A short story about the Maya civilization. Mayan customs and social organization

We are talking about civilization in the wilds of the rainforest. The ruins of a mysterious civilization that existed for more than a thousand years.

Ancient Maya. They built majestic pyramids, magnificent palaces and spacious squares. In the jungle they were masters.

They effectively used energy sources and created amazing engineering structures and works of art for one and a half thousand years.

But suddenly ancient civilization from centuries of history disappeared: the noisy cities were empty, and the jungle closed over them.

maya code

Tikal was one of the few cities that gained strength in the preclassic period, and successfully existed until the end of the classical period. The history of this city has not been interrupted.

But in the 6th century, Tikal had a rival: the star of the city called .

The Maya had two cities with strong rulers: Calakmul and Tikal. Between them there were conflicts. As a rule, Calakmul was their initiator: he constantly made alliances with Tikal's neighbors against a common enemy.

Ikin Chan Cavil and Temple of the Great Jaguar

Calakmul became a powerful state thanks to a decisive and far-sighted ruler. His name was Ikin Chan Cavil.

He built one of the most famous Mayan structures, this pyramid has survived the centuries:.

The construction took a lot of effort. The pyramid was not only a temple, but also a symbol of power and authority of the ruler: it was assumed that, convinced of the power of the ruler, people would go over to his side.

Building in the rainforest is not easy today, but they built the pyramids with Stone Age tools. Most of the technologies that we use in the construction of large structures were unknown to the Maya: they there were no draft animals, there were no metal tools.

The Maya had only practically inexhaustible reserves of limestone and working hands. Every citizen of the state was must work annually for the ruler certain time.

From the quarry to the construction site stone had to be dragged or carry on your back. To do this, they had baskets with a strap, or, as it is also called - forehead harness. In this way, it was possible to carry tens of kilograms of stones.

Step by step the pyramid grew upwards. As necessary, they erected and rearranged wooden "forests". Blocks were hewn with stone chisels and wooden mallets.

The inner surface of the walls was left untreated, but the outside was polished: they were coated with a solution - the so-called "mayan stucco" and painted red.

They knew about the wheel, about the metal, but in practice they did not use either one or the other. Apparently, they believed that the more labor expended, the greater the value of the structure.

The façade of the Temple of the Great Jaguar faces west towards the setting sun. The temple on the main square of Tikal was a symbol of the power of the ruler, who paid the debt of the people to the gods.

Ikin-Chan-Kavil built it in honor of the victory over the main rival, Calakmul, in 736. Then, in 743-744, he defeated the allies of Calakmul, who threatened Tikal: in the west and in the east. The noose that squeezed Tikal's "throat" was broken.

In honor of this victory, he rebuilds and expands the palace, erects new pyramids. Tikal in its current form is basically the fruits of that victory.

Most likely, it was he who started the construction the tallest building in Tikal – Temple IV. Pyramid with a volume of 200 thousand cubic meters of stone 65 meters high with a 22-storey building. From its top, towering over the tropical forest, there was a magnificent view of the city.

In other cities, the Maya also built tall buildings, but during the reign of Ikin-Chan-Kavil Tikal was the most powerful city Maya civilization. But not the only one.

Mysterious Ruler

400 kilometers to the west, another dynasty was building its acropolis. In the 7th century, an outstanding ruler appeared there. He turned one of the wettest cities in the world into the "Mecca" of New World architecture.

He enters the sanctuary, looks around and sees in the floor holes with stone plugs. He suggests that ropes were threaded through these holes to lift a massive slab like the current drop doors. He shifts the slab and walks down the stairs, which are clogged with dirt and rubble.

No one has seen such Mayan pyramids before, and he begins to dig. He walks up the wet steps, gets to the landing, and sees the stairs turn. He keeps digging and finds secret doors and false passages- a clear sign that the construction plan was carefully thought out.

Finally, after a long 3 years, he gets to the base of the 25-meter staircase. In front of him is a small passage and a stone sarcophagus with 6 skeletons - the remains of those who were sacrificed to protect the one who built this temple. But he does not yet know the name of this person.

And finally, he sees a door in front of him - a huge triangular stone. Together with his assistants, he opens the door and goes inside.

There is crypt measuring 9 meters in length and 7 in height. And in it- massive sarcophagus from a single piece of limestone with a carved lid depicting a ruler.

Its edge is painted with cinnabar - red paint and smeared with poison against possible robbers. If the Egyptians had used this method, perhaps more ancient treasures would have come down to us.

Here we see shield image, the same shield is depicted in the sanctuary. In the language of the ancient Maya, the shield sounds like "pakal". Alberto Rus opened the tomb of an outstanding Mayan ruler - Pacal Great.

Pacal the Great

The discovery of the Temple of the Inscriptions changed our understanding of the Mayan pyramids: they were not just tombs.

In addition to the stairs, the builders led to the tomb well in the form thin-walled pipe. Through this pipe, any word spoken at the top of the pyramid could be heard in the crypt. Thus, it was possible to communicate directly with Pacal, lying in the tomb.

The 20-ton sarcophagus was supposed to survive eternity. To put the body inside, it was necessary to move the lid to the side. After Pakal's death, the lid was put back in place, the entrance was walled up, and the stairs were filled up.

Stone cutters depicted on the lid symbolic picture Pacal's revival afterlife. And also a kind of table in which 640 hieroglyphs were placed with a narrative of the history of Pakal's reign.

In most Mayan pyramids there are practically no texts, with the Temple of Inscriptions the situation is the opposite: literally every stone, both outside and inside, reminds that here is the resting place of the founder of one of the greatest Mayan dynasties.

In 683, in the 68th year of his reign, at the age of 80 the great Mayan ruler Pacal passed away. The body was dyed with cinnabar and studded with jewels. The faces were covered with a jade mask.

Can Balam

Pacal was a great ruler, but his son patiently waited his turn - almost 50 years.

Something great had to be done. The laws of physics and Mother Nature came to the rescue.

684 year. great ruler Pacal turned Palenque into a city that the Mayan culture had never known before. After 68 years in power, he was buried in a tomb that was not inferior to the tombs of the Egyptian pharaohs. It was up to his son to continue the work begun by his father. His name was Can Balam.

Pacal founded the dynasty, but strengthened the state and thus created the conditions for its continuation by his son.

48 year old ruler started building three temples at once. This complex immortalized his name.

He built "Group of the Cross"- one of the most complex and elegant temple complexes in the history of the Maya. His creation towered over his father's palace. There is an opinion that this complex reflects the character of its creator: he wanted to leave a memory of himself, as his father also wanted.

He ordered the construction of three structures: Temple of the Cross, Temple of the Leafy Cross and Temple of the Sun.

Mayan number system

In this era, architecture reached a qualitatively new level. Mayan number system allowed to make complex calculations that were not available to other cultures.

The Maya were ahead of the rest of mankind, by entering a character to represent zero. A set of three characters: shells, which denoted zero, dots - ones, and dashes - five in various combinations, made it possible to perform operations with huge numbers.

The Greeks and Romans were great engineers, but their mathematical system was limited because it didn't have a zero. Oddly enough, the great builders, philosophers, compared to the Maya, were useless mathematicians.

It is possible that the architects of Kan-Balan were able to extract from among Square root and knew about the golden ratio, the proportions inherent in inanimate nature, animals and even humans - 1 to 1.618.

The ratio of the distance from the crown to the navel and from the navel to the soles corresponds almost exactly.

Scientists find this proportion in structures erected thousands of years ago: in the Egyptian pyramids, in the Greek. She studied: there is an opinion that golden ratio present in features.

It is possible that with the help of sticks and rope alone, the engineers of Kan-Balam were able to extract. In the Temple of the Cross, the pylons at the entrance, the gates themselves and the walls of the interior are close to this proportion. The dimensions of the side walls and facades when viewed from above are related as 1 to 1.618.

The alternation of squares and rectangles creates on the floor of the Temple of the Cross an amazing geometric pattern full of mythological and historical symbolism.

Water supply Palenque

But not all buildings in Palenque were built with the afterlife in mind, the architects thought about more practical things.

Between 800 and 1050 Chichen Itza becomes a large and powerful city. People flocked here from all over the country, and he benefited from this.

Caracol - astronomical observatory

In the city, among other buildings stands out caracol, astronomical observatory. Time and stars the Maya were extremely interested, in the sky they were looking for answers to their questions.

Most likely the Maya used such a device as vizier. Watching the passage of stars through the crosshairs of the reticle, they drew certain conclusions.

Despite primitive instruments, the Maya accurately calculated the movements of the stars and planets and the passage of time.

Caracol does not fit into the general layout of the city, but a deviation of 27.5 degrees to the northwest corresponds to northernmost position of Venus in the sky.

The building is focused on celestial bodies and phenomena, namely: the movement of Venus and the equinox.

Judging by the fact that the proportions and orientation of Karakol do not fit into the overall layout, we can judge roles of Venus in Mayan thought.

Venus behaves differently from other celestial bodies, it moves across the sky first in one direction, then in the other. Apparently, Caracol indicated the days when Venus changes direction.

Knowing the patterns of movement celestial bodies, Maya created two interconnected calendars: ritual and solar These were the most accurate calendars of the ancient world.

The Mayan solar year had 365 days.. In addition, they determined the periods of revolution of Venus and lunar eclipses with no less accuracy.

Mayan new era

Maya took only 200 years to revive the civilization that had fallen into decline in the south. But, as it turned out, in the north was waiting for them no less formidable enemy: He destroyed the Mayan culture, leaving the cities intact.

In the 9th century AD the cities of the classical Mayan period, for some unknown reason, are empty, and the new era heyday.

With the revival of culture in the north, the Maya, as never before, were able to put into practice their knowledge of astronomy. Mayan admiration for celestial mechanics left its mark on the architecture of Chichen Itza.

The main building of Chichen Itza was, or "Castle", built in the 9th-10th centuries AD.

365 steps, according to the number of days of the year civil calendar Mayan. 52 plates symbolize the 52-year cycle, and 9 steps - the 18-month cycle of the solar calendar.

The temple is oriented so that twice a year the shadow from the Sun falls in a certain way. When looking at the balustrade and the northwest corner of El Castillo at sunset, one could observe amazing shadow play. The illuminated triangles of the ledges of the pyramid ended at the foot with a stone head of a snake. A “serpent” descended from heaven to earth, and this meant the onset of the rainy season.

The Maya saw this as a manifestation of the will of the god, the "Feathered Serpent".

The Maya knew how to determine - days when the duration of day and night is the same. Every year on March 21, the descent of Kukulkan could be observed.

The layout of the city around El Castillo has acquired a new quality - space: temples, market, ball court, colonnades.

Most likely, the sides with colonnades served not only ritual purposes. Perhaps, they were either specially invited here, or everyone could come to see how processions of ambassadors and merchants from other cities arrive in the city.

These columns are similar to Greek and Roman ones, but for the Maya it was completely new type building structure, they made it possible to make the roof flat. No need for step masonry, which did not give 100 percent certainty that the vault would not collapse.

The structure of the columns is simple: cylindrical drums put one on top of the other on a layer of gravel. A square slab was laid on top, and the roof was made of wood and covered with lime mortar.

Now what was happening inside the temples was available to a greater number of people than in the era of the classical Mayan pyramids. Only the chosen ones climbed those pyramids, temples were placed on top, and from below it was not visible what was happening in them, and buildings with columns were more accessible.

The death of the Mayan civilization

However, this did not last long, the heyday of Chichen Itza lasted 200 years, and then it suffered the fate of its southern neighbors: it mysteriously depopulated.

When the Spaniards landed in the Yucatan in 1517, all Mayan cities were abandoned and abandoned. The heirs of a collapsed civilization lived in scattered settlements, but courageously resisted .

It turned out to be difficult to subdue them: instead of taking the ruler prisoner, they had to capture the villages one by one. Leaving, they left in the rear potential hotbeds of rebellion.

Mayan warriors killed thousands of conquistadors, but their weapons were powerless against another enemy: disease. For 100 years, 90% of the population of the New World died. The survivors were expected to be persecuted.

Came from Spain to convert the Maya to Christianity, and in his zeal did not know mercy.

Landa was an idealist. He came to the New World to save souls, to convert the natives into true faith. But the Maya were by no means going to abandon their beliefs.

July 12, 1562 Landa burned all Mayan manuscripts, believing them to be diabolical writings. The knowledge accumulated by the Maya over a thousand years was destroyed, for history it was great tragedy.

By good fortune, four codes escaped destruction in flames and not lost over time. In the 19th century, some of these manuscripts were rescued from the hands of the monks, and over time they became known to the general public.

Mayan archeology is just beginning

The ancient Maya tried to find answers to questions by looking from the earth to the sky, and now we are looking for answers by looking from the sky to the earth.

Recently NASA and with the help modern technologies tried to find new, unknown Mayan cities. The forested hills may well be the ruins of ancient cities abandoned hundreds of years ago. Perhaps the solution to the mysteries of the Maya lies under our feet.

Mayan archeology is just beginning: an incredible number of cities, temples and other structures have not yet been explored. The "golden" age of Mayan archeology is ahead: by the end of the century, it will be one of the most studied civilizations of the Ancient World.

The Maya were smart, resourceful, but notable for their propensity for violence. What is it that attracts scientists generation after generation to this highly developed and at the same time mysterious civilization? The architecture of majestic palaces and temples? Intricate characters? Or amazing knowledge in astronomy and mathematics with the concept of zero unprecedented for antiquity? Or a people who managed to build not a village, not a town, but magnificent cities in one of the most inhospitable corners of the planet?

In the tropical rainforests between and the Yucatan, they are still hidden hundreds of unknown Mayan cities. One and a half thousand structures have not yet been excavated in Palenque alone. If you imagine what archaeological treasures await scientists in cities like Tikal and Palenque, it becomes clear that the jungle keeps many more secrets of the mysterious Mayan civilization.

Today, the Maya is a tribe of Indians living in the territory South America. Today they live in countries such as Mexico, Honduras, Guatemala and Belize. And since 2000 BC, it was an ancient civilization in Central America. They obeyed all the ancient peoples and tribes that lived in this territory. Maya and civilization at that time were synonymous. The ancient Maya 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 Maya were called people who measure their lives with heaven. At the same time, the life of the tribe remained quite primitive. The main occupation was agriculture. The tools of labor were the simplest. Scientists say that the Maya did not even know the wheel. All the 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 striking is their knowledge of astronomy, the system of time measurement and writing they created.

At a time when the colonialists from the old world set foot on the east coast of South America, the Maya civilization came to an almost complete decline. During its heyday, it occupied all of Central America. The colonialists reacted barbarously to the works of art and architectural monuments they inherited from the Mayan civilization. They considered them "pagan idols", the heritage of pagan culture and ruthlessly destroyed them. But even what remains today of the culture and knowledge of the ancient Maya strikes the imagination of modern scientists.

By right, one of the main achievements of the Maya is their unique calendar, which is based on accurate astronomical calculations. Our scientists never cease to admire its amazing accuracy. The ancient Maya priests used their astronomical observations both to solve pressing issues (for example, in agriculture) and to explain more global problems. So the Mayan priests very accurately calculated life cycles of our planet, which is confirmed by modern scientists. With the advent of 2012, everyone is especially worried about the Mayan prediction about the supposedly impending end of the world. Everyone decides 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 en masse. There are several versions, but no one knows exactly what the real reason is. Who they are, where they came from - remains a mystery even today ...

Who wants 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"

Habitat.

During I - the beginning of II millennia.e. Mayan people who speak various languages the Maya Quiche family, settled in a vast territory, including the southern states of Mexico (Tabasco, Chiapas, Campeche, Yucatan and Quintana Roo), the current countries of Belize and Guatemala and the western regions of El Salvador and Honduras.

These territories, located in the tropical zone, are distinguished by a variety of landscapes. In the mountainous south stretches a chain of volcanoes, some active. Once upon a time, powerful coniferous forests grew here on generous volcanic soils. In the north, the volcanoes pass into the limestone mountains of Alta Verapaz, which further north form the limestone plateau of Peten, characterized by a hot and humid climate. Here the center of development of the Mayan civilization of the classical era was formed.

The western part of the Peten plateau is drained by the Pasion and Usumacinta rivers, which flow into Gulf of Mexico, and the eastern one - the rivers that carry water to the Caribbean Sea. To the north of the Peten Plateau, humidity decreases with the height of the forest cover. In the north of the Yucatec Plains, rainforests give way to shrubs, and in the Puuk hills the climate is so dry that in ancient times people settled here along the shores of karst lakes (cenote) or stored water in underground reservoirs (chultun). On the northern coast of the Yucatan Peninsula, the ancient Maya mined salt and traded it with the inhabitants of the interior.

Early ideas about the ancient Maya.

Initially it was believed that the Maya lived in vast areas of tropical lowlands in small groups, engaged in slash-and-burn agriculture. With the rapid depletion of the soil, this forced them to often change their places of settlement. The Maya were peaceful and showed special interest to astronomy, and their cities with tall pyramids and stone buildings also served as priestly ceremonial centers where people gathered to observe unusual celestial phenomena.

According to modern estimates, the ancient Mayan people numbered more than 3 million people. In the distant past, their country was the most densely populated tropical zone. The Maya were able to maintain soil fertility for several centuries and turn unsuitable for Agriculture land in a plantation where maize, beans, pumpkin, cotton, cocoa and various tropical fruits were grown. Maya writing was based on a strict phonetic and syntactic system. The deciphering of ancient hieroglyphic inscriptions has refuted previous ideas about Mayan peacefulness: many of these inscriptions report wars between city-states and about captives sacrificed to the gods. The only thing that has not been revised from previous ideas is the exceptional interest of the ancient Maya in the movement of celestial bodies. Their astronomers very accurately calculated the cycles of motion of the Sun, Moon, Venus and some constellations (in particular, milky way). The Maya civilization, in its characteristics, reveals a commonality with the nearest ancient civilizations of the Mexican Highlands, as well as with distant Mesopotamian, ancient Greek and ancient Chinese civilizations.

Periodization of Mayan history.

During the archaic (2000-1500 BC) and early formative periods (1500-1000 BC) of the preclassic era, the lowlands of Guatemala were inhabited by small semi-roaming tribes of hunters and gatherers who ate wild edible roots and fruits, as well as game and fish. They left behind only rare stone tools and a few settlements definitely dated from this time. The Middle Formative Period (1000-400 BC) is the first relatively well-documented era in Maya history. At this time, small agricultural settlements appear, scattered in the jungle and along the banks of the rivers of the Peten plateau and in the north of Belize (Cuelho, Colha, Kashob). Archaeological evidence suggests that in this era the Maya did not have pompous architecture, division into classes and centralized power.

However, in the subsequent late formative period of the preclassic era (400 BC - 250 AD), major changes occurred in the life of the Maya. At this time, monumental structures are being built - stylobots, pyramids, ball courts, and there is a rapid growth of cities. Impressive architectural complexes are being built in cities such as Calakmul and Tzibilchaltun in the north of the Yucatan Peninsula (Mexico), El Mirador, Yashaktun, Tikal, Nakbe and Tintal in the jungles of Peten (Guatemala), Cerros, Cuello, Lamanay and Nomul (Belize), Chalchuapa (Salvador). There is a rapid growth of settlements that arose during this period, such as Kashob in northern Belize. At the end of the late formative period, barter trade developed between settlements far from each other. Jade and obsidian products, sea shells and feathers of the quetzal bird are most valued.

At this time, for the first time, sharp flint tools and the so-called. eccentrics - stone products of the most bizarre shape, sometimes in the form of a trident or profile human face. At the same time, the practice of consecrating buildings, arranging caches, where jade products and other valuables were placed, took shape.

During the subsequent Early Classic period (AD 250–600) of the classical era, Mayan society developed into a system of rival city-states, each with its own royal dynasty. These political formations showed commonality both in the system of government and in culture (language, writing, astronomical knowledge, calendar, etc.). The beginning of the early classical period approximately coincides with one of ancient dates, fixed on the stele of the city of Tikal, - 292 AD, which, in accordance with the so-called. "Mayan long count" is expressed in numbers 8.12.14.8.5.

The possessions of individual city-states of the classical era extended an average of 2000 square meters. km, and some cities, such as Tikal or Calakmul, controlled much larger territories. Political and cultural centers everyone public education were cities with magnificent buildings, the architecture of which represented local or zonal variations general style Mayan architecture. The buildings were arranged around a vast rectangular central square. Their facades were usually decorated with masks of the main gods and mythological characters, carved from stone or made using the technique of piece relief. The walls of the long narrow rooms inside the buildings were often painted with frescoes depicting rituals, holidays, and military scenes. Window lintels, lintels, staircases of palaces, as well as free-standing stelae were covered with hieroglyphic texts, sometimes with portraits interspersed, telling about the deeds of the rulers. On lintel 26 in Yashchilan, the wife of the ruler, Shield Jaguar, is depicted helping her husband to put on military regalia.

In the center of the Mayan cities of the classical era, pyramids up to 15 m high towered. These structures often served as tombs for revered people, so kings and priests practiced rituals here that aimed to establish a magical connection with the spirits of their ancestors.

The burial of Pakal, the ruler of Palenque, discovered in the "Temple of the Inscriptions", gave a lot of valuable information about the practice of honoring the royal ancestors. The inscription on the lid of the sarcophagus says that Pacal was born (according to our reckoning) in 603 and died in 683. The deceased was decorated with a jade necklace, massive earrings (a sign of military prowess), bracelets, a mosaic mask made of more than 200 pieces of jade. Pacal was buried in a stone sarcophagus, on which the names and portraits of his illustrious ancestors, such as his great-grandmother Kan-Ik, who had considerable power, were carved. Vessels, apparently with food and drinks, were usually placed in the burials, intended to feed the deceased on his way to the afterlife.

In Mayan cities, the central part stands out, where the rulers lived with their relatives and retinue. Such are the palace complex in Palenque, the acropolis of Tikal, the Sepulturas zone in Copan. The rulers and their closest relatives were engaged exclusively in state affairs - they organized and led military raids against neighboring city-states, arranged magnificent festivities, and took part in rituals. Members royal family they also became scribes, priests, soothsayers, painters, sculptors and architects. So, in the House of Bakabs in Kopan lived scribes of the highest rank.

Beyond the city limits, the population was dispersed in small villages surrounded by gardens and fields. people lived big families in wooden houses covered with thatch or thatch. One of these villages of the classical era has been preserved in Serena (El Salvador), where the Laguna Caldera volcano allegedly erupted in the summer of 590. Hot ash covered nearby houses, a kitchen hearth and a wall niche with painted pumpkin plates and bottles, plants, trees, fields, including a field with corn sprouts. In many ancient settlements, buildings are grouped around the central courtyard, where joint work was carried out. Land ownership was communal in nature.

In the late classical period (650-950), the population of the lowland regions of Guatemala reached 3 million people. The increased demand for agricultural products forced farmers to drain swamps and apply terraced agriculture in hilly areas, for example, along the banks of the Rio Bec.

In the late classical period, new cities began to emerge from the established city-states. So, the city of Himbal got out of control of Tikal, which is proclaimed in the language of hieroglyphs on architectural structures. During the period under review, the Mayan epigraphy reaches its peak, but the content of the inscriptions on the monuments is changing. If earlier reports about the life path of rulers with dates of birth, marriage, accession to the throne, death prevailed, now the main attention is paid to wars, conquests, captures of captives for sacrifices.

By 850, many cities in the south of the lowlands were abandoned. Construction is completely stopped in Palenque, Tikal, Copan. The reasons for what happened are still unclear. The decline of these cities could be caused by uprisings, enemy invasion, epidemic or ecological crisis. The center of development of the Mayan civilization moves to the north of the Yucatan Peninsula and western highlands- areas that have received several waves of Mexican cultural influences. Here, for a short time, the cities of Uxmal, Sayil, Kabah, Labna and Chichen Itza flourish. These opulent cities surpassed their former heights, with many-roomed palaces, taller and wider stepped vaults, intricate stone carvings and mosaic friezes, and huge ball courts.

Mayan ball game.

The prototype of this game with a rubber ball, which requires great dexterity, originated in Mesoamerica as early as two thousand years BC. The Mayan ball game, like similar games of other peoples of Mesoamerica, contained elements of violence and cruelty - it ended with a human sacrifice, for which it was started, and playgrounds were framed with stakes with human skulls. Only men participated in the game, divided into two teams, which included from one to four people. The task of the players was to prevent the ball from touching the ground and bring it to the goal, holding it with all parts of the body, with the exception of the hands and feet. The players were dressed in special protective clothing. The ball was more often hollow; sometimes a human skull was hidden behind the rubber shell.

The ball courts consisted of two parallel stepped stands, between which there was a playing field, similar to a wide paved alley. Such stadiums were built in every city, and in El Tajin there were eleven of them. Apparently, there was a sports and ceremonial center where large-scale competitions were held.

The ball game was somewhat reminiscent of gladiator fights, when captives, sometimes representatives of the nobility from other cities, fought for their lives so as not to be sacrificed. The losers, tied together, were rolled down the stairs of the pyramids, and they were smashed to death.

The last Mayan cities.

Most of the northern cities built in the postclassic era (950-1500) lasted less than 300 years, with the exception of Chichen Itza, which survived until the 13th century. This city reveals an architectural resemblance to Tula, founded by the Toltecs c. 900, suggesting that Chichen Itza served as an outpost or was an ally of the warlike Toltecs. The name of the city is derived from the Mayan words "chi" ("mouth") and "itsa" ("wall"), but its architecture in the so-called. Puuk style violates the classical Mayan canons. Thus, for example, the stone roofs of buildings are supported more by flat beams than by stepped vaults. Some carvings in stone depict Mayan and Toltec warriors together in battle scenes. Perhaps the Toltecs captured this city and eventually turned it into a prosperous state. During the Postclassic period (1200–1450), Chichen Itza was for a time in political alliance with nearby Uxmal and Mayapan, known as the Mayapan League. However, even before the arrival of the Spaniards, the League broke up, and Chichen Itza, like the cities of the classical era, was swallowed up by the jungle.

In the postclassical era, it developed maritime trade, thanks to which ports arose on the coast of Yucatan and nearby islands - for example, Tulum or a settlement on the island of Cozumel. In the late postclassic period, the Maya traded slaves, cotton, and bird feathers with the Aztecs.

Mayan calendar.

According to Maya mythology, the world was created and destroyed twice before the third, modern era arrived, which began in European reckoning on August 13, 3114 BC. From this date, time was counted in two systems of chronology - the so-called. long count and calendar circle. The basis of the long account was a 360-day annual cycle called "tun", divided into 18 months of 20 days each. The Maya used a vise rather than a decimal counting system, and the unit of time was 20 years (katun). Twenty katuns (i.e. four centuries) made up a baktun. The Maya simultaneously used two systems of calendar time - 260-day and 365-day annual cycles. These systems coincided every 18,980 days, or every 52 (365-day) years, marking an important milestone for the end of one and the beginning of a new time cycle. The ancient Maya calculated the time forward to 4772, when, in their opinion, the end of the current era will come and the Universe will be in Once again destroyed.

Mayan customs and social organization.

Rite of bloodletting.

The families of the rulers were obliged to perform the rite of bloodletting at every important event in the life of the city-states - whether it was the consecration of new buildings, the onset of the sowing season, the beginning or end of a military campaign. According to Mayan mythological ideas, human blood nourished and strengthened the gods, who, in turn, gave strength to people. It was considered that the greatest magic power possesses the blood of the tongue, ear lobes and genitals.

During the rite of bloodletting, thousands of people gathered in the central square of the city, including dancers, musicians, warriors and nobility. At the climax of the ceremonial action, the ruler appeared, often with his wife, and bled himself with a plant thorn or an obsidian knife, making an incision on the penis. At the same time, the ruler's wife pierced her tongue. After that, they passed a coarse agave rope through the wounds to increase the bleeding. Blood dripped onto strips of paper, which were then burned at the stake. Due to blood loss, as well as under the influence of narcotic substances, starvation and other factors, the participants in the ritual saw the images of gods and ancestors in puffs of smoke.

social organization.

Maya society was built on the model of patriarchy: power and leadership in the family passed from father to son or brother. Maya society of the classical era was highly stratified. A distinct division into social strata was observed in Tikal in the 8th century. At the very top of the social ladder were the ruler and his closest relatives, then came the highest and middle hereditary nobility, who had varying degrees of power, followed by retinue, artisans, architects of various ranks and status, below were rich, but not noble landowners, then ordinary farmers -communists, and on the last steps were orphans and slaves. Although these groups were in contact with each other, they lived in separate city blocks, had special duties and privileges, and cultivated their own customs.

The ancient Maya did not know the technology of smelting metals. They made tools mainly from stone, but also from wood and shells. With these tools, the farmers cut down the forest, plowed, sowed, harvested. They did not know the Maya and the potter's wheel. In the manufacture of ceramic products, they rolled clay into thin flagella and laid them one on top of the other, or molded clay plates. Ceramics were fired not in furnaces, but on open fires. Pottery was practiced by both commoners and aristocrats. The latter painted the vessels with scenes from mythology or palace life.

Writing and fine arts.

The Spanish Franciscan Bishop Diego de Landa (1524–1579), who arrived in the Yucatan in 1549, worked with a Mayan scribe on a system for translating hieroglyphs in the Latin alphabet while translating the catechism. However, the writing of the ancient Maya differed from the alphabetic script, since individual characters often represented a syllable rather than a phoneme. As a result of discrepancies between the artificial alphabet of Landa and the Mayan script, the latter was recognized as indecipherable. It is now known that Mayan scribes freely combined phonetic and semantic signs, especially when such a combination opened up opportunities for word play.

The scribes who made up intellectual elite Mayan society, produced hundreds of manuscripts. They wrote with bird quills on sheets of paper made from tree bark, which were folded like an accordion under jaguar-covered bindings. Catholic missionaries considered these books to be heretical and set them on fire. Only four Mayan manuscripts have survived, known as the Madrid, Paris, Dresden and Grolier codices. There is a section in the Dresden Codex containing something like a farmer's calendar, where predictions are given for next year and the sacrifices necessary for obtaining a good harvest are indicated. The prediction of drought is transmitted both in writing and in a drawing of a deer dying from the heat with its tongue hanging out. In addition, the Dresden Codex provides calculations for the motion of the planet Venus. The Madrid Code gives advice on how best to combine various activities, such as hunting or carving masks, with the calendar cycle.

Scribes showed their art not only on paper, but also on stone, shells, ceramic vessels. The inscriptions made in the technique of the piece guaranteed greater safety, and therefore the Mayan royal genealogies preferred to be imprinted on stone. Texts on ceramics, also made by the nobility, differed more personal character. Pottery often indicated the name of the owner, the purpose of the product (a plate, a dish with legs, a vessel for liquid) and even contents, such as cocoa or maize. Pottery painted in this way was often presented as a gift.

Ceramic artists sometimes worked together with stone-painters. Red, blue, green and black colors were used for murals. The best preserved Mayan wall paintings are in the city of Bonampak in what is now Mexico. It depicts preparations for battle, the battle itself and warriors with long spears fighting side by side, the sacrifice of captives and a festive ritual dance.

religious beliefs.

In the Mayan pantheon, the gods of the earth, rain, wind, lightning and other natural forces and phenomena were represented. Chaks, the four rain gods, were associated with the four cardinal directions. They needed to be appeased so that they would not send downpour and hail. The Mayan religion did not contain the Christian concepts of sin, punishment and atonement - it was intended to maintain the balance of the natural elements and ensure the fertility of the earth. Even in the 20th century in the north of the Yucatan, the religious rite Cha Chak is practiced to appease the gods and bring rain during a drought.

The Maya civilization was one of the greatest pre-Columbian civilizations. Its scale extended to the entire northern region of Central America, including the territories modern states- Guatemala, Belize, El Salvador, Mexico and the southwestern outskirts of Honduras.

Most of the Maya city-states reached their peak of urbanism and large-scale construction during the classical period from 250 to 900 AD. The most notable monuments from this period are the ancient temples that were built in almost every major city. For reasons still unknown, most of the Mayan centers fell into disrepair over the next few centuries. And by the time the conquistadors arrived, the Mayan civilization was already in deep decline.

There are several versions possible cause the death of a civilization, including soil depletion, loss of water sources and erosion, earthquakes, disease, and the likely military invasions of other highly developed cultures. Some Mayan cities of the highest historical and cultural value are included in. Of particular tourist interest today is ancient architecture, stone sculptures, bas-reliefs and stylized religious paintings on the walls of houses. As well as preserved massive palaces, ancient temples and pyramids.

We have already told you about the impressive ones, today you can get acquainted with the most interesting ancient cities of the Mayan civilization.

Ancient Mayan Cities - PHOTO

The ruins of Tikal are located on the territory of the national park of the same name. And this is perhaps one of the largest archaeological sites of the Mayan civilization in Central America. It was this place that became the inspiration, and then reflected in the Mel Gibson film Apocalypse. A trip to Tikal is financially quite expensive, compared to other destinations to the ruins of the Mayan civilization. But the preserved pyramids, stone royal palaces, paintings and frescoes are worth seeing. In 1979 national park Tikal has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. By the way, be on the alert, in the dense forests surrounding the park, there are predatory jaguars.

The large pre-Columbian city of Chichen Itza is located in the Mexican state of Yucatan. This large ruined city, apparently, was one of the Tollans - a place of worship of the mythological deity Quetzalcoatl (feathered serpent). This is evidenced by the images found in the ball stadium. Chichen Itza is known for its wide variety of architectural styles. This city was attractive to residents, since there were two deep cenotes that provided the population with water all year round. One of these natural wells is the Sacred Cenote, a place of sacrifice and pilgrimage for the ancient Maya. Chichen Itza is very popular with tourists, with more than 1.2 million visitors every year.

This Mayan city flourished in southern Mexico in the 7th century BC. After the fall, the city was swallowed up by the jungle for a long time before being rediscovered and turned into a famous place. archaeological sites. Palenque is located on the Usumacinta River, 130 km south of Ciudad del Carmen. It is much smaller than Tikal, but it boasts of its architecture, preserved sculptures and bas-reliefs of the ancient Maya. Numerous hieroglyphic inscriptions on the monuments have allowed experts to reconstruct much of Palenque's history. The same experts and archaeologists claim that only 10% of the territory of the ancient city has been excavated and studied at the moment. The rest is nearby, but hidden underground, in thickets of dense jungle.

The ancient ruins of the city of Calakmul are hidden in the jungles of the Mexican state of Campeche. This is one of largest cities Mayan. More than 6,500 buildings have been discovered on an area of ​​about 20 square kilometers. The largest pyramids reach a height of 50 meters and a base width of 140 meters. In the classical period, the era of the dawn of Calakmul was observed. At that time, he was in fierce rivalry with Tikal, this confrontation can be compared with the clarification of the political ambitions of the two superpowers. Called the Serpent Kingdom, Calakmul spread its active influence over a radius of several hundred kilometers. This is evidenced by the characteristic stone emblems depicting a snake's head, found in small Mayan villages.

The Mayan ruins of Uxmal are located 62 kilometers from Merida, the capital of the Yucatan state. The ruins are famous for their size and decoration of buildings. But little is known about them, since significant archaeological research has not been carried out here. Uxmal was founded in 500 AD. Most of the surviving buildings date back to 800 - 900 years, pyramids and various structures can be observed in almost their original form. prevailing here architectural style Puuk is distinguished by the variety of decorations on the facades of buildings.

The ruins are located on the shores of a lagoon in the Orange Walk district in north-central Belize. Translated from the Mayan language, the name of the city, which has a history of three thousand years, means "drowned crocodile." Unlike other Mayan cities, Lamanai was still inhabited when the Spanish conquistadors invaded in the 16th century. During excavations carried out in the 1970s, three significant structures came into focus: the Temple of the Mask, the Temple of the Jaguar, and the High Temple. To be among these ruins, located deep in the jungle, you must join an organized boat trip from the city of Orange Walk. There is a small museum displaying ancient artifacts and telling about the history of the Maya.

The name of this ancient archaeological site means "Stone Woman". It is connected with the history of the Belizeans, according to which, allegedly since 1892, the ghost of a woman periodically appears in these places. A white-robed ghost with fiery red eyes climbs the stairs to the top of the main temple and dissolves through the wall. The ruins are located near the village of San Jose Succotz in the west of the country. In this village, you need to take a small ferry to cross the Mopan River. Having reached the ruins, do not deny yourself the opportunity to climb to the top of the Shunantunich Palace - a huge pyramid that offers stunning views of the river valley.

The walled city of Tulum, which served as a port for the city of Coba, is located on the east coast of the Yucatan Peninsula. It was built in the 1200s, at a time when the Mayan civilization was already in decline. Therefore, it lacks some of the elegance and grace in the architecture characteristic of the classical period of development. But a unique location on the coast caribbean, the proximity of numerous beaches and Mexican resorts, made the Mayan port city of Tulum very popular among tourists.

The great city of the ancient Maya, which served as a home for 50 thousand inhabitants at the peak of its development, is located 90 kilometers east of Chichen Itza, about 40 kilometers west of the Caribbean Sea and 44 kilometers northeast of Tulum. All directions today are interconnected by modern convenient roads. Most of the objects were built between 500 and 900 years. The city has several tall pyramids. The highest pyramid of El Castillo, belonging to the Nohoch Mul group of buildings, reaches a height of 42 meters. To the top of the temple, where a small altar is located, which served as a place of sacrifice, there are 120 steps, along which those who wish can climb.

Ceremonial and shopping mall Maya Altun Ha is located 50 kilometers from the city of Belize. This area, only 10 kilometers from the Caribbean coast, is known for its rich wildlife. Typical inhabitants of the local forests are armadillos, tapirs, agoutis, foxes, tairas and white-tailed deer. In addition to the impressive wildlife, Altun-Kha is famous for the artifacts found here by archaeologists from. Among them is a huge jade sculpture depicting the head of the sun god Kinich Ahau. This find is today considered a national treasure of Belize.

The large center of archaeological excavations of Caracol is located 40 kilometers south of Shunantunich in Cayo district. The ruins stretch 500 meters above sea level on the Waka Plateau. Caracol is now known as one of the most important political centers of the Mayan civilization in the classical period. At one time, Karakol stretched over an area of ​​more than 200 square kilometers. This more territory modern Belize - the largest city in the country. Even more surprising is that the current population of Belizeans is only half of its ancient predecessors.

The stunning Mayan ruins are located on the banks of the Usumacinta River in the southeastern Mexican state of Chiapas. Yaxchilan was at one time a powerful city-state, and was a kind of competition to such cities as Palenque and Tikal. Yaxchilan is known for a large number of well-preserved stone decorations decorating the door and window openings of the main temple. On them, as well as on various statues, there are hieroglyphic texts telling about the ruling dynasty and the history of the city. The names of some of the rulers sounded menacing: Moon Skull and Jaguar Bird dominated Yaxchilan in the fifth century.

In the department of Izabal in the southeast of Guatemala, there is a three-kilometer zone of archaeological excavations of Quirigua. During the classical period of the development of the Mayan civilization, this ancient city was at the crossroads of several important trade routes. An interesting attraction of this place is the Acropolis, the construction of which began in 550. The archaeological park of Quirigua is famous for its tall stone monuments. Considering that the city is located on the site of a transform geological fault and was prone to major earthquakes and floods in ancient times, it is worth a visit to see the preserved monuments and appreciate the urban planning skills of the ancient Maya.

The archaeological site of the Mayan civilization Copan is located in the western part of Honduras on the border with Guatemala. This one is relatively small town known for a series of well-preserved architectural artifacts. Some of the stelae, sculptural decorations and bas-reliefs are among the best evidence of the art of ancient Mesoamerica. Some stone structures of Copan date back to the 9th century BC. The highest temple reaches a height of 30 meters. The dawn of the settlement falls on the 5th century, at that time about 20 thousand inhabitants lived here.

The ruins of Cajal Pech are located near the city of San Ignacio in the Cayo region on a strategic high ground at the confluence of the Makal and Mopan rivers. Most major construction dates refer to classical period, but existing evidence speaks of continuous residence in these places since 1200 BC. The city is a concentration in a small area of ​​34 stone structures located around the central acropolis. The highest temple is about 25 meters high. Cahal Pech, like many other cities, was abandoned in the 9th century AD for unknown reasons.

This is only a small part of the huge historical and cultural heritage that the mysterious civilization left behind. In total, in the northern region of Central America, more than 400 large archaeological sites were discovered, and over 4,000 small, but no less interesting ancient settlements belonging to the peoples and cultures of the Mayan civilization that existed for more than 2,500 years.

The Maya civilization is unique. Their writing, calendar system, knowledge of astronomy amaze even modern cosmologists. The Maya Indians are one of the most ancient and mysterious civilizations that have ever existed on Earth.

The birth of the Mayan civilization

Scientists have determined where the Indians lived. Theoretically, after the end of the last ice age, the tribes living in the north went south to develop new lands. Today it is the territory of Latin America.

Then, for the next 6 thousand years, the Indians created their own culture - they built cities, were engaged in agriculture.

By 1500 BC, the Mayans lived in the Yucatán Peninsula, what is now Guatemala, the southern states of Mexico, and the western parts of El Salvador and Honduras.

Maya Indians: the history of the development of civilization

First major centers became the cities of El Mirador, Nakbe and Tikal. The construction of temples flourished, calendars were widely used, and hieroglyphic writing developed.

In the photo below - the ancient Mayan cultural center in ancient city Tikal.

The Indians created their own system, including architecture with unique buildings - pyramids, monuments, palaces, politics and social hierarchy. Society was divided into the masses and the elite, consisting of rulers.

The Mayan tribe believed that their rulers were descended from the gods. The status was emphasized by robes with a mandatory attribute - a chest mirror. "Mirror of the people" - the Maya called their supreme ruler.

Maya ruling class

The ancient Mayan civilization numbered over 20 million people.

A whole system of 200 cities was created, 20 of them were metropolitan areas with a population of more than 50 thousand people.

Economic development of the Maya tribes

Initially, the Mayans were engaged in slash-and-burn agriculture - they cut down the forest on the site that they planned to cultivate, then they burned the trees and shrubs, and fertilized the soil with ash. Since the land in the tropics is infertile, its resources were quickly depleted, and the fields ceased to be cultivated. They words overgrown with forest. Then the whole process started all over again.

But with the increase in population, new methods were required, and the Indians began to use hillsides for terraced farming. Swamps were also mastered - raised fields were arranged on them by embanking beds a meter high above the water level.

They arranged irrigation systems, through a network of canals water flowed into tanks.

They traveled across the water in canoes made of mahogany. Up to 50 people could be in them at the same time. They traded fish, shells, shark teeth and other marine gifts. Salt was in the role of money.

Salt production

For the manufacture of weapons used obsidian, brought from Mexico and Guatemala.

Jade was a ritual stone, it has always been in value.

jade products

Those who lived on the plains traded food, cotton, jaguar skins, and quetzal feathers.

Art and architecture

During the "classic" early and late periods(250 - 600 AD and 600 - 900 AD) a huge number of temples were built, wall paintings with the image of rulers appear. Art flourishes.

Below is a photo of a bas-relief depicting a ruler.

Copan and Palenque become new cultural centers.

Migration

Starting from 900 AD, the southern plains gradually become empty, the settlements remain in the northern part of the Yucatan. Until 1000 AD, the influence of Mexican culture grows, the cities of Labna, Uxmal, Kabah and ChiChen Itza flourish.

Below is a photo of the pyramid in the city of Chichen Itza

After the mysterious collapse of Chichen Itza, Mayapan becomes the main city of the Maya.

Why did the Maya civilization disappear?

No one really knows the reason for the disappearance of the Indian people. There are only hypotheses about this. According to the main one, in 1441 there was an uprising of the leaders who lived in the cities neighboring Mayapan. This caused the degeneration of civilization and its transformation into disparate tribes. Drought and famine also affected. Then came the conquistadors.

Below in the photo - the last center of civilization.

In 1517, Spanish ships landed on an unknown shore. In the battle with the Indians, the conquistadors saw gold. With this, the extermination of the Mayan people began, since the Spaniards believed that gold should belong to their rulers. In 1547, the Maya were conquered, but some of the tribes managed to escape and hide in the center of the Yucatan Peninsula, where they lived for 150 years.

The diseases that the Spaniards brought with them caused outbreaks of epidemics. The Indians had no immunity to influenza, measles, and smallpox, and they died by the millions.

The culture and religion of the Indians were exterminated by all possible ways: temples collapsed, shrines were destroyed, idolatry was punished by torture.

In the 100 years since the advent of latin america Maya civilization was completely eradicated by Europeans.

Watch the BBC documentary on the mysterious Mayan civilization below.