History of the Maya. Ancient civilizations of Latin America

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

Birth of the Mayan civilization

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

Then, over the next 6 thousand years, the Indians created their own culture - they built cities and farmed.

By 1500 BC, the Mayans lived in the Yucatan Peninsula, the territory of modern Guatemala, the southern states of Mexico and western parts El Salvador and Honduras.

Mayan Indians: history of the development of civilization

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

The photo below shows the ancient Mayan cultural center in the ancient city of 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 Mayans believed that their rulers were descended from the gods. The status was emphasized by robes with a mandatory attribute - a breast mirror. “Mirror of the people” - this is what the Mayans called their supreme ruler.

Maya ruling class

The ancient Mayan civilization numbered more than 20 million people.

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

Economic development of the Mayans

Initially, the Mayans were engaged in slash-and-burn agriculture - they cut down the forest on the site that they planned to cultivate, then 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 were overgrown with forest. Then the whole process began again.

But as the population increased, new methods were required, and the Indians began to use hillsides for terrace farming. Swamps were also developed - raised fields were built on them by building beds a meter high above the water level.

They installed irrigation systems, and water flowed into reservoirs through a network of canals.

They traveled on the water in canoes made of red wood. They could accommodate up to 50 people at the same time. They traded fish, shells, shark teeth and other seafood. Salt was like money.

Salt production

Obsidian imported from Mexico and Guatemala was used to make weapons.

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

Jade products

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

Art and architecture

During the "classical" early and late periods(250 – 600 AD and 600 – 900 AD) was built great amount temples, wall paintings appear depicting rulers. Art is flourishing.

Below is a photo of Barel'ev with the image of the ruler.

Copan and Palenque become new cultural centers.

Migration

Beginning in 900 AD, the southern plains gradually emptied, leaving settlements in the northern part of Yucatan. Until 1000 AD, the influence of Mexican culture grew, and the cities of Labna, Uxmal, Kabah and ChiChen Itza flourished.

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

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

Why did the Mayan civilization disappear?

No one knows for sure the reason for the disappearance of the Indian people. There are only hypotheses on this matter. 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 scattered tribes. Drought and famine also had an impact. Then the conquistadors appeared.

Below in the photo is the last center of civilization.

In 1517, Spanish ships landed on an unknown shore. In the battle with the Indians, the conquistadors saw gold. This began the extermination of the Mayan people, since the Spaniards believed that gold should belong to their rulers. In 1547, the Mayans 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 was exterminated in every possible way: temples were destroyed, shrines were destroyed, idolatry was punished by torture.

In the 100 years since the Europeans arrived in Latin America, the Mayan civilization was completely eradicated.

See below documentary BBC channel about mysterious civilization Mayan

About 10,000 years ago, when the last one ended glacial period, people from the north moved to explore southern lands, now known as Latin America. They settled in the territory that later constituted the Mayan region, with mountains and valleys, dense forests and arid plains. The Maya region includes modern Guatemala, Belize, southern Mexico, Honduras, and El Salvador. Over the next 6,000 years, the local population transitioned from a semi-nomadic existence as hunter-gatherers to a more sedentary agricultural lifestyle. They learned to grow corn and beans, used a variety of stone tools to grind grain and prepare food. Gradually settlements arose. Around 1500 BC. e. widespread construction of settlements began rural type, which served as a signal for the beginning of the so-called “preclassic period”, from which the countdown of centuries of the glorious Mayan civilization begins. The entire history of the Mayan civilization is usually divided into four periods: “Pre-classic”, early “classic”, late “classic” and “post-classic”.

“PRE-CLASSICAL” PERIOD (1500 BC–250 AD) People acquired some agricultural skills and learned to increase the productivity of their fields. Throughout the Maya region, densely populated villages of rural type arose. Around 1000 BC. e. The villagers of Cuello (in Belize) made pottery and buried their dead. Following the required ceremony: pieces of green stone and other valuable items were placed in the grave. In Mayan art of this period, the influence of the Olmec civilization, which arose in Mexico on the Gulf Coast and established trade relations with all of Mesoamerica, is noticeable. Some scholars believe that the ancient Mayans owe the creation of a hierarchical society and kingship to the Olmec presence in southern regions Mayan areas from 900 to 400 BC. e.

Olmec power ended. The growth and prosperity of the southern Mayan trading cities begins. From 300 BC e. to 250 AD e. such large centers as Nakbe, El Mirador and Tikal emerge. The Mayans achieved significant success in the field scientific knowledge. Ritual, solar and lunar calendars. They represent complex system interconnected calendars. This system allowed the Mayans to record the most important historical dates, make astronomical forecasts and boldly look into such distant times, which even modern experts in the field of cosmology do not dare to judge. Their calculations and records were based on a flexible counting system that included a symbol for zero unknown to the ancient Greeks and Romans, and they surpassed other contemporary civilizations in the accuracy of astronomical calculations. Of all the ancient cultures that flourished in the Northern and South America, only the Mayans had a developed writing system. And it was at this time that the Mayan hieroglyphic writing began to develop. Mayan hieroglyphs look like miniature drawings squeezed into tiny squares. In reality, these are units of written speech - one of the five original writing systems created independently of one another. Some hieroglyphs are syllabic, but most of them are ideograms, denoting phrases, words or parts of words. Hieroglyphs were carved on steles, on lintels, on vertical planes stone stairs, on the walls of tombs, and also wrote on the pages of codices, on pottery. About 800 hieroglyphs have already been read, and scientists with unabated interest are deciphering new ones, as well as giving new interpretations of already famous symbols.

During the same period, temples were erected, which were decorated with sculptural images of gods, and then Mayan rulers. Rich offerings are found in the tombs of Mayan rulers from this period.

EARLY “CLASSICAL” PERIOD (250-600 AD) By 250 AD. Tikal and its neighboring city of Washactun become the main cities in the central lowland zone of Maya territory. Tikal had everything: giant pyramid temples, a palace complex, ball courts, a market, and a steam bath.

Society was divided into the ruling elite and the subordinate working class of farmers, artisans, and traders. Thanks to excavations, we learned that social stratification in Tikal primarily concerned housing. While ordinary members of the community lived in villages scattered here and there among the forests, the ruling elite had at their disposal a more or less clearly defined living space of the Central Acropolis, which by the end of the classical period turned into a real labyrinth of buildings built around six spacious courtyards over an area of ​​about 2.5 square kilometers. The buildings consisted of one or two rows long rooms, divided by transverse walls into a number of rooms, each room had its own exit. The “palaces” served as homes for important people; in addition, the city administration was probably located here.

Beginning in the 3rd century, rulers with supreme power erected pyramid temples and steles with images and inscriptions designed to perpetuate their rule; the initiation rite consists of a ritual of bloodletting and human sacrifices. The earliest known stele (dated to 292) was found in Tikal, it was erected in honor of one of the heirs of the ruler Yash-Mok-Shok, who founded at the beginning of the century a dynasty that was destined to rule the city for 600 years. In 378, under the ninth ruler of this dynasty, Great Jaguar Paw, Tikal conquered Vashaktun. By that time, Tikal was under the influence of a tribe of warriors and traders from the Mexican center of Teotihuacan, having adopted some methods of warfare from foreigners.

LATE “CLASSICAL” PERIOD (600-900 AD) Classical culture The Maya, which was characterized by rapid construction of palaces and temples, reached a new level of development in the 7th-8th centuries. Tikal reclaims past glory, but other, no less influential centers are emerging. In the west of the Mayan region, Palenque flourishes. Which is ruled by Pacal, who came to power in 615 and was buried with the highest honors in 683. The rulers of Palenque were distinguished by great construction zeal and created a large number of temples, palace complexes, a royal tomb and other buildings. But what's most important is sculptural images and the hieroglyphic inscriptions that abound in these structures give us an idea of ​​what the rulers and the people obedient to them considered important. After studying all the monuments, one gets the impression that during this period there were some changes in the role assigned to the ruler, and these changes indirectly indicate the reason for the collapse of such a seemingly prosperous civilization, which was the Mayan civilization in “ classical period».

In addition, in four different places In Palenque, Pacal and his heir erected the so-called royal registers - steles with records of members of the ruling dynasty, tracing its roots back to 431 AD. e. Apparently these two were very concerned about proving their legitimate right to rule, and the reason for this was two cases in the history of the city when the ruler received the right of succession to the throne through his mother's line. This is what happened with Pakal. Since among the Mayans the right to the throne was usually passed on through the paternal line, Pacal and his son were forced to make some adjustments to this rule.

In the 7th century, the southeastern city of Copan also gained fame. Many inscriptions and steles of Copan show that the city was a city for 4 centuries, from the 5th century AD. e., ruled by one dynasty. Thanks to this stability, the city gained weight and influence. The founder of the dynasty, ruler Yash-Kuk-Mo (Blue-Ketual-Parrot), came to power in 426 AD. e. And it can be assumed that his authority was very great, and all subsequent rulers of Copan considered it necessary to count their royal line from him. Of his 15 royal descendants, the longest lived was the energetic Smoke Jaguar, who ascended the throne in 628 and reigned for 67 years. Famed as the Great Instigator, Smoke Jaguar led Copan to unprecedented prosperity, greatly expanding its holdings, possibly through territorial wars. The nobles who served under him probably became rulers of the conquered cities. During the reign of Smoke-Jaguar, the urban population reached approximately 10,000 people.

At that time, wars between cities were common. Despite the fact that the rulers of the cities were related to each other due to interdynastic marriages, and in the culture - art and religion - these cities had much in common.

Art continues to develop, artisans supply the nobility with various exquisite crafts. The construction of ceremonial buildings and numerous steles extolling the personal merits of the rulers continues. However, starting from the 8th century, and especially in the 9th century, the cities of the central lowlands fell into decay. In 822 political crisis shook Copan; the last dated inscription at Tikal is from 869.

"POST-CLASSICAL" PERIOD (900-1500 AD) The depletion of natural resources, the decline of agriculture, urban overcrowding, epidemics, foreign invasions, social upheaval and incessant wars - all of these, both together and separately, could have caused the decline of the Mayan civilization in the southern plains. By 900 AD e. Construction in this area stops, once populous cities, abandoned by residents, turn into ruins. But the Mayan culture still lives in the northern part of Yucatan. Such beautiful cities as Uxmal, Kabah, Sayil, Labna in the hilly Puuc region exist until the year 1000.

Historical chronicles of the eve of the Conquest and archaeological data clearly indicate that in the 10th century AD. The Yucatan was invaded by warlike Central Mexican tribes - the Toltecs. But, despite all this, in the central region of the peninsula the population survived and quickly adapted to new living conditions. And after a short time, a kind of syncretic culture appeared, combining Mayan and Toltec features. The history of Yucatan began new period, received in scientific literature name "Mexican". Chronologically, its framework falls on the X – XIII centuries AD.

The center of this new culture becomes the city of Chichen Itza. It was at this time that the city began to prosper, lasting 200 years. Already by 1200, the built-up area was huge (28 square kilometers), majestic architecture and magnificent sculpture indicate that this city was the main cultural center Mayan last period. New sculptural motifs and architectural details reflect the increased influence of Mexican cultures, mainly Toltec, which developed in Central Mexico before the Aztec. After the sudden and mysterious fall of Chichen Itza, Mayapan becomes the main city in the Yucatan. The Yucatan Maya seem to have waged more brutal wars among themselves than those waged by their brethren to the south. Although detailed descriptions There are no specific battles, it is known that warriors from Chichen Itza fought against warriors from Uxmal and Coba, and later people The Mayapana attacked Chichen Itza and plundered it.

According to scientists, the behavior of the northerners was influenced by the influence of other peoples who invaded the Mayan territory. It is possible that the invasion took place peacefully, although this is unlikely. For example, Bishop de Lande had information about some people who came from the west, whom the Mayans called “Itza”. These people, as the remaining Mayan descendants told Bishop de Lande, attacked Chichen Itza and captured it. After the sudden and mysterious fall of Chichen Itza, Mayapan becomes the main city in the Yucatan.

If the development of Chichen Itza and Uxmal repeats other Mayan cities, then Mayapan in this case was quite different from general scheme. Mayapan, surrounded by a wall, was a chaotic city. Moreover, there were no huge temples here. The main pyramid of Mayapan was not a very good copy of the El Castillo pyramid at Chichen Itza. The population in the city reached 12 thousand people. Scientists suggest that Mayapan had enough high level economy, and that Mayan society gradually transitioned to business relationship, paying less and less attention to the ancient gods.

The Cocom dynasty ruled Mayapan for 250 years. They maintained power by holding their potential enemies hostage behind the city's high walls. The Cocomas further strengthened their position when they accepted into their service an entire army of mercenaries from Ah-Kanul (Mexican state of Tabasco), whose loyalty was bought with promises of war booty. Everyday life The dynasty was mostly busy with amusements, dances, feasts and hunts.

In 1441, Mayapan fell as a result of a bloody uprising raised by the leaders of neighboring cities, the city was sacked and burned.

The fall of Mayapan sounded the death knell over the entire Mayan civilization, which rose from the jungles of Central America to unprecedented heights and sank into the abyss of oblivion. Mayapan was the last city in the Yucatan that managed to subjugate other cities. After his fall, the confederation broke up into 16 competing mini-states, each of which fought for territorial advantages with its own army. In the constantly flaring up wars, cities were raided: mostly young men were captured to replenish the army or to sacrifice them, fields were set on fire to force farmers to submit. In continuous wars, architecture and art were abandoned as unnecessary.

Shortly after the fall of Mayapan, just a few decades later, the Spaniards landed on the peninsula, and the fate of the Mayans was sealed. Once upon a time, a prophet, whose words are quoted in the Books of Chilam-Balam, predicted the appearance of strangers and its consequences. This is how the prophecy sounded: “Receive your guests, the bearded people who are coming from the east... This is the beginning of destruction.” But the same books also warn that not only external circumstances, but also the Mayans themselves will be to blame for what will happen. "And there was no more happy days“, says the prophecy, “sanity has left us.” One would think that long before this last conquest the Mayans knew that their glory would fade and ancient wisdom will be forgotten. And yet, as if anticipating the future attempts of scientists to call their world out of oblivion, they expressed the hope that someday voices from the past would be heard: “At the end of our blindness and our shame, everything will open again.”

2012... People in my town are massively buying candles, stewed food and soap. They think that this will protect them from the end of the world, which is scheduled to occur on December 21st. According to the Mayan calendar. Although I am a sober person, I still felt a nervous tic. But the day passed calmly and, as you can see, the world is still standing still. The Mayans were wrong.

Mayan civilization: where is it located?

For some reason I believed that the Mayans, Incas and Aztecs lived at the same time. But this is a mistake. The Aztecs experienced all the joys of the Spanish conquest, while the Mayan civilization at that time was almost dead. Mayan civilization was very highly developed and today her descendants treasure with trepidation what remains of their culture.

This civilization is very ancient. Its roots go back to 2nd millennium BC. A peak of development fell on 250-900 AD. The Mayans lived in the following territories:

• southern states of Mexico;
• Guatemala;
• Belize;
• western Honduras;
• El Salvador;
• Yucatan Peninsula.

These territories are very diverse in their landscape. The Mayans knew how transform dry lands into fertile soils. They grew cocoa, corn, beans, pumpkins, fruits and even cotton. Their society was divided into independent tribes, headed by a leader. Number of Mayan people was almost 3 million people. Medicine was very advanced. The Mayans even knew how to fill teeth. And their astronomers could very accurately calculate the cycles of the sun's movement and other planets.

Mayan secrets

But scientists are still struggling with one question. Why did the Mayan civilization disappear? After all, this civilization has reached incredible heights in construction, art, and intellectual development. But early 10th century Maya start leave their cities. Scientists put forward various versions - from epidemic to natural disaster. But so far no one has been able to solve this mystery.

And another mystery of this civilization is cenotes. This natural wells. It is believed that the Mayans built their cities taking into account their location. Near these wells sacrifices were made and the Mayans considered them entrance to the underworld. Also the Mayans for some reason tried change your body. For example, they deformed the forehead and made it flat. They deliberately shaped children to have squints or made their noses into the shape of a beak.

In pre-Columbian America there was a Mayan civilization, rightfully recognized as one of the brightest. Group of diverse Indian peoples numbering about 2.7 million lived in Mexico. There is a hypothesis that people settled America thirty thousand years ago, coming there from Asia.

Despite the fact that the Maya until the 10th century AD. e. they did not know how to cultivate the land with a plow and did not use artiodactyl animals in their activities, they had no wheeled carts and no idea about metals, they were constantly improving.

In particular, they mastered hieroglyphic writing. Using hieroglyphs, the Mayans wrote codices - books on a kind of paper. It is they who currently help scientists in the study of this civilization. The codes were first translated by the German scientist E. Forstemann into late XIX century.

The Mayans understood the movements of the moon and the sun and predicted eclipses. Their calculations regarding the movements of Venus were also close to correct, the difference being only 14 seconds per year. They are also earlier than representatives Arab countries and Hindus began to use the concept of zero.

The skillful combination of astronomical knowledge and writing helped tribes record time. Their counting systems, called Tzolkin and Tonalamatl, were based on the numbers 20 and 13. The roots of the first of them go back much further. early time, than the one in which the Mayans lived, however, it was they who improved the system.

Art flourished in this civilization: they created beautiful sculptures, ceramics, built majestic buildings and took up painting.

The art of the Mexican Indians reached its highest degree of development in antiquity in the time period from 250 to 900 AD. e., the so-called classical period. The most beautiful frescoes were found by researchers in the cities of Palenque, Copane and Bonampaque. Now they are equated to cultural monuments of antiquity, because the ancient Mayan images are really not inferior to the latter in beauty. Unfortunately, many of the valuables have not survived to this day, destroyed either by time or by the Inquisition.

Architecture

The main motifs in Mayan architecture are deities, snakes and masks. Religious and mythological themes are reflected both in small ceramics and in sculptures and bas-reliefs. The Mayans created their works of art from stone, mainly using limestone.

The architecture of this people is majestic; it is characterized by massive, soaring facades of palaces and temples, and ridges on the roofs.

Mayan Studies

The Indians created cities using only muscular strength, built temples and palaces under the leadership of kings and priests, and carried out military campaigns. Unfortunately, now most Mayan cities have turned into ruins. They also had their own gods, whom they worshiped, and ritual sacrifices and ceremonies took place.

For a long time, scientists believed that no one lived permanently in the ceremonial centers, and that the buildings were used only for performing rituals. But later it was proven that for the most part the palaces of the nobility and priests were built quite close to them.

Thanks to research into ceremonial centers, quite a lot of information was obtained regarding the life activity of the upper strata of Mayan society. In contrast, little was known about the lower classes. For example, the question of the life of farmers has not been sufficiently studied, but it was they who supported the ruling strata with the help of their labor. It is this side of Mayan life that is studied in currently archaeologists.

New research has allowed scientists to create a completely different chronology of this civilization. They found that the Maya are at least 1000 years older than previously thought. This was done thanks to radiocarbon dating of wooden products found by archaeologists. It has been proven that they were made in the period 2750 - 2450. BC e. Accordingly, the Mayan culture turned out to be older than the Olmec, which until that moment was considered the ancestor of the Maya and a number of other civilizations. Thus, the factor of influence of the Olmec culture was excluded and a hypothesis was put forward about a possible reverse influence. Thus, further research into the history of the continent will be required. After all, just one season of excavations could add a thousand years to the existence of the Mayans and more than one and a half to the prehistory of all of Mesoamerica.

The discoveries of archaeologists have made it possible to create a more accurate periodization due to a number of reasons, the main two of which are:

1. On the territory in large quantities Ceramics have been found that, using the most modern methods, make it possible to more accurately date the ancient culture.
2. Thanks to hieroglyphic writing ancient Indians managed to translate most their records, comparing them with chronology, and then with modern calendar. This helped determine, down to the month, the dates of special events for the Mayan civilization, the reigns of rulers and simply important personalities for history, their names, years of life.

Territory and climate

On the impressive territory (an area of ​​325 thousand square kilometers), which is now occupied by various states of Mexico and where the Mayans previously lived, several natural zones are actually distinguished. Each of them has its own climate, its own natural conditions, vegetation, relief, etc. That is, each natural area represents a kind of ecological system. The first of the systems - advanced in a kind of semicircle to the south, capturing the southwest and southeast, plateaus and mountain ranges Central American Cordillera. The second ecological system conventionally includes the valleys and hills around the Peten Basin in Guatemala, as well as the inland basin itself and the southern part of the Yucatan Peninsula. The last zone of Maya dislocation is the plain in the north of Yucatan. Spacious, covered with grass and bushes, it was also inhabited by ancient Indians.

Linguistic features of the Maya

24 Mayan languages ​​have survived to this day, the most important of which are grouped into language families, and them, in turn, into a common linguistic branch.

The Huastec language can still be heard to this day in one of the northern regions of the state of Veracruz, and it remains a mystery why native speakers ended up there. They emigrated to this place around 1200 BC. e. - even before the Mayan civilization arose. In addition to the Huastecs, who were located far beyond the Mayan area, there were other emigrants, but they basically remained in the same territory, as evidenced by the research of modern linguists. In their opinion, 2500 BC. e. in those places there was a community whose members spoke the proto-Mayan language. It was gradually divided into dialects, and their speakers were forced to emigrate. This is how the area of ​​life of the Mayan peoples was determined. And it became possible to divide their history directly into specific periods thanks to data from archaeological excavations.

Maya today

Today the number of descendants ancient civilization on the Yucatan Peninsula is approximately 6.1 million, with approximately 40% Mayans living in Guatemala and around 10% in Belize. The religious preferences of the Mayans have changed over time and now represent a combination of ancient traditions and Christian ones. Each modern Mayan community has its own patron. The form of donations has also changed, now it is candles, spices or poultry. A number of Mayan groups, wishing to stand out from others, have special motifs in their traditional clothing.

The Lecandon Mayans are known as the most preserved traditions of the group. Christianity has had little influence on this community, their clothing is characterized by a cotton composition and decorated with traditional motifs. But nevertheless, more and more Mayans are exposed to progress: they watch TV, drive cars, and dress in modern things. Moreover, the Mayans make money from tourism by talking about the traditions of their civilization.

Of particular note is the Mexican state of Chiapas. There, a number of villages controlled by the Zapatistas achieved autonomy to govern in the recent past.

The history of the Mayan civilization is full of mysteries. One of them is the reason for the sudden disappearance of this ancient people, which has reached an amazingly high level of cultural development.

Origin and habitat

The Maya, one of the civilizations of Mesoamerica, began to form around 2000 BC. e. It developed on the territory Mexican states Yucatan and Tabasco, the countries of Guatemala and Belize, Honduras and El Salvador. The area where these ancient tribes lived is divided into three climatic zones: rocky and arid mountainous areas, tropical jungles and areas with rich fauna.

There are several theories about the origin of the people, as well as where the Mayans disappeared to. There is a version that they came from Asia, and even a fantastic assumption that they are the descendants of the inhabitants of the mythical Atlantis. Another theory claims that they came from Palestine. As evidence, they cite the fact that many elements are similar to Christian ones (the idea of ​​the coming of the Messiah, the symbol of the cross). In addition, the people are very similar to the Egyptian ones, and this suggests that they are somehow connected with Ancient Egypt.

Mayan Indians: the history of a great civilization

Researchers are lucky - many sources have been preserved from which they can draw a picture of the life of this ancient people. Its history is divided into several large periods.

In the pre-classical era, the Indians were small tribes that obtained food by hunting and gathering. Around 1000 BC e. Many small settlements of farmers appear. El Mirador is one of the first Mayan cities, now famous for its huge pyramidal complex 72 meters high. It was the largest metropolis of the pre-classical period.

The next era (400 BC - 250 AD) is characterized by great changes in the life of the Indians. Cities are growing rapidly and monumental architectural complexes are being built.

250-600 n. e. - time classical era development of the people of Mesoamerica. During this period, rival city-states emerged. Their architecture was represented by lush architectural structures. Typically, buildings were located around a rectangular central square and were decorated with masks of gods and mythological figures carved in stone. The history of the Mayan tribe says that a feature of their settlements was the presence of pyramids up to 15 meters high in the center of the cities.

By the end of the Classic period, the population of the lowlands of Guatemala had reached an impressive 3 million people.

The late classical period is the time of the highest flowering of the culture of the ancient people of Mesoamerica. Then the great cities were founded - Uxmal, Chichen Itza and Coba. The population of each of them ranged from 10 to 25 thousand people. The history of the Mayan tribe cannot but surprise - at the same time in medieval Europe there were no such large settlements.

Mayan occupations and crafts

The main occupations of the Indians were agriculture (slash-and-burn and irrigation), beekeeping and crafts. They grew maize (the main crop), beans, tomatoes, pumpkin, different kinds pepper, tobacco, cotton, sweet potato and various seasonings. Important culture there was cocoa.

The Mayans were also involved in fruit cultivation. Now it is difficult to say which of the fruit trees were cultivated. Residents used papaya, avocado, ramon, chicosapote, nance, and marañon for food.

Despite their high level of development, the Mayans never stopped collecting. Palm leaves were used as roofing material and raw material for weaving baskets, the collected resin was used as incense, and coroso was used to make flour.

Hunting and fishing were also among the main activities of the Indians.

From archaeological research It is clear that skilled artisans lived in Yucatan and Guatemala: gunsmiths, weavers, jewelers, sculptors and architects.

Architecture

The Mayans are known for their majestic buildings: pyramidal complexes and palaces of rulers. In addition, they created beautiful sculptures and bas-reliefs, the main motifs of which were anthropomorphic deities.

Sacrifices

Among the buildings that have survived to this day, the main part is occupied by buildings religious nature. This fact and other sources allow us to conclude that religion occupied the life of the Mayans central place. They are known for their bloodletting rituals and human sacrifices offered to the gods. The most cruel of the rituals was burying the victim alive, as well as ripping open the stomach and tearing out the heart from the body of a still living person. Not only prisoners, but also fellow tribesmen were sacrificed.

The mystery of the disappearance of the people

The question of where the Mayans disappeared continues to interest many researchers. It is known that by the 9th century the southern territories of the Indians began to empty out. For some reason, residents began to leave the cities. This process soon spread to central Yucatan. Where did the Mayans go and for what reason did they leave their homes? There is no answer to this question yet. There are hypotheses that try to explain sudden disappearance one of the peoples of Mesoamerica. Researchers name the following reasons: enemy invasions, bloody uprisings, epidemics and ecological catastrophy. Perhaps the Mayans upset the balance between nature and man. The rapidly growing population has finally exhausted Natural resources and began to experience serious problems with a shortage fertile soils and drinking water.

The latest hypothesis about the decline of the Mayan civilization suggests that this was due to severe drought, which led to the devastation of the cities.

None of these theories has received serious confirmation, and the question of where the Mayans disappeared is still open.

Modern Maya

The ancient people of Mesoamerica did not disappear without a trace. He was preserved in his descendants - modern Indians Mayan. They continue to live in the homeland of their famous ancestors - in Guatemala and Mexico, preserving the language, customs and way of life.