Learn about the "Mayans Civilization" - The Mayans resided in Mexico's Yucatan peninsula, and which flourished from 300 A.D. to 900 A.D. The Mayans were highly devoted to their gods, practicing rituals on a daily basis, and famous for their elaborate ceremonial centers. Among their many achievements, it is believed the Mayans invented the concept of zero 1000 years before the Europeans adopted it from the Orient.
 They developed sophisticated writing systems of phonetic symbols and pictographs, two calendars based on a solar system and rituals which could predict eclipses and measure the movements of the moon and Venus with close to perfect accuracy.
Today, most of the Mayan ruins can be found in the states of Yucatan, Quintana Roo, Chiapas and Campeche, conveniently located just a short distance from many major tourist attractions. Palenque, Chichen Itza, Tonina, Yaxchilan, Coba, Tulum, Xcaret, Kabah and Sayil are some of the most frequented Mayan sites.
The Maya civilization is a Mesoamerican civilization, noted for the only known fully developed written language of the pre-Columbian Americas, as well as its spectacular art, monumental architecture, and sophisticated mathematical and astronomical systems. At its peak, it was one of the most densely populated and culturally dynamic societies in the world.
The Maya civilization share many features with other Mesoamerican civilizations due to the high degree of interaction and cultural diffusion that characterized the region. Advances such as writing, epigraphy, and the calendar did not originate with the Maya; however, their civilization fully developed them. Maya influence can be detected as far as central Mexico, more than 625 miles from the Maya area.
 Many outside influences are found in Maya art and architecture, which are thought to result from trade and cultural exchange rather than direct external conquest. The Maya peoples never disappeared, neither at the time of the Classic period decline nor with the arrival of the Spanish conquistadores and the subsequent Spanish colonization of the Americas.
Today, the Maya and their descendants form sizable populations throughout the Maya area and maintain a distinctive set of traditions and beliefs that are the result of the merger of pre-Columbian and post-Conquest ideologies.
Many different Mayan languages continue to be spoken as primary languages today; the Rabinal Achí, a play written in the Achi' language, was declared a Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO in 2005. |
