The Maya civilization lived in the area in Central America, which now consists of the Yucatan peninsula, Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, and southern Mexico (the Chiapas and Tabasco provinces).
By far the greatest civilization in Central America before the Spanish Conquest was the Maya. They were prominent in many different ways. For instance, they built magnificent cities with huge stone temples and pyramids, yet they had no knowledge of the wheel or metal tools. The great Mayans developed an advanced system of writing, mathematics and astronomy, which they used to calculate an accurate calendar. They lived in a society where religion was part of their daily life. The cosmological beliefs of the Maya remain to be ambiguous since the only direct source of knowledge comes from the sculptured and painted representations from their ceremonial sites. However, it is proven they worshiped hundreds of different gods. The ancient Mayans can be historically remembered for their remarkable advances of the arts, sciences, and religion.
By far the greatest civilization in Central America before the Spanish Conquest was the Maya. They were prominent in many different ways. For instance, they built magnificent cities with huge stone temples and pyramids, yet they had no knowledge of the wheel or metal tools. The great Mayans developed an advanced system of writing, mathematics and astronomy, which they used to calculate an accurate calendar. They lived in a society where religion was part of their daily life. The cosmological beliefs of the Maya remain to be ambiguous since the only direct source of knowledge comes from the sculptured and painted representations from their ceremonial sites. However, it is proven they worshiped hundreds of different gods. The ancient Mayans can be historically remembered for their remarkable advances of the arts, sciences, and religion.
Mayan art has been called the "richest of the New World" because of the great complexity of patterns and variety of media expressions. Maya buildings were adorned with carved friezes (band of painted decorations on a wall) and roof combs in stone and stucco. With large quantities of limestone and flint available, plaster and cement were easily produced. This permitted them to build gigantic temples with stepped pyramids. Evidence show that early Maya architects were using the corbel vault principle, which is pertaining to arch-like structures with sides that extend inward until they meet at the top. Another incredible feature of the Mayans was the use of colorful murals. The Mayans also expressed themselves artistically. Their ceramics were made up of a large variety of forms and decorated with complex scenes. They used flint, bone and shell, along with making decorated cotton textiles. Even metal was used for ceremonial purposes, including bracelets, necklaces, and headdresses making it evident that all the structures built were solely to honor the gods.
The Popol Vuh, a Maya creation myth, taught that the gods had created human beings out of maize and water, the ingredients that became human flesh and blood, which reflected the fundamental role of agriculture in their society. Maya priests also taught that the gods kept the world going and maintained the agricultural cycle in exchange for honors and sacrifices performed for them. The king occupied the top rung of a strict political hierarchy because he was thought to hold sway with the gods of the underworld who would symbolize the form of a jaguar. The next tier were the Mayan artisans and traders because they were appreciated for their economic value.
The stepped pyramids, temples, and other stone structures of Chichen Itza were sacred to the Mayans because it acted as their sophisticated urban center from 750 to 1200 AD. Viewed as a whole, the incredible complex reveals much about the Maya and their culture. The most recognizable structure here is the Temple of Kukulkan, also known as El Castillo. This glorious step pyramid demonstrates the accuracy and importance of Mayan astronomy. The temple had 365 steps--one for each day of the year. Devising a 365-calendar was just one feat of Maya science. Incredibly, they managed to predict solar eclipses and even built an impressive observatory structure to analyze the movement of the stars, moon, and sun.