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The majestic Mayan civilization, formed before our era, left behind many mysteries. It is known for its developed writing and architecture, mathematics, art, and astronomy. The well-known Mayan calendar was incredibly accurate. And this is not all the legacy that the Indians left behind, who became famous as one of the most developed and most brutal peoples in the world.

Who are the Mayans?

The ancient Mayans were an Indian people who lived at the turn of the 1st millennium BC. - II millennium AD Researchers claim that they numbered more than three million people. They settled in tropical forests, built cities of stone and limestone, and cultivated unsuitable lands for agriculture, where they grew maize, pumpkin, beans, cocoa, cotton and fruits. The descendants of the Mayans are the Indians of Central America and part of the Spanish-speaking population of the southern states of Mexico.

Where did the ancient Mayans live?

A large Mayan tribe settled in the vast territory of what is now Mexico, Belize and Guatemala, western Honduras and El Salvador (Central America). The center of civilization development was in the North. Since the soils were quickly depleted, people were forced to move and change settlements. The occupied lands were distinguished by a variety of natural landscapes:

in the north - the limestone Petén plateau, where hot humid climate, and the Alta Verapaz mountains;
in the south – a chain of volcanoes and coniferous forests;
the rivers flowing through the Mayan lands carried their waters to the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea;
on the Yucatan Peninsula, where salt was mined, the climate is arid.

Mayan civilization - achievements

Mayan culture surpassed its time in many ways. Already in 400-250. BC. people began to build monumental structures and architectural complexes, and reached unique heights in the sciences (astronomy, mathematics), and agriculture. During the so-called Classic Period (from 300 to 900 AD), the ancient Mayan civilization reached its peak. People perfected the art of jade carving, sculpture and artistic painting, observed the heavenly bodies, developed writing. The achievements of the Mayans are still amazing.

Ancient Mayan architecture

At the dawn of time, without having at hand modern technology, the ancient people built amazing structures. The main material for construction was limestone, from which powder was made and a solution resembling cement was prepared. With its help, stone blocks were fastened, and the limestone walls were reliably protected from moisture and wind. An important part of all buildings was the so-called “Mayan vault”, a false arch - a kind of narrowing of the roof. The architecture differed depending on the period:

The first buildings were huts placed on low platforms to protect against flooding.
The first ones were assembled from several platforms installed one on top of the other.
During the Golden Age of cultural development, acropolises were built everywhere - ceremonial complexes consisting of pyramids, palaces, even playgrounds.
The ancient Mayan pyramids reached 60 meters in height and were shaped like a mountain. Temples were erected on their tops - cramped, windowless, square houses.
Some cities had observatories - round towers with a room for observing the Moon, Sun and stars.

Mayan calendar

Space played a big role in the life of ancient tribes, and the main achievements of the Mayans are closely connected with it. Based on two annual cycles, a chronology system was created. For long-term observations of time, the Long Count calendar was used. For short periods, the Mayan civilization had several Solar calendars:

religious (in which the year lasted 260 days) had ritual significance;
practical (365 days) used in everyday life;
chronological (360 days).

Weapons of the ancient Mayans

When it comes to weapons and armor, the ancient Mayan civilization was unable to reach significant heights. For long centuries existence, they did not change much, because the Mayans devoted much more time and effort to improving the art of war. Used in wars and hunting the following types weapons:

spears (long, taller than a person, with a stone tip);
spear thrower - a stick with a stop;
dart;
bows and arrows;
blowgun;
axes;
knives;
clubs;
slings;
networks.

Ancient Mayan figures

The ancient Mayan number system was based on a base-20 system, which is unusual for modern people. Its origins are a method of counting in which all fingers and toes were used. The Indians had a structure of four blocks with five numbers in each. Zero was schematically represented as an empty oyster shell. This sign also denotes infinity. To record the remaining numbers, cocoa beans, small pebbles, and sticks were used, since the numbers were a mixture of dots and dashes. Using three elements, any number could be written:

a point is a unit,
line - then five;
sink - zero.

Ancient Mayan medicine

It is known that the ancient Mayans created a highly developed civilization and tried to take care of every fellow tribesman. Knowledge of maintaining hygiene and health, applied in practice, elevated the Indians above other peoples of that time. Specially trained people dealt with medical issues. Doctors very accurately identified many diseases (including tuberculosis, ulcers, asthma, etc.) and fought them with the help of drugs, baths, and inhalations. The ingredients of the medicines were:

herbs;
meat, skin, tails, horns of animals;
bird feathers;
available means - dirt, soot.

Dentistry and surgery reached a high level among the Maya people. Thanks to the sacrifices carried out, the Indians knew human anatomy, and doctors could perform operations on the face and body. The affected areas or those where there was a suspicion of a tumor were removed with a knife, the wounds were sutured with a needle with a hair instead of a thread, and the anesthesia was used narcotic substances. Knowledge in medicine is a kind of ancient Mayan treasure that is worth admiring.

Ancient Mayan art

The diverse Mayan culture was formed under the influence of the geographical environment and other peoples: the Olmecs and Toltecs. But she is amazing, unlike any other. What is unique about the Mayan civilization and its art? All subspecies were aimed at the ruling elite, that is, they were created to please the kings in order to make an impression. To a greater extent this concerns architecture. Another feature: an attempt to create an image of the Universe, a smaller copy of it. This is how the Mayans declared their harmony with the world. Features of the subtypes of art were expressed as follows:

Music was closely associated with religion. There were even special gods responsible for music.
Dramatic art reached its peak, the actors were professionals in their field.
Painting was mainly wall painting. The paintings were of a religious or historical nature.
The main theme of the sculpture is deities, priests, rulers. While the common people were portrayed in a pointedly humiliating manner.
Weaving was developed in the Mayan Empire. Clothing varied greatly depending on gender and status. The people traded their best fabrics with other tribes.

Where did the Mayan civilization disappear to?

One of the main questions that interests historians and researchers is: how and for what reasons did a prosperous empire decline? The destruction of the Mayan civilization began in the 9th century AD. In the southern regions, the population began to rapidly decline, and the water supply system became unusable. People left their homes, and the construction of new cities stopped. This led to the fact that there was no time great empire turned into scattered settlements fighting among themselves. In 1528, the Spanish began their conquest of Yucatan and by the 17th century had completely subjugated the region.

Why did the Mayan civilization disappear?

Researchers are still arguing about what caused the death of the great culture. Two hypotheses are put forward:

Ecological, based on the balance of man and nature. Long-term exploitation of soils has led to their depletion, which has caused food shortages and drinking water.
Non-ecological. According to this theory, the empire could decline due to climate change, epidemic, conquest or some kind of catastrophe. For example, some researchers believe that the Mayans could have died even due to minor climate change (droughts, floods).

Mayan civilization - interesting facts

Not only the disappearance, but also many other mysteries of the Mayan civilization still haunt historians. The last place where the life of the tribe was recorded: northern Guatemala. Nowadays only archaeological excavations tell about history and culture and according to them it is possible to collect Interesting Facts O ancient civilization:

People from the Mayan tribe loved to take a steam bath and play ball. The games were a mixture of basketball and rugby, but with more serious consequences - the losers were sacrificed.
The Mayans had strange ideas about beauty, for example, slanting eyes, pointed fangs and elongated heads were “in fashion”. To do this, mothers from childhood placed the child's skull in a wooden vice and hung objects in front of the eyes to achieve strabismus.
Research has shown that the ancestors of the highly developed Mayan civilization are still alive, and there are at least 7 million of them around the world.

Books about the Mayan civilization

Many works by contemporary authors from Russia and abroad tell about the rise and fall of the empire and unsolved mysteries. To learn more about the disappeared people, you can study the following books about the Mayan civilization:

"The Mayan people." Alberto Rus.
"Mysteries of lost civilizations." IN AND. Gulyaev.
"Mayan. Life, religion, culture." Ralph Whitlock.
"Mayan. Vanished civilization. Legends and facts." Michael Ko.
Encyclopedia "The Lost World of the Mayans."

The Mayan civilization left behind many cultural achievements and even more unsolved mysteries. So far, the question of its emergence and decline remains unanswered. We can only make assumptions. In an attempt to solve many mysteries, researchers stumble upon more large quantity secrets One of the most majestic ancient civilizations remains the most mysterious and attractive.

When the Spanish conquistadors led by Hernandez de Cordoba arrived on the Yucatan Peninsula in Central America at the beginning of the 16th century, they met here with the legendary Mayan Indians. At that time, their civilization was already in serious decline and crisis. But it was not always so...

Pre-classical and classical period

It is believed that the history of the Mayan civilization began in the third millennium BC. e. Traditionally, scientists distinguish the pre-classical, classical and post-classical periods of its development.

In the preclassic period (that is, until about 250 AD), the first city-states appeared in Yucatan, the technologies of shifting agriculture, technologies for creating fabrics, tools, tools, etc. were mastered. As examples of large cities of the preclassic period, it is worth mentioning Nakbe and El Mirador. It was in El Mirador that the largest Mayan pyramid was discovered. Its height was 72 meters.

As for writing, it appeared among the Mayans around 700 BC. e. In general, these people had one of the most advanced writing systems. The Mayans left inscriptions everywhere, including on the walls of their buildings. These inscriptions later helped shed light on many aspects of their lives.

In the classical period, the Mayan civilization consisted of many large and busy cities, and each of them was ruled by its own ruler. Mayan culture at this time spread to the entire Yucatan Peninsula. Also at this time, new magnificent cities arose - Coba, Chichen Itza, Uxmal, etc.

During the heyday, acropolises were erected in Mayan cities - ceremonial complexes tens of meters high, including pyramids, palaces and other objects. And at the very top of the acropolises, small square temples without windows were necessarily built. In some cities there were also observatories - towers with places for observing other planets and stars.

Cities, temples and large cultivated areas were connected by roads, the so-called sakbe. Sakbe was made of crushed stone, pebbles and limestone - that is, these were not just country roads, but something much more advanced and perfect.

Areas in which the Mayans achieved significant success

The Mayans managed to create a truly unique civilization. They did not know the wheel and did not know how to work iron. These Indians also did not succeed in the production of weapons. Over the course of many centuries, their weapon designs did not change much (and this is probably one of the reasons why the Europeans ended up being stronger). But this did not stop the Mayans from understanding mathematics, geometry and astronomy well, and building high pyramids and temples. A significant element of all the buildings was the “Mayan vault” - an original arched narrowing of the roof, not found almost anywhere else.

The ancient Mayans also knew how to make complex hydraulic irrigation systems. Thanks to this, on soils that were quite difficult from the point of view of agriculture, they grew useful crops.

Medicine among the ancient Mayans was also well developed. They treated people by people who had undergone certain training. Local healers accurately identified many ailments (including asthma, tuberculosis, ulcers, etc.) and fought them through inhalations and potions prepared from natural ingredients of medicines.

The Mayans knew human anatomy in detail, and therefore local doctors were able to perform complex operations. The affected areas of the body or areas where the tumor developed were removed with knives, the wounds were stitched with a needle and hair, and substances with a narcotic effect were used for anesthesia.

The Mayan physicians had instruments made of volcanic glass and stones at their disposal. By the way, not only medical, but also many other tools and devices, the Maya created precisely from these materials. And some of them, according to modern scientists, were even more perfect than European metal counterparts.

Mayan art during the classical period also amazed with its complexity, sophistication and grace. It found its expression in bas-reliefs, wall paintings, ceramics, and sculptures. The works of art left by the Mayans are distinguished by their affinity for mythological themes and complex grotesque images. Key motifs include anthropomorphic deities, snakes and expressive masks.

Calendar and Mayan counting system

The calendar created by the Mayans is worthy of a separate discussion - it was indeed very intricate and long. The year, according to this calendar, was divided into eighteen months of twenty days. However, the Mayans did not have such concepts as “beginning of the year” or “end of the year” - the Indians simply calculated the cycles and rhythms of planetary movement. Time for the Mayans moved in a circle, everything was repeated again and again. This amazingly accurate calendar also contained detailed information about the movements of celestial bodies.

And one more fun fact related to the Mayan calendar. One day, scientists in southeastern Mexico found a stele left over from the ancient Indians. According to the inscriptions on this stela, the Mayan calendar ended on December 21, 2012. For some reason, many began to consider this date as the date of the end of the world. In the end, everything turned out to be a farce - nothing special happened on either December 21 or 22, 2012.

The fact that the Mayan year was divided into months of 20 days is not accidental. The local counting system was 20-digit. Since ancient times, the Indians of Central America (Mesoamerica) used their fingers and toes simultaneously when counting. Each twenty was further divided into fives, which corresponds to the number of fingers.

For the convenience of calculations, the Mayans even introduced the designation zero. It was represented as a hollow shell from a snail (infinity was also expressed by the same symbol). Zero is really needed in many mathematical calculations, however, for example, in ancient Greece this figure was not used - they simply did not think of it.

Sacrifice and other cruel Mayan customs

The ancient Maya really practiced human sacrifice very actively - this is one of the most famous facts about this Indian civilization. People were sacrificed in truly barbaric ways, including by tearing the heart out of the chest and by burying it alive.

It was believed that the person who was chosen as a victim was given the highest honor - he received the status of a messenger to the deities. Mathematicians and astronomers made special calculations to find out when the best time to make the sacrifice and who the best way suitable for this role. In this regard, the victims were often their own fellow tribesmen, and not the Aztecs or Olmecs.

In the polytheistic Mayan religion, gods were considered mortal entities. And this is proven by the images of child gods and old gods left by the Indians. And we can conclude that the sacrifices were intended to further extend the life of this or that god.

The Mayans also believed that a person must go through thirteen rounds of trials before getting to heaven. This path was considered very difficult; it was believed that not all souls were able to complete it to the end. However, women who died during childbirth, warriors who died in battle, and ritual victims, according to the beliefs of the ancient Mayans, went to the gods immediately, bypassing all circles.

It was also believed that those who lost in a kind of ball game ended up in a better world without unnecessary trials. This sports game was a mixture of rugby, football and basketball. It was played by men wearing helmets and wearing protection on their elbows and knees. The goal of the game was extremely simple - it was necessary to throw a rubber ball into a hoop located at a height of six meters. The ball could only be touched with the shoulders, hips and feet. The entire losing team or several of its members were killed at the end of the game.

Postclassical period

Around 850 AD. e. The Mayans began to abandon their majestic cities, one after another, and the reasons for this phenomenon are still not clear. Complex buildings and water supply systems began to fall into disrepair. After some time, the Mayans basically stopped building new tall buildings, holding ceremonies and practicing astronomy.

In less than two centuries the greatness of civilization had largely faded away. There are some prosperous ones left settlements, but the Mayans were never destined to regain their former greatness. Thus, civilization entered its postclassical period (987 - end of the 16th century). This time was marked by the adoption of harsh new laws, new styles of art, a mixing of cultures, internecine wars and eventually the arrival of the conquistadors.

Reasons for the decline of civilization

Researchers are still arguing about the reasons why the Mayan civilization degenerated so quickly. All hypotheses regarding the actual disappearance of the Mayan civilization are divided into two groups - ecological and non-ecological.

Ecological hypotheses are based on the following message: the Maya were out of balance with the natural environment in which they lived. That is, the rapidly growing population is faced with a lack of quality soil suitable for agriculture, as well as drought and a shortage of drinking water.

There are scientists who very actively defend the version of a terrible drought that forced the Mayans to leave the cities (in particular, the geologist Gerald Haug). And in early 2012, scientists from the University of Southampton published the results of their rigorous research, which also confirm this version. According to these studies, the shortage of fresh water in the Yucatan could become noticeable with a drop in rainfall of 40 percent (and such a drop probably took place between 810 and 950 AD). This anomaly led to a shortage of drinking water, familiar image The life of the Mayans began to collapse and they left their cities en masse.

Non-environmental hypotheses are hypotheses about internecine wars, conquests by other tribes of Indians, epidemics, certain social disasters. And, for example, the version of the Mayan conquest is confirmed by some archaeological finds in the Yucatan. More specifically, artifacts belonging to the Toltecs, another people of Mesoamerica, were found in the Mayan settlements. Be that as it may, when the Spaniards arrived in the Yucatan in 1517, the Maya already lived predominantly in agricultural communities.

The conquistadors sailed with bad intentions, and on top of that, they brought diseases from the Old World to America that were not known to the Maya before (for example, smallpox and measles). And as a result, by the end of the 17th century, the Mayans suffered complete defeat - the last free Mayan city of Tayasal fell in 1697.

Documentary film from the History Channel “Mysteries of the Mayans. Secrets of antiquity."

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.

FARMING AND HUNTING

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.

Very important role Technical crops played a role in the Yucatan economy. 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, which was very highly valued by representatives 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 at Tikal, which dates back to the Late Classical period, proves that this method fishing was also common in Peten. On 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.

CRAFT PRODUCTION AND TRADE

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 markets did not play a significant role in the lowland zone, since people did not have to engage in the extraction of livelihoods with such hard work, trying to establish an exchange of goods in these very culturally homogeneous regions.

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

LIFE OF PEOPLE

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 in favorable time, when the settlement had a sufficient number of boys and girls aged from 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 morality - girls were raised by their mothers in strictness and were subjected to cruel 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. Under special strict ban There were marriages between paternal relatives. 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 with which she generously “decorated” upper half the bodies 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 better world. Ordinary people They 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. Bodies of representatives high nobility 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 early stages 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.

SOCIAL ORDER AND POLITICS

The state of the ancient Mayans was not a theocracy, not a primitive democracy, but 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. Currently available huge variety evidence suggesting that these two names were something like cross-references 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 who are at a lower stage of development, all members of such large births have equal rights, but this was not the case with the Mayans.

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 for the most part were commoners captured during hostilities. High-ranking prisoners were usually sacrificed. Children of slaves also became slaves. These people could be ransomed with a fee collected by their paternal relatives.

By the time the Spaniards arrived in the Americas, political power in the Maya region was in the hands of castes originating in Mexico. All the politics of the Yucatán were under the control of such groups, who, of course, proclaimed that they descended directly from Tula and Zuihua - the legendary ancestral home located in the west. It was the custom that any person aspiring to high office had to pass some kind of occult examination known as the Zuiua Language.

In each of the small regions of Yucatan there was a local ruler, who was called "halach uinik" - " 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 rather vast territories. The residences of the Halach Uiniks were located in major cities. Each of these rulers existed both on the funds that his own land brought to him, cultivated by slaves, and on the tribute collected.

The rulers of small provincial towns were "batabs", who were appointed by the halach uiniki from noble people connected with them by a common paternal lineage. The Batabs ruled cities through local council, consisting of elderly rich people. The head of such a council was usually a man of low birth, who was chosen every four years from among the inhabitants of the four quarters, which together formed the settlement.

In addition to the fact that the Batabs performed 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 number of various 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 studying architectural monuments and inscriptions of the classical period, materials and eyewitness accounts that have come down to us - the Spanish conquistadors, one 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 then major battles preceded by a terrifying cacophony, mixing the crash of drums, the screeching of whistles, the sounds of trumpets made from shells and war 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.

The Mayan peoples inhabited the territories:

in the west - from the Mexican state of Tabasco,
in the east - to the western outskirts of Honduras and El Salvador.

This area is divided into three areas clearly distinguishable by climatic and cultural-historical characteristics.

The northern one - the Yucatan Peninsula, formed by a limestone platform - is characterized by an arid climate, poor soil and the absence of rivers. The only sources of fresh water are karst wells (cenotes).
The central region covers the Mexican states of Tabasco, part of Chiapas, Campeche, Quintana Roo, as well as Belize and the Guatemalan department of Petén. This area is made up of lowlands, replete with natural reservoirs and crossed by the large rivers Usumacinta, Motagua and others. The territory is covered with tropical rainforests with a diverse fauna, a rich selection of edible fruits and plants. Here, as in the north, there are practically no mineral resources.
The southern region includes mountain ranges up to 4000 m high in the state of Chiapas and the Guatemalan highlands. The territory is covered with coniferous forests and has a temperate climate. Various minerals are found here - jadeite, jade, obsidian, pyrite, cinnabar, which were valued by the Mayans and served as trade items.

The climate of all regions is characterized by alternating dry and rainy seasons, requiring precision in determining the time of sowing, which is impossible without the development of astronomical knowledge and the calendar. The fauna is represented by ungulates (peccaries, tapirs, deer), feline predators, varieties of raccoons, hares and reptiles.

History of the Mayan civilization

Periodization of Mayan history

…-1500 BC - Archaic period
1500-800 BC. - Early formative
800-300 BC. - Medium formative
300 BC - 150 AD - Late formative
150-300 - Protoclassical
300-600 - Early Classic
600-900 - Late Classical
900-1200 - Early Postclassic
1200-1530 - Late Postclassic

The problem of settling the Maya region is still far from a final solution. Some evidence suggests that the Proto-Maya came from the north, moving along the Gulf Coast, displacing or intermingling with local populations. Between 2000-1500 BC. began to settle throughout the zone, breaking up into different language groups.

In the VI-IV centuries. BC. In the Central region, the first urban centers appear (Nakbe, El Mirador, Tikal, Vashaktun), distinguished by the monumentality of their buildings. During this period, the urban layout took on the appearance characteristic of Mayan cities - an articulation of independent, astronomically oriented acropolises adapted to the relief, representing a rectangular area surrounded by temple and palace buildings on platforms. Early Mayan cities formally continued to maintain a clan-fratric structure.

Classical period - I (III) -X centuries. n. BC - the time of the final formation and flowering of the Mayan culture. Throughout the Maya territory, urban centers with subordinate territories of the city-state appeared. As a rule, the cities in these territories were no further than 30 km from the center, which was apparently due to communication problems due to the lack of draft animals in the region. The population of the largest city-states (Tikal, Calakmul, Caracol) reached 50-70 thousand people. The rulers of large kingdoms bore the title of Ahav, and the centers subordinate to them were ruled by local rulers - Sahals. The latter were not appointed officials, but came from local ruling families. There was also a complex palace hierarchy: scribes, officials, masters of ceremonies, etc.

Despite the changing structure social relations, power in city-states was transferred according to a tribal scheme, which was expressed in the magnificent cult of deified royal ancestors, in addition, power could also belong to women. Since Mayan acropolises and cities were of a “genetic” nature and were associated only with specific representatives of one or another clan, this was the reason for the periodic abandonment of individual acropolises and the final “abandonment” of Mayan cities in the 10th century, when the invading invaders destroyed members of the elite related by blood relationship with ancestors buried within the acropolises (pyramids). Without such a connection, the acropolis lost its significance as a symbol of power.

Social structure

Evidence of a trend towards centralization of power in the III-X centuries. - usurpation by the rulers of the capital centers of the ritual ball game, the emergence of which dates back to the times of intra-tribal rotation of power and collective decision-making. The aristocracy concentrated in its hands the trade in valuable items, cocoa beans and minerals used for making jewelry and handicrafts - obsidian, jadeite, etc. Trade routes ran both over land and along rivers and seas, going far into foreign territories.

Hieroglyphic texts mention priests divided into

priests-ideologists,
astronomer priests,
"seeing" and
soothsayers.

Psychedelic practices were used for divination.

Detail of a sacred fresco from San Bartolo (Guatemala). OK. 150 BC The painting depicts the birth of the cosmos and proves the divine right of the ruler.

The basis of society was made up of free community members who settled in family households, sometimes near cities, and sometimes at a considerable distance from them, which is associated with the nature of land use and the need to change (due to a decrease in productivity) the sown areas cultivated by the family every 4 years.

In their free time from sowing and harvesting, community members participated in community service and military companies. It was only in the postclassic period that a special stratum of semi-professional Kholkan warriors began to stand out, who demanded "services and offerings" from the community.

Mayan texts often mention military leaders. Wars were in the nature of short-term raids to ruin the enemy and sometimes capture prisoners. Wars in the region were constant and contributed to the restructuring political power, strengthening some cities while weakening and subjugating others. There is no data on slavery among the Classic Mayans. If slaves were used, it was as domestic servants.

Information about legal system maya are absent.

Crisis of the 10th century - political and cultural restructuring

By the 10th century in the Central region, active migrations begin, while the population is sharply reduced by 3-6 times. City centers are falling into disrepair political life freezes. There is almost no construction going on. Landmarks in ideology and art are changing - the cult of royal ancestors is losing its primary importance, while the justification of the power of the ruler is the descent from the legendary "Toltec conquerors".

In Yucatan, the crisis of the end of the classical period did not lead to a decline in population and the fall of cities. In a number of cases, hegemony moves from old, classical centers to new ones. The processes of social and political change after the destruction of the traditional Mayan system of city government by the Toltecs are observed in the postclassic period in cities such as

Chichen Itza of the Toltecs in the X-XIII centuries;
Mayapan during the reign of the Cocoms in the 13th-15th centuries;
postclassical Mani, under whose command in the 16th century. there were 17 towns and villages.

By the time the Spaniards appeared in the southeast of the Yucatan, the state of Akalan (Maya-chontal) had formed, where the capital city of Itzamkanak with 76 subordinate cities and villages had already emerged. It contains an administration, temples, 100 houses made of stone, 4 quarters with their patrons and their temples, a council of quarter heads.

Confederations of cities with their own capital became a new type of political-territorial entities that controlled the political, administrative, religious and scientific spheres of life. In the spiritual sphere, the concept of reincarnation goes into the realm of religious abstraction, which allows cities (emerging capitals) to retain their functions even after a change of power. Internecine wars become the norm, the city acquires defensive characteristics. At the same time, the territory is growing and the control and protection system is becoming more complex.

The Yucatan Maya had slavery, the slave trade was developed. Slaves were used to carry heavy loads and homework, but more often acquired for sacrifice.

In mountainous Guatemala, with the onset of the Postclassic period, the “Maya-Toltec style” spread. Obviously, the infiltrated nahuacultural groups were, as in Yucatan, assimilated by the local population. As a result, a confederation of 4 Mayan tribes was formed - Kaqchiquel, Quiche, Tzutihil and Rabinal, which subjugated in the XIII-XIV centuries. various Mayan and Nahua-speaking tribes of highland Guatemala. As a result of civil strife, the confederation soon disintegrated, almost simultaneously with the invasion of the Aztecs and the appearance at the beginning of the 16th century. Spaniards.

Economic activity

The Mayans practiced extensive slash-and-burn agriculture with regular rotation of plots. The main crops were maize and beans, which formed the basis of the diet. special value represented cocoa beans, which were also used as a unit of exchange. They grew cotton. The Mayans had no domestic animals, with the exception of a special breed of dogs, which were sometimes used as food, poultry - turkeys. The function of the cat was performed by the nose, a type of raccoon.

In the classical period, the Mayans actively used irrigation and other methods of intensive agriculture, in particular “raised fields” similar to the famous Aztec chinampas: artificial embankments were created in river valleys, which rose above the water during floods and retained silt, which significantly increased fertility. To increase productivity, the plot was simultaneously sown with maize and legumes, which created the effect of fertilizing the soil. Fruit trees and chile peppers, which are an important component of the Indian diet, were planted near the dwelling.

Land ownership continued to remain communal. The institution of the dependent population was underdeveloped. The main area of its application could be plantations of perennial crops - cocoa, fruit trees, which were privately owned.

Mayan civilization culture

Scientific knowledge and writing

The Mayans developed a complex picture of the world, which was based on ideas about reincarnation and the endless alternation of cycles of the universe. For their constructions, they used precise mathematical and astronomical knowledge, combining the cycles of the Moon, Sun, planets and the time of the precessional revolution of the Earth.

The complication of the scientific picture of the world required the development of a writing system based on the Olmec. The Mayan writing was phonetic, morphemic-syllabic, involving the simultaneous use of about 400 characters. One of the earliest inscriptions is from 292 AD. BC - discovered on a stela from Tikal (No. 29). The bulk of the texts were applied to monumental monuments or small plastic objects. A special source is represented by texts on ceramic vessels.

Mayan books

Only 4 Mayan manuscripts have survived - “codes”, representing long strips of paper folded like an accordion (pages) from ficus bark (“Indian paper”), dating back to the Postclassic period, obviously copied from more ancient samples. Regular copying of books was probably practiced in the region from ancient times and was associated with the difficulties of storing manuscripts in a humid, hot climate.

The Dresden manuscript is a strip of “Indian paper” 3.5 m long, 20.5 cm high, folded into 39 pages. It was created earlier than the 13th century. in Yucatan, from where it was taken to Spain as a gift to Emperor Charles V, from whom it came to Vienna, where in 1739 the librarian Johann Christian Götze acquired it from an unknown private person for the Dresden Royal Library.

The Parisian manuscript is a strip of paper with a total length of 1.45 m and 12 cm in height, folded into 11 pages, from which the initial pages have been completely erased. The manuscript dates back to the period of the Cocom dynasty in Yucatan (XIII-XV centuries). In 1832, it was acquired by the National Library of Paris (it is kept here today).

The Madrid manuscript was written no earlier than the 15th century. It consists of two fragments without beginning and end of “Indian paper”, 13 cm high, with a total length of 7.15 m, folded into 56 pages. The first part was acquired in Extremadura by José Ignacio Miró in 1875. Since it was suggested that it once belonged to the conqueror of Mexico, Cortez, hence its name - “Code of Cortez”, or Cortesian. The second fragment was acquired by Brasseur de Bourbourg from Don Juan Tro y Ortolano in 1869 and was called Ortolan. The pieces joined together became known as the Madrid Manuscript, and it has since been kept in Madrid in the Museum of the Americas.

Grolier's manuscript was in a private collection in New York. These are rather fragments of 11 pages without beginning or end, dating back to the 13th century. Apparently this Mayan manuscript, the origin of which is unknown, was composed under strong Mixtec influence. This is evidenced by the specific recording of numbers and features of the images.

Texts on Mayan ceramic vessels are called “clay books.” The texts reflect almost all aspects of the life of ancient society, from everyday life to complex religious ideas.

The Mayan script was deciphered in the 50s of the 20th century. Yu.V. Knorozov based on the method of positional statistics he developed.

Architecture

Mayan architecture reached its peak in the classical period: ceremonial complexes, conventionally called acropolises, with pyramids, palace buildings and ball stadiums were actively erected. The buildings were grouped around a central rectangular area. The buildings were erected on massive platforms. During construction, a “false vault” was used - the space between the roof masonry gradually narrowed upward until the walls of the vault closed. The roof was often crowned with massive ridges decorated with stucco. Construction techniques could vary from stone masonry to concrete-like masses and even bricks. The buildings were painted, often red.

There are two main types of buildings - palaces and temples on pyramids. Palaces were long, usually one-story buildings, standing on platforms, sometimes multi-tiered. At the same time, the passage through the enfilades of rooms resembled a labyrinth. There were no windows and light came in only through doorways and special ventilation holes. Perhaps the palace buildings were identified with long cave passages. Almost the only example of buildings with several floors is the palace complex in Palenque, where a tower was also erected.

The temples were built on pyramids, the height of which sometimes reached 50-60 m. Multi-stage staircases led to the temple. The pyramid embodied the mountain in which the legendary cave of the great ancestors was located. Therefore, an elite burial could occur here - sometimes under the pyramid, sometimes in its thickness, and more often immediately under the floor of the temple. In some cases, the pyramid was built directly over a natural cave. The structure on top of the pyramid, conventionally called a temple, did not have the aesthetics of an internal very limited space. Functional meaning had a doorway and a bench placed against the wall opposite this opening. The temple served only to mark the exit from the cave of the ancestors, as evidenced by its external decoration and sometimes its connection with the intra-pyramidal burial chambers.

In the postclassic, a new type of square and structures appears. The ensemble is formed around the pyramid. Covered galleries with columns are erected on the sides of the square. In the center is a small ceremonial platform. There are platforms for risers with poles studded with skulls. The structures themselves are significantly reduced in size, sometimes not corresponding to human growth.

Sculpture

The friezes of buildings and massive roof ridges were covered with stucco made of lime mortar - a piece. The lintels of temples and the steles and altars erected at the foot of the pyramids were covered with carvings and inscriptions. In most areas they were limited to relief techniques; only in Copan did round sculpture become widespread. Palace and battle scenes, rituals, faces of deities, etc. were depicted. Like buildings, inscriptions and monuments were usually painted.

Monumental sculpture also includes Mayan steles - flat, about 2 m high monoliths, covered with carvings or paintings. The highest steles reach 10 m. Steles are usually associated with altars - round or rectangular stones installed in front of the steles. Steles with altars were an improvement on Olmec monuments and served to convey the three-level space of the universe: the altar symbolized the lower level - the transition between worlds, the middle level was occupied by the image of events occurring with a specific character, and the upper level symbolized the rebirth of a new life. In the absence of an altar, the subject depicted on it was compensated by the appearance on the stele of a lower, “cave” level, or a relief niche, inside which the main image was placed. In some cities, roughly rounded flat altars placed on the ground in front of the stele, or stone figured images of reptiles, as for example in Copan, became widespread.

The texts on the steles could be dedicated to historical events, but most often they were of a calendar nature, marking the periods of the reign of one or another ruler.

Painting

Works of monumental painting were created on the interior walls of buildings and burial chambers. The paint was applied either over wet plaster (fresco) or over dry ground. The main theme of the paintings is mass scenes of battles, celebrations, etc. The most famous are the Bonampak paintings - buildings of three rooms, the walls and ceilings of which are entirely covered with paintings dedicated to victory in military operations. Mayan fine art includes polychrome painting on ceramics, which is distinguished by its great variety of subjects, as well as drawings in “codes.”

Dramatic art

The dramatic art of the Maya came directly from religious ceremonies. The only work that has come down to us is the drama of Rabinal-Achi, recorded in the 19th century. The plot is based on the capture of a Quiché warrior by warriors of the Rabinal community. The action develops in the form of a kind of dialogue between the prisoner and the other main characters. The main poetic device is rhythmic repetition, traditional for oral Indian folklore: the participant in the dialogue repeats the phrase spoken by his opponent, and then pronounces his own. Historical events - the wars between Rabinal and the Quiché - are superimposed on a mythological basis - the legend of the abduction of the goddess of waters, the wife of the old god of rain. The drama ended with the real sacrifice of the main character. Information has reached us about the existence of other dramatic works, as well as comedies.

One of the most famous among ancient civilizations is the Mayan Empire. Until now, for scientists, the Mayan civilization is fraught with much unknown. Researchers are inclined to believe that the Mayan civilization originated in the 1st millennium BC. Their legacy is unusual writing and beautiful architectural structures, advanced mathematics, astronomy, objects of art and, of course, the famous incredibly accurate calendar.

Ruins of Chichen Itza

Society

According to preliminary calculations, the Mayan population was more than 3 million people, who were settled in the tropical zone of modern Mexico, Guatemala, Belize, the western regions of Honduras and El Salvador.

The cities of this ancient civilization were built from stones and limestone, and the population also engaged in agriculture. Today, the descendants of the Mayans are called Indians living in Central America and Mexico.

Main cities

Based on archaeological evidence, it can be argued that the Mayans sacrificed people. From the point of view of their worldview, sacrifice for the victim was an opportunity shortcut to get to heaven. Although now even the child knows that he cannot get to Heaven in this way, he must do good deeds and not kill.

Features of civilization

The Mayan tribe and interesting facts that make you think about the level of development of this people.

Baths. Archaeologists have found many stone structures designed for steaming. It is interesting that baths were not only for the nobility, but also for the people. Ancient baths worked on the same principle as modern ones: water was poured onto hot stones, and the Indians cleansed their bodies with steam.

Sailors. Found by scientists in the Mayan codex, it can be concluded that they swam on the sea; there is also an assumption that they came to America from Asia.

Medicine. The Mayan tribes had well-developed medicine; the most skilled doctors did quite complex operations, their surgical instruments were made of volcanic glass, and the sutures were made of human hair. Dentistry has also achieved success; even ancient dentures and dental fillings have been preserved. Doctors used hallucinogens as anesthesia.

Roads. The tribe had an entire road system with a hard, even surface.

Palace in Palenque

Architecture. The Mayans built impressive structures and completely smooth roads without using metal tools.

Fashion. An elongated, oval head was in fashion, considered a sign of nobility. This head shape was achieved due to the fact that from early childhood wooden planks were tied to the child’s head. This brutal operation was carried out only to noble members of society. Another sign of beauty was squint, which was achieved by hanging a rubber ball above the baby's eye level. In addition, fashionistas preferred to grind their teeth so that they were sharp, and then coat them with resin until they turned black. However, only representatives of the nobility could afford to “decorate” themselves in this way.

Sport. Members of the Mayan tribe built special courts on which they played ball games. According to scientists, they had several such games, and they were quite tough and resembled modern football, rugby and basketball. How developed the sport was can be judged by the presence of a prototype sports uniform consisting of protective elements resembling a helmet, elbow pads and knee pads.

Writing sample

Writing. The Mayans are the only tribe in America that had their own written language. Writing was based on glyphs, presented in the form of drawing signs. Today, scientists are still struggling to read the texts; about 90% of the characters have already been deciphered.

Astronomy and calendar

Calendar. The tribe had its own very accurate calendar, not just one, but three:

Haab consisting of 18 months, each of which had 20 days, the year was 360 days;
Tzolkin consisting of 20 months, each of which had 13 days, the year was 260 days;
a single calendar that included both calendars, along with data on the constellations and movements of the planets.

Observatories. The Mayans had extensive astronomical knowledge, as evidenced by the presence of observatories, one of which is the El Caracol building in the city of Chichen Itza with a domed roof, 15 m high, and a huge number of windows.

Astronomical observatory in the city of El Caracol in the city of Chichen Itza

Disappearance

Despite the large number of unknown facts, the most mysterious question for historians remains: what led to the decline of a developed civilization in a prosperous empire? Moreover, the first signs of the collapse of civilization, according to researchers, began around the 9th century AD.

This decline was expressed in the fact that in the southern parts of the tribal settlement a rapid decline in population began to be observed, and water supply and irrigation systems began to deteriorate. The population began to leave the inhabited region en masse, urban development stopped, which led to the fact that the majestic, developed territory began to turn into disparate tribes fighting among themselves. Actually, this led to the fact that the conquerors who arrived in Yucatan, the Spaniards, were able to completely and very quickly take control of the entire region.

Location of the city of Tayasal, modern city Flores

Some tribes resisted for quite a long time - the last independent city of Tayasal (northern Guatemala) was captured by the Spaniards in 1697, although Cortez wanted to conquer it in 1541. Cortez, like other Spanish conquerors, could not capture this city, since it was located on an island and was an impregnable fortress. Having captured the city, the Spaniards built the city of Flores on the site of Tayasal, which hid the old Indian architecture under its buildings.