The Cultural contributions of the Maya To the present society are numerous. This civilization left a great legacy in areas such as language or astrology.
The Maya civilization is so ancient, that traces of its existence can be found in times as remote as 7000 years before Christ. They populated regions that are now found in Mexico, Guatemala, Belize, Honduras and El Salvador.
They spoke a great number of languages, among which the Quiché and Yucatecan stand out. They have physical traits and common beliefs in cosmology, Deities And calendar.
At first they depended on agriculture, especially corn, and grain crops. They used cotton to make the dress and used stone tools. His religious articles were simple: censers and small figures. Their buildings were small.
A thousand years before Christ his society changed from the egalitarian way towards a more complex one. Pyramids and other buildings, stairways, terraces were built, especially in the larger cities, which were located quite distanced from each other. Among them were smaller populations.
The social distinction began to be noticed, where the most important personalities possessed the most impressive tombs. A market was established between the distant cities, which is evidenced by the objects found by the archaeologists.
There was also other cultures , Like the Olmec. It is noteworthy that many ideas taken from other cultures were improved and emerged differently.
The Maya left a vast collection of writings with stories, astronomical observations and astrological prophecies. Thanks to these texts, experts today can talk about ascensions to thrones, births and wars and deaths of relatives of Mayan rulers.
The best Mayan period occurred between 600 and 800 AD. There existed the maximum amount of population and of constructions. After the year 800 several conflicts and rivalries occurred between some populations. Ancient cities were abandoned and migrated to the province of Yucatan.
When the Spaniards arrived in America, the area of Yucatan was totally Mayan, assuming that all the cultures of the neighboring tribes had been absorbed.
Today, the Mayan people maintain their traditions. The Maya have been an ethnic group that has not sought to establish itself in empires or expand, since it has remained for more than 4000 years in the same geographical area.
You may also want to know some facts about other Mesoamerican cultures like the Aztecs. For example: The 6 most important Aztec cities .
The 10 cultural contributions of the most important Maya
1- Discovery of the number zero
A concept pertaining to the modern developments of mathematics, made around the year 357 BC. While it is known that the Olmecs first used it, the Maya discovered it independently.
2- The end of the world
The idea that the Maya had predicted the end of the earth by the year 2012 was popularized recently. In reality, the Mayan calendar begins in 3114 BC and is divided into 394 year cycles called Baktuns .
The twelfth baktun ended on December 21, 2012, indicating that a new cycle was beginning, but this was interpreted as the end of our era.
3- Language
According to UNESCO, the Maya population today has a very rich variety of up to 69 different dialects of language, some with only 53 speakers (teko) and others with more than 400,000 (tsetal). This current population extends within the territories of Mexico, Belize, Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras.
4- Food
Dishes as popular as corn tortillas, chili and guacamole are another legacy left to us by the Mayans. Many of them are still present in the Mexican gastronomy .
5- Architecture
The Maya built numerous buildings, with a much larger population than the current one in the same area. Among them is the south of Palenque (Belize), with cities such as Xunantunich.
They also documented their history by engraving on stone with their writing, many of which were destroyed by the Spaniards under the belief that they were heresies.
Cities like Tikal had a population between 50 and 60 thousand people, in an area without drinking water, using channels to use rainwater. Holes were made in the stone to store food. When these were recently discovered, they still had seeds in them.
6- Agriculture
The Maya agriculture system is very interesting. It is based on growing grains, corn and stacking the leaves. Grain and corn are a complementary source of protein. The grain provides the soil with the nitrogen that the corn is carrying. The stacked leaves protect the soil from the rain and the sun.
Experts think that the very long periods of rain forced the Mayans to scatter throughout Central America leaving their cities.
7- Technology
The construction of the Mayan buildings goes beyond placing stone on stone. They knew concepts such as stress and fatigue of materials.
When the Spaniards arrived in America, they found the traces of the great Mayan civilizations in a state of abandonment. The little that is known of them is thanks to the excavations and the interpretation of its writings and drawings.
In spite of possessing a very complex calendar and a numerical system, they did not discover the wheel nor had an alphabet. Nevertheless they possessed the first language that could be spoken and written known in Americe.
8- Art
The Maya were one of the earliest civilizations in which the creators of paintings and sculptures left their signatures engraved. Only remains of ceramics and murals are preserved, where the beauty and color of his work can be appreciated.
9- Politics
Maya society consisted of a small state whose leader inherited power. The kingdoms were a large city with its surroundings.
There were larger kingdoms that ruled more extensive territories, with names that did not necessarily correspond to a specific locality. This system dominated until the 900 years D.C. When Maya society collapsed.
10- Astronomy
Thanks to their astronomical observations, the Maya had a calendar of 365 days and fraction, they knew the Venusian year of 260 days, and a mythical beginning of time located 3114 years before Christ. Based on this they could predict solar eclipses.
Current Problems with Mayan Culture
Despite efforts to preserve Maya culture, they have been subject to discrimination and prejudice today.
Culturally, books, films and documentaries have been written to spread the knowledge and way of life of the Maya.
They have asserted their rights to express and practice their religion, speak their language and preserve their traditions, before Mexican authorities. There are currently groups in Chiapas, south of Mexico, that demand autonomy
References
- Suter, K. and Buell, S. (1999). Stanford University: The Mayan Civilization. Retrieved from: web.stanford.edu.
- The cultural legacy and history of the Maya civilization (2015). Retrieved from: blog.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk.
- The Maya Civilization. Retrieved from: timemaps.com.
- The Maya Heritage. Retrieved from: culturalsurvival.org.
- Walker, T. (2012). Independent: What has the Mayans ever done for us... apart from predict the end of the world?. Recovered from: independent.co.uk.