AD)
Early Classical Period (250-600 AD)
Late Classical Period (600-900 AD)
Decline of the Mayan civilization
Postclassical period (900-1521)
Colonial period (1521-1821)
Post-colonial period
Maya today

Astrology

Mayan astrology, using the zodiac circle as its main reference, was a way to predict the future. Also used as tools were knowledge about the movements of celestial bodies, among which a special place was given to the Moon: the waning or waxing satellite of the Earth showed how successful a particular period of time was for a certain kind of undertaking.

Mayan natal astrology, which predicted a child's character, behavior and inclinations in adulthood, is closely related to the Tzolkin calendar, each day of which could determine character. For example, those born on the day of Imish, according to the Maya, led a dissolute life, neglecting social principles, while the babies of the day of Chuen became good craftsmen and artisans. The fate determined by astrology was predetermined, but the priests had the opportunity to change it by connecting the fate of a person with the day of bringing him to the temple.

Mayan culture

It should be noted that the culture of the ancient peoples of Mesoamerica has some similarities. This suggests an exchange between these peoples of certain achievements of their cultures, which led to a certain homogeneity, which, in turn, indicates that there was a mother culture from which the roots of the Mayan culture could come.

The main evidence of this ancestor culture is hieroglyphic writing, accordion-folded books, the use of cocoa beans instead of money, a ritual ball game, a cult hero - the Feathered Serpent, and cult rituals, one of which was. Thus, the culture of the great Mayan civilization, starting from ancient times, was influenced by other cultures.

In the preclassic period, Mayan culture bears the imprint of the Olmec civilization (hence the monumental sculptures, knowledge of mathematics, calendars). It is known that the Olmecs were able to create a calendar that was superior in accuracy to the European one.

Writing

The earliest inscriptions date back to the 3rd century BC. e. The letter was used continuously until the arrival in the 16th century AD. e. Spanish conquistadors, and in some of the more isolated areas, such as Tayasal, for some time after that.

Mayan writing was a system of verbal and syllabic signs. The term “hieroglyphs” in relation to Mayan writing was used by European researchers of the 18th and 19th centuries, who could not understand the signs and found them similar to Egyptian hieroglyphics.

In the early colonial era there were still people who knew the Mayan script. There is information that some Spanish priests who arrived in Yucatan managed to study it. But soon, Bishop of Yucatan Diego de Landa, as part of a campaign to eradicate pagan customs, ordered the collection and destruction of all Mayan texts, as a result of which this led to the loss of a significant part of the manuscripts.

Only 4 Mayan codices survived the conquistadors. More full texts have been found in pottery in Mayan tombs and on monuments and steles in cities abandoned or destroyed after the Spanish arrived. The knowledge of writing was completely lost by the end of the 16th century. Interest in it arose only in the 19th century, after reports of destroyed Mayan cities were published.

Weapon

Mayan weapons were not a special achievement of technical thought. Over the course of many centuries of the existence of the Mayan civilization, it underwent minor changes. Much of the improvement has been in the art of war than in the weapons themselves.

Mayans fought with spears in battles different lengths(the height of a man or more), darts and flat club-swords, the edges of which were lined with dense rows of embedded obsidian blades. By the end of the New Kingdom period (XV - XVI centuries), the Mayans had metal battle axes (made of an alloy of copper and gold) and bows and arrows, borrowed from the Aztecs. For protection, Mayan warrior rank and file wore plump, quilted cotton shells. The nobility used armor woven from flexible branches and defended itself with willow (less commonly, tortoiseshell) large or small round or square shields. A small shield (about the size of a fist) was used not only for defense, but also as a striking weapon.

El Caracol Observatory, Chichen Itza - Mexico

Rise of the Mayan civilization

After the end of the Olmec power, the southern trading cities of the Maya began to flourish. During this period, large centers of Mayan civilization emerged - El Mirador, Tikal, Nakbe, Vashaktun. The Mayans created a system of calendars (solar, lunar and ritual), with the help of which they recorded important historical moments and also made astrological forecasts.

The southeastern city of Copan attracts special attention. He, starting from the 5th century AD. e., for 400 years it was ruled by one dynasty, the founder of which was the ruler Yash-Kuk-Mo, who came to power in 426 AD. e.

626 - Ruler Dym-Jaguar, who was a royal descendant of Pakal, ascended the throne. He reigned for 67 years and was a long-liver. He was called the Great Instigator. Perhaps, with the help of territorial wars, this ruler greatly expanded the possessions of Copan, which contributed to its prosperity. This era includes the appearance of many steles praising rulers and their merits; the development of hieroglyphic writing, the creation of magnificent temples with sculptural images of gods.

Maya today

Today, about 6.1 million Mayans live on the Yucatan Peninsula, including Belize, Guatemala and Honduras. In Guatemala, about 40% of the population is Mayan, in Belize - about 10%. Today, the Mayan religion is a mixture of Christianity and traditional Mayan beliefs. Each Mayan community today has its own religious patron. Donations can include poultry, spices or candles. Some Maya groups identify themselves through special elements in their traditional dress that distinguish them from other Maya.

The Lecandon Maya group living in Chiapas (Mexico) is known to be faithful to the preserved traditional way of life. Representatives of the group wear cotton clothes that are decorated with traditional Mayan scenes. Christianity was able to exert a superficial influence on representatives of this group. But tourism and, above all, technical and economic progress are gradually beginning to erase the group’s identity. More and more Mayans wear modern clothes, have electricity, radios and televisions in their homes, and often cars. Some of the Mayans, meanwhile, live on income from tourism, as more and more people want to get acquainted with the world and culture of the ancient Mayans.

Temple of the Cross, Temple of the Sun in the ancient city of Palenque

Mayan civilization - Interesting Facts

There is no evidence that the Mayans could have had aircraft or cars, but they certainly did have a complex system of paved roads. They possessed advanced astronomical knowledge about the movement of celestial bodies. Perhaps the most amazing evidence of this is the building with a domed roof called El Caracol located on the Yucatan Peninsula.

Archaeological excavations may indicate that the Mayans actually practiced human sacrifice, and this was considered a favor for the victims.

They believed that one still had to get to heaven: first one must go through 13 circles of hell, and only then a person will receive eternal bliss. And this path is so difficult that not all souls can reach it. However, there was also a “direct road to heaven”: women who died during childbirth, victims of wars, suicides, those who died while playing ball and ritual victims could receive it.

According to one interpretation of the codes, the Mayans came from a place that is now hidden under water, they were even mistaken for the children of Atlantis. Atlantis is, of course, a strong word. But scientists, relatively recently, managed to discover what may be the remains of ancient Mayan cities on the ocean floor. The age of the cities and the cause of the cataclysm cannot be determined.

The Mayans used three calendars. The civil calendar, or Haab, consisted of 18 months of 20 days each - for a total of 360 days. For ceremonial purposes, Tzolkin was used, which included 20 months of 13 days each, and the entire cycle was thus 260 days. Together they made up a single complex and long calendar, which contained information about the movement of planets and constellations.

There was no beginning or end in the calendar - time for the Mayans went in a circle, everything was repeated again and again. There was no such thing as “end of the year” for them - only the rhythm of planetary cycles.

The Mayans invented sports. One thing is for sure - the Mayans loved playing ball. Long before the Europeans began to dress in skins, the Mayans had already made a ball court at home and came up with the rules of the game. Their game appeared to be a tough combination of football, basketball and rugby.

About 1,000 Mayan cities have been discovered (as of the early 1980s), but not all of them have yet been excavated or explored by archaeologists. About 3,000 villages were also found.

The Mayans loved saunas. An important cleansing element for the ancient Mayans was the diaphoretic bath: water was poured onto hot stones to create steam. Everyone used such baths, from a woman who had recently given birth to a king.

Disappearance of the Mayan civilization

The reason why the Mayans could have disappeared has been named. Historians from Vienna technical university found out the reason for the decline of the Mayan Empire. As it turned out, irrigation technologies that saved crops from drought could make society more vulnerable to natural disasters. 2014 - geologists from America suggested that the cause of the extinction of the Mayans could have been an extreme drought that lasted about 100 years.

There are other versions called possible reasons disappearance of civilization: the collapse of the local farming system, terrible epidemics of diseases (for example, yellow fever), the arrival of conquerors from Mexico, social cataclysms, the forced capture of people by the Tultek rulers of Yucatan, and even earthquakes and a decline in solar activity.

Nowadays, the Mayans are an Indian tribe living in South America. Today they live in countries such as Mexico, Honduras, Guatemala and Belize. And starting from 2000 BC, it was an ancient civilization in Central America. All the ancient peoples and tribes who lived in this territory submitted to them. Maya and civilization were synonymous at that time. The ancient Mayan civilization dominated for 12 centuries. The peak of its heyday falls on the year 900 AD. After this, a long period of cultural decline begins, the reasons for which history does not reveal.

The Mayans were called people who measured their lives against the heavens. At the same time, the life of the tribe remained quite primitive. The main occupation was agriculture. The tools were the simplest. Scientists claim that the Mayans did not even know the wheel. What is even more striking is the fact that during its heyday, the Mayan tribe created unique works of art, temples, tombs, miracle cities and other architectural monuments. Even more amazing is their knowledge of astronomy, the system they created for measuring time and writing.

At the time when colonialists from the old world set foot on the eastern coast of South America, the Mayan civilization came into almost complete decline. During its heyday, it occupied the entire Central America. The colonialists treated the works of art and architectural monuments they inherited from the Mayan civilization with a barbaric attitude. They considered them “pagan idols,” a legacy of pagan culture, and ruthlessly destroyed them. But even what remains today of the culture and knowledge of the ancient Mayans amazes the imagination of modern scientists.

Rightfully, one of the main achievements of the Mayans is their unique calendar, which is based on accurate astronomical calculations. Our scientists never cease to admire its amazing accuracy. The ancient Mayan priests used their astronomical observations both to solve pressing issues (for example, in agriculture) and to explain more global problems. So the Mayan priests calculated very accurately life cycles our planet, which is confirmed by modern scientists. With the onset of 2012, everyone is especially worried about the Mayan prediction about the supposedly impending end of the world. Everyone decides for themselves whether to believe the ancient Mayan prophecies about the approaching apocalypse.

One thing is certain: the reasons why this ancient civilization disappeared remain mysterious and incomprehensible today. People simply left their cities in droves. There are several versions, but no one knows what exactly the real reason is. Who they are and where they came from remains a mystery today...

For those who want to know more, we suggest watching the video film: “Mexico. Mayan. Unknown story." in 6 parts. The film was created on the basis of materials collected during an expedition to Mexico in March 2007 and is based on facts that have been hidden and hushed up for a long time. Enjoy watching.

Video film: “Mexico. Mayan. Unknown story"

MAOU Naro-Fominsk secondary general education

School No. 3 with in-depth study of individual subjects

Topic: “Mayan Tribe. Mysteries of ancient civilization"

RESEARCH WORK ON HISTORY

Kravchenko Egor

3 "B" class

Head: Konyakhina S.A.

Naro-Fominsk

2013

Plan

Introduction........................................................ ........................................ 4

Mayan tribe. Who are they?............................................... ........... 5

Life and social structure of the Mayan Indians.................................. 8

Mathematics Maya................................................... ................ 12

What is the Mayan calendar.......... 14

Architecture of the Mayan civilization.................................................... 16

Ancient manuscripts of the Mayan tribe.................................................. 19

Conclusion................................................. ................................ 22

Bibliography................................................. ........................... 23

Application ……………………………………………………. 24

Introduction

So 2012 has passed, and accordingly the whole world “experienced” December 21, 2012. All TV channels were making noise about this day, talking and discussing it on the radio, and, naturally, I was interested in this date, or rather, what was connected with it - the “end of the world” predicted by some Mayans.

So who are these people who spread fear throughout the world with their predictions, why are they interesting, and why, after many years, does modern humanity listen to their prophecies?

When working on this topic, I set myself the goal of getting to know the Mayan civilization, understanding what makes it unique and distinguishing truth from fiction in Mayan predictions. Studying the life, culture and achievements of the Maya Indians helped me achieve this goal.

1. Mayan tribe. Who are they?

About 10,000 years ago, when the last ice age ended, people from the north moved to explore the southern lands, now known as Latin America. They settled in the territory that later constituted the Mayan region, with mountains and valleys, dense forests and arid plains. The Maya region includes modern Guatemala, Belize, southern Mexico, Honduras, and El Salvador.

Over the next 6,000 years, the local population transitioned from a semi-nomadic existence as hunter-gatherers to a more sedentary agricultural lifestyle. They learned to grow corn and beans, used a variety of stone tools to grind grain and prepare food. Gradually settlements arose. Around 1500 BC. e. The widespread construction of rural-type settlements began, which served as a signal for the beginning of the so-called “preclassic period”, from which the countdown of centuries of the glorious Mayan civilization begins.

It originates in the early pre-classical period of history (2000 BC). It was then that the city of Cueyo was built. Over the next millennium, Copane, Lamanai and Cahal Pech also appeared - the most ancient Mayan cities found. The Indians built temples, palaces, living quarters and even underground storerooms in their cities. Over the next five hundred years, the territory inhabited by the Mayans expanded significantly. Their trade begins to develop. Significant changes are taking place in science and art. And already in 400 BC the Mayans created their first calendar. Changes begin to occur in society, it becomes hierarchical. At the same time, the founding of the city of Teotihucan takes place - the place where a person becomes a god. For a long time, this city has been the cultural and spiritual center of Mesoamerica. He has a significant influence on the development of the entire Mayan civilization. The Indians carefully designed Teotihucan. It had a regular network of streets intersecting strictly at right angles with the central avenue.

The period from 600 to 900 AD saw the rise of the Mayan civilization. The Indians built cities of up to ten thousand people, which significantly exceeded the number of European cities at that time. Moreover, the cities of that time were connected by a network of roads.

But in the subsequent half-century period of history, something mysterious happens, which leads to the decline of the highly developed Mayan cities. However, an even greater mystery for scientists is the sudden disappearance of civilization Mayan. Around 830 AD, all the cities of the Indians were abandoned, and the people living in these cities went into the jungle and degraded to lower levels of tribes. At the same time, all priestly teachings disappeared or were transformed, losing their scientific value. Civilization stops its development and begins to decline. Scientists do not have a consensus on this matter. Whether an environmental disaster occurred, whether a disease struck people, or conquerors came. An unknown cause causes a significant decline in the population. Already from the tenth century AD, the Mayans stopped erecting stone structures.

In the sixteenth century, the Spaniards began to conquer the territory where the remaining Mayans lived. The people resist the conquerors. But after 170 years of struggle, the Spaniards completely subjugate all the lands.

At the end of the colonial period in 1821, Mexico gained complete independence from Spain. The Mayan tribes living in this territory begin a large-scale fifty-year uprising against the authoritarianism of the Mexican government. But it turns out to be suppressed.

Today, the Mayans and Aztecs make up 30% of Mexico's population.

But the path of development of these civilizations ceased to be original since the invasion of the Spanish colonialists. The Mayan tribe, although it maintains a unique identity in culture, lifestyle and clothing, will never form a powerful, highly developed civilization.

This is how the greatest of the world's civilizations was born, developed and collapsed. But she left behind many secrets and mysteries. In particular, the foreshadowing of the end of the world or the transition of humanity from one era to another is of concern to many.

2. Life and social structure of the Mayan Indians

A person was a valuable member of society, carrying throughout his life what he was taught in childhood. This is how modern historians describe the Mayan people:The average man is 1.5–1.6 meters tall, while women are on average 10–15 centimeters shorter. Skin color is brown, with a copper tint, eyes are black or dark brown, hair is black.

The Mayan people had their own ideas about beauty, for example, they considered squint to be one of the signs of beauty, for which a bead was attached to the child’s hair, which was supposed to hang between the eyes and thereby contribute to the appearance of the desired effect.

Another advantage was a high, flat forehead, which was a sign of intelligence and high position. This could also be achieved artificially: usually a small plate was attached to the child’s skull using cloth, which deformed the skull exactly as the baby’s parents needed it.

Upon reaching a certain age, when boys and girls could already be considered adults, both of them filed their teeth. Sharp teeth were considered a sign of beauty. At the same time, those who had the opportunity inlaid their teeth with jade or turquoise.

The Mayans did not need durable clothing: the warm climate was not conducive to the development of this type of craft. The men wore simple loincloths and a kind of cloak called a “pati” that was draped over their shoulders. Very few people owned deerskin moccasins. Women wore two items of clothing: a cube - a long piece of fabric with a pattern and holes for the head and arms, and a similar item that served as underwear. In cool weather, both men and women used a “manta” - a square piece of dense fabric that served as a blanket the rest of the time. By the way, it was also hung instead of a door to the house. Some researchers believe that cotton clothing was the privilege of the powerful classes, while others made do with palm fibers. The Mayans knew a variety of natural dyes, almost all traditional European ones and a few more from local plant species, so clothing was distinguished by a riot of colors, naturally, for those who could afford it.

The scarcity of clothing was successfully replaced by the abundance of jewelry worn by both men and women. Jewelry was made from any available material: bones, stones, wood, feathers and was worn on the lips, nose, and ears.

Rich tribesmen could afford jewelry made of metal and jade. The Mayans covered their bodies with paint: warriors - black and red, priests - blue (as well as victims), teenagers - black, slaves were painted with black and white stripes.

One of the main occupations of the ancient Mayans was agriculture. Farming was very developed; the vast majority of residents were engaged in it. Mostly farmers grew legumes, grains, vegetables, and fruits on their plots. The most common cereal in the Mayan fields is corn. But in addition to it, they also planted cocoa, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, papaya, avocado and other crops.

To improve soil fertility, the “milpa” or edged-fire technology was used. Its essence is that in early spring the Indians mowed grass and bushes, and then dried it all and set it on fire. Holes were made on land fertilized with ash, where seeds were planted. To slow down the decline in soil fertility, crop rotation was used. Different crops were swapped every year, as a result of which the same area could be sown for many years. When the yield fell, they moved to a new place.

Terrace farming was used on mountain slopes. The Mayans built stone lintels that were covered with earth. Such terraces made it possible to obtain good harvests in very rugged terrain, where conventional farming is impossible or very difficult.

Plants were grown not only for personal food, but also for livestock feed, for making clothing, for dyes, and for medicinal purposes. Plant medicine in general was very well developed among the Mayans. The Mayans had very few domestic animals, mostly dogs. They had no draft animals at all. But there was a lot of poultry, mainly ducks and turkeys. The bird provided not only meat, but also feathers to decorate clothes.

In addition to the above, the Maya's source of food was also fishing, hunting wild animals and beekeeping. However, the Mayans extracted honey not only from wild bees, but also bred domestic ones.

The main food product is corn. Many different dishes were prepared from it. Corn flour was used to make flatbreads and a variety of baked goods.

In the Mayan tribes there was a gender and age division of labor. Men were engaged in farming, hunting, and fishing. Women ran the household, sewed clothes, and ground grain. Children helped their parents from an early age. No one in the Mayan family was idle.
According to archaeological research, it became known that throughout the history of this ancient civilization, the Mayan people were never united. As in many other ancient states, society was divided into castes. The higher castes included rulers, priests and large landowners, and the lower castes included simple workers.

In Mayan culture, religion played a vital role, because... permeated all spheres of life. The priests enjoyed enormous influence among the nobility and the people because, by presiding over ceremonies and rituals, they provoked paranormal phenomena, attributing them to various gods. The gods personified the forces of nature, the stars and the rain necessary for survival.

Among the gods in whose honor holidays were held, to whom people repented and sacrificed themselves, the following stand out: Chaak, the god of Rain and Lightning; Hunab Ku, God the Creator; Itzamna, Lord of Heaven; Ish-Chel, goddess of the Moon and childbirth; Ik, god of Wind; Ek-Chuah, patron of cocoa and god of war; Ah Puch, the god of Death, who was also called Yum Kimil or Kisin. The Mayans believed that before them, the gods repeatedly destroyed and created the Universe, in which people changed to become better people and finally reached the world of their era, where people, created from cornmeal, had to maintain the favor of the gods with gifts and sacrifices so that these, in turn, supported the existence of the cosmos.

According to Mayan mythology, human blood nourished and strengthened the gods, who, in turn, gave strength to people. It was believed that the blood of the tongue has the greatest magical power. earlobes and genitals. During the bloodletting ritual, crowds of thousands of people gathered in the central square of the city. The families of the rulers were entrusted with the obligation to perform the rite of bloodletting at every important event in the life of the city-states, be it the consecration of new buildings, the onset of the sowing season, the beginning or end of a military campaign.

3. Mathematics Maya

The Mayans used the 20 number system in mathematics. Why exactly 20 became the basis of their counting is no longer possible to establish. But simple logic comes to the rescue. It suggests that for the ancient Mayans, man himself became an ideal mathematical model, which they took as a unit of calculation. Indeed, what could be more natural and simpler numbers fingers and toes?

By the way, there is confirmation of this explanation. The word "vinal" (as the twenty-day month was called in the Mayan language) is associated with the words "twenty" and "man". Apparently, when saying “one person,” the ancient Mayans mechanically imagined the number 20 (if, of course, at that time we were talking about some kind of quantitative units). It is known that the vast majority of the peoples of the world now use the so-called Arabic digital system, created in India in the 5th century AD. In accordance with this system, numbers stand one after another from the first order to the subsequent ones, namely: units, tens, hundreds, thousands, etc. The ancient Mayans also came to use the positional principle. However, unlike the Europeans, they had no one to borrow this principle from. They came up with it themselves, almost a thousand years earlier! Only they recorded the numbers not horizontally (in a line), but vertically, from bottom to top, as if building a kind of bookcase of numbers.

Mayan numbering was based on three characters. A dot represented one, a line represented five, and a stylized snail was used to represent zero or the number 20. Thus, the numbers 1 to 4 were represented by dots, the number 5 by a line, the number 6 by a line with a dot, and the number 18 by three lines and three dots above them and so on.

It is noteworthy that the Mayans introduced the sign for zero into calculations many centuries earlier than the Europeans did. The invention of this sign at such a remote time raises the mathematical genius of the Maya to astonishing heights. This meant the greatest progress in the field of abstract thinking.

What calculations did the Mayans make? From the reports of the Spaniards we know that arithmetic calculations were carried out by merchants. But, first of all, mathematical operations using multi-digit numbers are associated with astronomical calculations, which were the basis of the calendar.

So, starting with the concrete (one person - twenty fingers), the ancient Mayans rose to the pinnacle of abstract thinking, creating a 20-digit counting system and operating with infinitely large quantities!

It is interesting to note that the Mayans were familiar with them not only theoretically. For example, steles from the holy city of Copan, entirely decorated with dates. On one of them, the priests wrote down the starting date of the human race - 504-1738 BC!

4. What is the Mayan calendar?

One of the main Mayan secrets associated with their famous calendar. It was created on the basis of astronomical research, and the amazing accuracy of its forecasts is confirmed by modern scientists. Ancient Mayan priests , who simultaneously performed the functions of astronomers, carried out their observations of the sky from special stone observatories, and they pursued very mundane goals, making up their famous Mayan calendar. Astronomical calculations were needed for successful farming of the tribe: thus, the planning of agricultural work depended on the position of the planets.

But astronomy also helped solve more global problems. Through this science, it is possible to calculate the life cycles of the Earth, which is what the Mayan priests did.

By Mayan calendar, the record of the era in which we live goes from the beginning of the 4th century BC, and it should have ended in 2012 The priests proposed a theory according to which humanity exists through four “Suns”, and the modern era is the “Fifth Sun”. By conviction Mayan soothsayers , the end of each era must be accompanied by natural disasters of unprecedented power, for this reason we have formed the opinion of end of the world in 2012 . There is a guess that the modern cycle was called the “Sun of Movement” by the Mayans. It is believed that they assumed that the movement of our planet (or rather, its earth's crust), may be a factor the end of the world or the onset of a new earth cycle.

The structure of the calendar is truly original and significantly different from all other known calendar systems! The calendar of the ancient South American Mayan tribe is a complex and interesting tool for recording the flow of calendar time, which is based on the galactic cycle.

It was a special calendar that combined not only the lunar and solar cycles, but also took into account the period and speed of revolution of the Solar system around the center of the Galaxy.

As a matter of fact, history knows at least two calendar systems of this ancient people. One is haab. This is a civil, everyday calendar, the year of which consisted of 365 days: 18 months of 20 days; 5 days at the end of the year (according to one version - from July 11 to 15, according to another - from December 18 to 22) were called days without a name and were automatically added to the main number of days.

It is according to the Haab calendar that July 16 (according to another version - December 23) is considered the beginning of the new year among the Mayans. According to ancient legend, on this day a giant comet struck the solar system - from that moment the Mayan civilization began.

The second calendar system, called Tzolkin, had a ritual purpose.

Only priests who called themselves messengers of the Galaxy or star travelers lived according to this calendar ( ordinary people they didn’t even touch it). The measurement of time according to this calendar is usually called the galactic cycle. The Tzolkin year consisted of 260 days and was divided into 13 months of 20 days. 13 and 20 are two numbers especially revered by the Mayans.

5. Architecture of the Mayan civilization

As for housing, while ordinary community members huddled in small huts with plastered walls and thatched roofs, priests and representatives of the ruling elite were housed in stone buildings, the best of which belonged to the high priest. His palace was also built of stone.
The central areas of the cities were inhabited by priests and other representatives of the upper castes, whose mansions were located around the temple. The outskirts of the city were the place of residence of poor people. It is characteristic that all city wells were concentrated in the central areas near the houses of dignitaries and priests.

The most significant building, located in the center of each city, was a step pyramid, which served as a tomb for noble people.

The pyramids were built mainly from sandstone, limestone or tuff, and were processed with a primitive stone tool - a stone chisel. What is characteristic is that already at that time massive thick walls were covered with a layer of lime plaster, decorative mosaics, and artistic painting. One cannot ignore the legendary pyramid built in honor of the powerful god Kulkan, often called the Temple of Kulkan, or the “Feathered Serpent.”

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25 meters high, the structure is oriented strictly to the cardinal points. On the day of the spring and autumn equinox, on the steps of the pyramid, an entertaining visual effect is observed: an image of the sacred serpent, consisting of light and shadow, slides along the steps to the base of the pyramid. This phenomenon is observed within 3 hours.

One of significant monuments architecture that has survived to our times is the Sacred Well, or as it is also called – the Well of Sacrifices. 60 m wide and about 30 m deep, it was an altar of sacrifice. The Mayan tribes had a legend that beautiful girls, can beg the gods for a fruitful year, and when the need for rain arose, the girls rushed into the well.

Mayan structures consisted of many stone slabs, which required skills in stone cutting and sculpting. The Mayans are believed to have invented prefabricated structures. The Mayans did not know metals suitable for making tools; a stone chisel was used in all construction work. They were the only ones who used lime mortar in construction. The remains of playing fields for a kind of basketball have been found, where players threw a rubber ball into reinforced stone hoops. An art directly related to architecture, sculpture, is represented by various stone sculptures of the nobility and gods. Stone was also used to process stone images.

It is also worthwhile to dwell on the study of the frescoes of the Mayan tribe. Those who have visited the Mayan homeland are often amazed at the striking similarity between the modern inhabitants of Yucatan and the images of their distant ancestors...

The capital of Yucatan is Merida. The life of this city is connected with the Mayans. The language spoken here is derived from the language of the ancient Mayans. Its inhabitants are not like other nations Latin America. Their faces are remarkably reminiscent of the faces of Mayan statues.

It seems that they all just stepped out of the frescoes and bas-reliefs of the ancient temples and palaces of Palenque, Bonampak, Uxmal, Chichen Itza... A humpbacked, almost semicircular nose, a sharp, but not protruding chin, slightly slanting black eyes. And only the forehead is not as tilted and thrown back as the artists and sculptors of antiquity depicted it.

6. Ancient Mayan manuscripts

When Spanish priests arrived in Yucatan in the 16th century, they found hundreds of books and burned them. One of the types of chronicles of the ancient people was lost almost forever...What is left to us from the written heritage of the ancient Mayans? Fortunately, four Mayan manuscripts miraculously survived the fires of the Spanish Inquisition. On a long strip of brown paper, made from ficus bast and folded like a fan, mysterious signs and incomprehensible drawings were applied with a hair brush. The path and circumstances of the movement of these books from their native places to Europe are unknown. Only their current location is known for certain.

One manuscript of 74 pages is kept in Dresden (the so-called “Dresden Codex”). Its length is 3.56 meters, page size is 20.5 x 9 cm.

Of the existing Mayan codices, this is considered the most beautiful and the most ancient. It stands out for its refined lines and amazing color.

Another manuscript, consisting of 112 pages, is kept in Madrid (Madrid Codex). Its length is 6 meters. It is also folded, however, it has no beginning and end.

In even worse condition is a fragment of a 24-page manuscript found in the archives of a Paris library. The Parisian Codex is 1.45 meters long, contains a text of 1,600 hieroglyphs and numerous images of deities.

The fourth manuscript, the so-called Grolier Codex, is very poorly preserved and contains only fragmentary texts.

The main character of all manuscripts is the god Chak, depicted with long nose and sharp fangs. In his hands this deity holds tools for cultivating the land used by the Indians: a digging stick, an ax and a torch. It is characteristic that Chak, as the god of fertility and agriculture, was in most cases depicted against the backdrop of rain.

Rain and slash-and-burn agriculture are common motifs in Mayan art. Thus, on one of the stone reliefs found in the ancient site of Tikal, a priest is carved, whose costume is decorated with the image of a frog (any amphibian was considered by this people to be a symbol of rain and fertility). At the same time, the priest rests on an improved digging stick with one hand, and raises the other to the heavens, as if offering a prayer. On the steles of Tikal you can also find scenes of ritual sowing, performed by the ruler, who, kneeling, throws a handful of grains into the ground. The ruler's head is crowned with a wreath of maize leaves. Each Mayan agricultural culture had its own deity.

There is no doubt that in terms of content, all known Mayan manuscripts are priestly missals, indicating on what day and to which gods sacrifices should be made. The codes are based on astrological and calendar tables, according to which the priests predicted the hours of the appearance of planets in the sky.

Of course, if the acts of medieval vandalism had not become so widespread, a much larger number of manuscripts would have been preserved. But the fires did not incinerate the memory and soul of the Indians. Much of what was written down in the burned books remained in the oral tradition and from there migrated into new books.