Characteristics Of The Mayan Civilization - 814 Words

Mayan Civilization There were many incredible civilizations in mesoamerica including the Incas, Aztecs, and the Mayas. They all had many strengths and weaknesses but the strongest among them were the Mayans. The Mayans were a very advanced civilization who survived for many, many years. The Mayans were very advanced in astronomy. They could map out the stars, the planets, the sun, and the moon. They knew so much about astronomy that they built all of their buildings in perfect alignment with compass directions. They used the sun and moon to make an accurate calendar. The mayan calender went all the way to 2012 and when it ended many people were convinced that it meant the end of the world. Thankfully the world didn’t end but the mayan†¦show more content†¦When the husbands got home they would bathe. Bathing was a very important part of the mayan lifestyle. The mayan diet consisted of many plain foods. Their main food was maize which is like corn. They used maize in lots of their foods like tortillas and they would even use maize to make drinks. â€Å"Other staple crops included beans, squash, and chilies. For meat the Maya ate fish, deer, ducks, and turkey.† The mayans introduced many new foods to the world which include sweet potatoes, black beans, tomatoes, papaya, and the cacao bean which they thought was a gift from the gods and used as a currency. Mayan beauty is very interesting. The mayan considered crossed eyes, flat foreheads, and bigs noses to be beautiful. When babies were first born their parents would press a flat board onto their soft skull to make it more elongated. They also thought that more important people should be taller so they would wear tall hats and headdresses to appear taller. The mayans thought that pointed teeth were attractive and would file their teeth to a point. The nobles would drill precious stones such as jade or ruby into their front teeth. â€Å"For many years, archeologists thought the Mayans a peaceful people, capable of war, but rarely indulging in it.† future discoveries showed that this theory was not correct. In the early years mayans would fight wars for captives for human sacrifice. After a couple hundred years the wars mostly occurred betweenShow MoreRelatedCharacteristics Of The Mayan Civilizations733 Words   |  3 Pagesof civilizations. Three major ones are the Aztec, Maya, and Inca . These different civilizations play a very important role in history today. The Maya empire was highly skilled at building and architecture. They also were the only empire in mesoamerica to develop a complete writing system. The Maya were also highly skilled at agriculture and farming. The Maya were by far the most advanced and smart civilization. The Maya empire was very precise and exact when it came to architecture. Mayans builtRead MoreMayan And Mayan Writing System1067 Words   |  5 PagesMayan culture and civilization are said to be far beyond their time by their complex writing and numerical system. In the pre-Columbian America, the Mayan writing system is said to be the â€Å"only† true writing system within the Americas. By examining the environment the Maya had lived, we are able to look at the how the Maya used their writing system and it also further reflects the Maya’s surroundings. The Mayan civilization had flourished throughout the Yucatan peninsula in Central America. TheyRead MoreSimilarities Between Civilizations And Civilizations958 Words   |  4 PagesThroughout history there have been similarities between civilizations, some of which were on separate parts of the world. Many scholars and historians have been baffled by the discoveries of these similarities due to the fact that these cultures were not only hundreds of miles apart but also were separated by hundreds of years. The ancient Egyptian civilization located in northern Africa around 3,100 B.C. is considered to be one of the cradles of civilization and also a major contributor to the technologyRead MoreCharacter Analysis Of Mayan Civilization1292 Words   |  6 Pages â€Å"Mayan Civilization† The film â€Å"Apocalypto† takes place in a certain period of the pre-Columbian era where we are presented young hunters from a village. Their rituals, the way of hunting, the cohesion between them, and especially, the bonds of friendship and family. The director makes us acquire sympathy for the hunters, giving a calm and familiar aspect to the characters. As for the social aspect, the film is essentially emphasized in the figure of man in these societies; being brave, warriorRead MoreMaya Civilization Collapse1311 Words   |  6 PagesMaya civilization. The Maya civilization is, â€Å"probably the best known of all early American civilizations.† (Fagan, 1995) It was at its strongest point between AD 300 AND 900. Around AD 900 was the time of its collapse. This civilization was developed in a densely, tropical forest on either highlands or lowlands. Today to visit a Mayan site, people would go to the modern Mexican state, capital city of Merida. This site was once h ome to the â€Å"New Worlds most advanced Native American civilization beforeRead MoreAztec, Inca And Aztec Civilizations1134 Words   |  5 Pagesempires of the Romans and the Greeks, there were other prospering civilizations thriving in parts of Central America and parts of Mexico. The Mayan, Incan and Aztec civilizations were a few of the greatest ancient civilizations in history, but they each had distinct characteristics that helped them prosper into the great empires that they became. Each had their own fascinating ways of food production, governing system and culture. The Mayans were established first out of the three and settled in modern-dayRead MoreThe Survival Of The Yucatec Maya Culture1490 Words   |  6 Pagescultures and civilizations, sparking a myriad of intellectuals spanning the humanities to attempt to discern the most salient characteristics and processes that define the period. Historians Inga Clendinnen and George Lovell, both focus on the effect the landin g of the conquistadors had on the indigenous Mayans, with their respective focuses standing in diametric opposition to one another. In â€Å"The Survival of the Yucatec Maya Culture,† Clendinnen stresses the importance of how Mayan tradition persistedRead MoreAnalysis Of Laura Gilpin s Life1617 Words   |  7 Pagesshed light on fading Mayan culture, as well as the beautiful ruins of Chichen Itza. This once great center of the Mayan empire is essential to understanding the esteem of the Mayan people. Additionally, The Rio Grand: River of Destiny, was a collection that studied the great river and the inhabitants along its banks. This book debuted the following year in 1949. Although Gilpin’s career focused primarily on Native American life, I researched her photography from 1948 on Mayan culture, and choseRead MoreHow Did The History Of Meroe Reflect Interaction With Neighboring Civilizations?1707 Words   |  7 PagesMeroe 1) How did the history of Meroe reflect interaction with neighboring civilizations? The way the history of Meroe reflected interaction with neighboring civilizations is they traded more often with their neighbors. That is how they received their fortune and power. 2) How was the decline of Meroe connected to the changing patterns of long-distance trade? The decline of Meroe was caused by deforestation because wood was needed to make charcoal for iron. The deforestation made Egypt’s trade goRead MoreGreeks compared to the Mayans1216 Words   |  5 Pages Greeks compared to the Maya Looking around too all the different ethnicities that can be found in this world, two of those most interesting cultures would have to be the Greeks and the Maya. The ancient Greek and Mayan civilizations have many similar characteristics but they also have many differences. The Mayan’s are an indigenous Mesoamerican culture found in present day South America. As where the Greeks are an ethnicity group native to Greece. The history of the Greece can be traced