What did the ancient Mayans use in 36? Why did the Mayans die out?

The Mayans lived in one of the most comfortable parts of our planet. They did not need warm clothing; they were content with thick and long strips of fabric, which they wrapped around their bodies in a special manner. They ate mainly corn and what they got in the jungle, cocoa, fruits, and game. They did not keep domestic animals either for transportation or for food. The wheel was not used. According to modern concepts, it was the most primitive of the Stone Age civilizations; they were far from Greece and Rome. However, the fact remains that archaeologists have confirmed that during the mentioned period, these people managed to build several dozen amazing cities over a fairly large area, far from each other. The basis of these cities is usually a complex of pyramids and powerful stone buildings, completely dotted with strange mask-like icons and various lines.

The tallest of the Mayan pyramids are no lower than the Egyptian ones. It still remains a mystery to scientists: how these structures were built!

And why were the cities of pre-Columbian civilization, so perfect in beauty and sophistication, suddenly unexpectedly abandoned, as if on command, by their inhabitants at the turn of 830 AD?

At this very time, the center of civilization went out, the peasants who lived around these cities scattered in the jungle, and all priestly traditions suddenly degenerated sharply. All subsequent surges of civilization in this region were characterized by sharp forms of power.

However, let's return to our topic. The same ones Mayan who left their cities, fifteen centuries before Columbus, invented an accurate solar calendar and developed hieroglyphic writing, and used the concept of zero in mathematics. The Classic Mayans confidently predicted solar and lunar eclipses and even predicted the Day of Judgment.

How did they do it?

To answer this question, you and I will have to look beyond what is allowed by established prejudices and doubt the correctness of the official interpretation of some historical events.

Maya - Geniuses of the pre-Columbian era

During his fourth American voyage in 1502, Columbus landed on a small island located off the coast of what is now the Republic of Honduras. Here Columbus met Indian merchants sailing on a large ship. He asked where they were from, and they, as Columbus recorded, answered: “From Mayan Province" It is believed that the generally accepted name of the civilization “Maya” is derived from the name of this province, which, like the word “Indian,” is, in essence, an invention of the great admiral.

The name of the main tribal territory of the Maya proper - the Yucatan Peninsula - is of similar origin. Having dropped anchor off the coast of the peninsula for the first time, the conquistadors asked the local inhabitants what the name of their land was. The Indians answered all questions: “Siu tan,” which meant “I don’t understand you.” From then on, the Spaniards began to call this large peninsula Siugan, and later Siutan became Yucatan. In addition to Yucatan (during the conquest, the main territory of this people), the Mayans lived in the mountainous region of the Central American Cordillera and in the tropical jungle of the so-called Meten, a lowland located in what is now Guatemala and Honduras. The Mayan culture probably originated in this area. Here, in the Usumasinta River basin, the first Mayan pyramids were erected and the first magnificent cities of this civilization were built.

Mayan territory

By the beginning of the Spanish conquest in the 16th century Mayan culture occupied a vast and diverse territory in terms of natural conditions, which included the modern Mexican states of Tabasco, Chiapas, Campeche, Yucatan and Quintana Roo, as well as all of Guatemala, Belize (former British Honduras), the western regions of El Salvador and Honduras Borders of the Mayan civilization area in I millennia, apparently, more or less coincided with those mentioned above. Currently, most scientists distinguish within this territory three large cultural-geographical regions, or zones: Northern, Central and Southern.

Map of the location of the Mayan civilization

The northern region includes the entire Yucatan Peninsula - a flat limestone plain with shrubby vegetation, intersected here and there by chains of low rocky hills. The poor and thin soils of the peninsula, especially along the coast, are not very favorable for maize farming. In addition, there are no rivers, lakes or streams; The only source of water (except for rain) are natural karst wells - senates.

The central region occupies the territory of modern Guatemala (Peten Department), the southern Mexican states of Tabasco, Chiapas (eastern) and Campeche, as well as Belize and a small area in western Honduras. It is an area of ​​tropical rainforest, low rocky hills, limestone plains and extensive seasonal wetlands. There are many large rivers and lakes: rivers - Usumacinta, Grijalva, Belize, Chamelekon, etc., lakes - Isabel, Peten Itza, etc. The climate is warm, tropical, with an average annual temperature of 25 above zero Celsius. The year is divided into two seasons: the dry season (lasts from the end of January to the end of May) and the rainy season. In total, precipitation falls here from 100 to 300 cm per year. Fertile soils and the lush splendor of tropical flora and fauna greatly distinguish the Central Region from the Yucatan.

The Central Maya region is not only central geographically. This is at the same time the very territory where Mayan civilization reached the peak of its development in the 1st millennium. Most of the largest urban centers were then located here: Tikal, Palenque, Yaxchilan, Naranjo, Piedras Negras, Copan, Quiriguaidre.

The Southern region includes the mountainous regions and the Pacific coast of Guatemala, the Mexican state of Chiapas (its mountainous part), and certain areas of El Salvador. This territory is distinguished by an unusual diversity of ethnic composition, a variety of natural and climatic conditions and significant cultural specificity, which significantly distinguishes it from other Mayan regions.

These three areas differ not only geographically. They are also different from each other in their historical destinies.

Although all of them were inhabited from very early times, there certainly was a kind of passing of the baton of cultural leadership between them: the Southern (mountain) region apparently gave a powerful impetus to the development of classical Maya culture in the Central region, and the last glimpse of the great Mayan civilization is associated with the Northern region (Yucatan).

The ancient Mayan civilization arose in the first millennium BC and reached its peak around 600 AD. The ruins of thousands of settlements have been found throughout South America. But why did civilization decline? Scientists agree that the reason for this was some kind of large-scale catastrophe, possibly related to climate.

Sweet Mayan Pyramid

The Rise and Decline of the Maya

Numerous archaeological finds indicate that they mastered various crafts, including architectural skills. They were also familiar with mathematics and astronomy, which they used in the construction of temples and pyramids. In addition, they had writing in the form of hieroglyphs.

However, around 850, the Mayans began to abandon their cities. In less than two centuries, only a few isolated settlements remained, which were discovered by the Spanish in 1517. It was not difficult for the colonists to destroy the remnants of the ancient culture at the roots.

"Drought" curse

What happened to the Maya, since the decline occurred in the pre-Columbian era? Many versions have been put forward, among them - civil war, invasion of hostile tribes, loss of trade routes... Only in the early 90s of the last century, after studying the chronicles, it was suggested that the cause was... a banal drought!

It turned out that from about 250 to 800, Mayan cities flourished, their inhabitants reaped rich harvests thanks to abundant rains... But somewhere from 820 onwards, droughts hit the region, lasting for decades. This period just coincided with the beginning of the Mayan collapse.

True, not all cities were abandoned immediately. In the 9th century, people left mainly from settlements located in the southern part of the country, in the territory of modern Guatemala and Belize. But the population of the Yucatan Peninsula, on the contrary, was flourishing. The famous Chichen Itza and some other northern Mayan centers continued to flourish in the 10th century.

Unfortunately, scientists have been forced to struggle with this riddle for quite a long time. Most of the manuscripts were destroyed by Spanish colonialists on the orders of the Catholic Inquisition. Information could only be obtained from calendar records on the sites, analysis of ceramics, and radiocarbon dating of organic materials.

Last December, archaeologists from Britain and the USA were finally able to bring together all the available data and analyze the situation. It turned out that the northern territories also suffered due to droughts, but not immediately. So, at first construction from wood decreased. Rainfall increased briefly in the 10th century and there was a brief flourishing again. However, then droughts returned, and between 1000 and 1075 there was another sharp decline in production - in particular in construction and stone carving.

The 11th century brought even more severe droughts. Researchers believe that this was the driest period in the 2,000 years since the birth of Christ, and even dubbed it a “megadrought.” Precipitation fell steadily from 1020 to 1100. If the north, unlike the south, was somehow able to survive the first wave of droughts, then the Mayans never recovered from the second wave.

True, several settlements still continued to exist - for example, Mayapan in the north flourished in the 13th-15th centuries. But the classic Mayan “megacities” turned into ruins.

Ecological catastrophy

Obviously, the aridity of the climate led to a drop in yields. But the Mayan economy was directly dependent on agriculture. Economic problems led, in turn, to social cataclysms. Food supplies decreased, a struggle for resources began, which fragmented the state.

"We know that Maya territory experienced increasing military and sociopolitical instability as a result of droughts in the 9th century," says Julie Hoggart of Baylor University in Waco, Texas.

One way or another, after 1050 the Mayans left the lands of their ancestors and headed to the Caribbean coast and other places where there could be sources of water and fertile lands.

By the way, some experts believe that the Mayans themselves unwittingly became the culprits of disastrous droughts. They actively intervened in the natural environment, in particular, they built a gigantic canal system hundreds of kilometers wide, which allowed them to drain wetlands and turn them into arable land. In addition, they cut down huge tracts of forest to build cities and cultivate arable land. This could lead to local droughts, which, combined with natural climate changes, turned into a real disaster...

: The Rise and Disappearance of the Maya State

One of the many mysteries is associated with the Maya. An entire people, consisting mainly of city residents, suddenly left their good and strong homes, said goodbye to the streets, squares, temples and palaces and moved to the distant wild north. None of these settlers ever returned to their old place. The cities were deserted, the jungle burst into the streets, weeds ran rampant on the stairs and steps; Forest seeds were carried into the grooves and grooves, where the wind brought the smallest pieces of earth, and they sprout here, destroying the walls. Never again did a person set foot on stone-paved courtyards or climb the steps of the pyramids.

But maybe some catastrophe was to blame? And again we are forced to ask the same question: where are the traces of this catastrophe and what exactly is this catastrophe that could force an entire people to leave their country and their cities and start life in a new place?

Perhaps some terrible epidemic has broken out in the country? But we do not have any data that would indicate that only the pitiful, weak remnants of a once numerous and strong people set off on a long campaign. On the contrary, the people who built cities like Chichen Itza were undoubtedly strong and in the prime of their strength.

Perhaps, finally, the climate in the country suddenly changed, and therefore further life here became impossible? But from the center of the Old Kingdom to the center of the New Kingdom in a straight line is no more than four hundred kilometers. Climate change, about which, by the way, there is also no data, which could so dramatically affect the structure of the entire state, would hardly have not affected the area to which the Mayans moved.

There are still many secrets of the ancient Mayan civilization, maybe over time many of them will be revealed, or maybe they will remain secrets.

About 10,000 years ago, when the last ice age ended, people from the north moved to explore the 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. The widespread construction of rural-type settlements began, 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.

“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 Maya owe their creation of a hierarchical society and kingship to the Olmec presence in the southern Maya region 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 advances in the field of scientific knowledge. Ritual, solar and lunar calendars are used. They represent a complex system of interconnected calendars. This system allowed the Mayan Indians to record the most important historical dates, make astronomical forecasts and boldly look into such distant times that 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 Americas, 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 of stone stairs, on the walls of tombs, and also written on the pages of codices and on pottery. About 800 hieroglyphs have already been read, and scientists with unabated interest are deciphering new ones, as well as giving new interpretations to already known 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 of long rooms, divided by transverse walls into a number of rooms, each room having 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 sacrifice. 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)

The classical Mayan culture, which was characterized by rapid construction of palaces and temples, reached a new level of development in the 7th-8th centuries. Tikal is regaining its former 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 most importantly, the sculptural images and hieroglyphic inscriptions that abound in these buildings give us an idea of ​​what the rulers and the people obedient to them considered important. After studying all the monuments, it seems 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 the “classical period”.

In addition, in four different places in Palenque, Pacal and his successor erected the so-called royal registers - steles with records of the 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, a political crisis rocked 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. A new period began in the history of Yucatan, which received the name “Mexican” in scientific literature. Chronologically, its framework falls on the X – XIII centuries AD.

The city of Chichen Itza becomes the center of this new culture. 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 of the Maya of the last period. New sculptural motifs and architectural details reflect the increased influence of Mexican cultures, mainly the 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 of specific battles are lacking, it is known that warriors from Chichen Itza fought against warriors from Uxmal and Cobá, and that Mayapan's men later attacked and sacked Chichen Itza.

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 follows other Mayan cities, then Mayapan in this case was quite different from the 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 a fairly high level of economy, and that Mayan society gradually switched to business relations, 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. The daily life of the dynasty was mostly occupied 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 were no more happy days,” says the prophecy, “sanity left us.” One might think that long before this last conquest the Mayans knew that their glory would fade and their ancient wisdom would 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.”

Knowledge of science and medicine.

Medicine. The Mayans' medical knowledge was at a very high level: they knew anatomy very well and trepanned skulls very well. However, their ideas were quite contradictory - they could consider a bad year according to the calendar, or sins, or incorrect sacrifices to be the causes of diseases, but at the same time they recognized a certain way of life of a person as the primary source of diseases. The Mayans knew about contagious diseases; the Mayan vocabulary included many words with which they characterized various painful human conditions. Moreover, many nervous diseases and the mental state of a person were described separately. To stimulate and relieve pain in labor, various medicinal and narcotic herbs were used, which were grown in separate apothecary gardens.
Mathematics. The Mayans used a base-20 number system, as well as a positional system for writing numbers, when numbers stand one after another from the first order to the next. This recording system is also used by us and is called the Arabic digital system. But unlike the Europeans, the Mayans themselves thought of this thousands of years earlier. Only the recording of Mayan numbers is not built horizontally, but vertically (in a column).
Another striking fact of Mayan mathematical knowledge is the use of zero. This marks the greatest progress in the field of abstract thinking.
The amazing knowledge of the Mayan civilization is reflected in the Mayan calendar. It is known throughout the world for its amazing accuracy and rivals the perfection of modern computer calculations.

Mysteries of the Mayans

Mayan artists created their own countless treasures. Ritual objects were supposed to please the gods. Stone, carved, clay, polished or painted in bright colors - they all had symbolic meaning. Thus, a hole in a painted dish shows that the dish has been “killed” and that its freed soul can accompany the deceased in the afterlife.

The Mayans did not know either metal tools or a potter's wheel, but their clay things are elegant and beautiful. Grinding powders and stone tools were used to work with jade, flint, and shells. Craftsmen - the Mayans knew the difference between materials. Beloved by the ancient Mayans for their beauty, rarity, and supposed magical powers, jade was especially prized by ancient craftsmen, although it required patience and ingenuity to work it. Wooden saws or bone drills were used to make grooves, curls, holes, etc. Polishing was carried out using hard plant fibers extracted from bamboo or pumpkin tree shoots, the cells of which contain microscopic particles of solid minerals. A huge number of jade figurines depicting people and animals are wedge-shaped: ancient stone cutters used such a shape of the product so that they could be used as a tool on occasion. With a little modification, these beautiful stone crafts could turn into amulets or figurines of people and gods. The found elegant green necklace, dating back to the pre-classical era, tells us that he was wearing not an ordinary person, but one endowed with power and standing on the top rung of the social ladder.

In Mayan art, an image often conveys action or emotion. The masters developed an informational style, putting a charge of humor and tenderness or, on the contrary, cruelty into their works. Objects made by the hands of nameless masters still amaze people with their beauty, helping our contemporaries understand the long-vanished world of ancient civilization.

Of the many cities that rose among the Puuc hills in the “late classical period” (700-1000 AD), three cities are especially notable for the splendor of their layout and architecture - Uxmal, Sayil and Labna: massive quadrangles of buildings along the facade are faced with limestone, the door jambs have round columns with square capitals, the upper part of the façade is decorated with elegant stone mosaics made of flint.

The strict organization of space, the splendor and complexity of the architecture, the very panorama of the cities - all this delights connoisseurs. High pyramids, palaces with reliefs and mosaic facades made of pieces of crushed stone tightly fitted to each other, underground reservoirs where drinking water supplies were once stored, wall hieroglyphs - all this splendor was combined with terrible cruelty. “The chief priest held in his hand a large, wide and sharp knife made of flint. Another priest held a wooden collar in the shape of a snake. The doomed, completely naked, were taken in turn up the stairs.” There, having laid the man on a stone, they put a collar on him, and four priests took the victim by the arms and legs. Then the chief priest, with amazing agility, ripped open the victim's chest, tore out the heart and held it out to the sun, offering him both the heart and the steam emanating from it. Then he turned to the idol and threw the heart in his face, after which he pushed the body down the steps, and it rolled down,” Stephens wrote about this sacred rite with horror.

The main archaeological research was carried out in Chichen Itza, the last capital of the Maya. The ruins have been cleared of the jungle, the remains of buildings are visible from all sides, and where at one time it was necessary to cut a road with a machete, a bus with tourists runs; they see the “Temple of the Warriors” with its columns and stairs leading to the pyramids; they see the so-called “Observatory” - a round building, the windows of which are cut in such a way that a specific star is visible from each; They examined large areas for the ancient game of ball, of which the largest is one hundred and sixty meters long and forty meters wide - on these sites the “golden youth” of the Mayans played a game similar to basketball. They finally stop in front of El Castila, the largest of the Chichen Itza pyramids. It has nine ledges, and on the top of it there is a temple of the god Kukulkan - the “Feathered Serpent”.

The sight of all these images of snake heads, gods, and processions of jaguars is terrifying. If you want to penetrate the secrets of ornaments and hieroglyphs, you can find out that there is literally not a single sign, not a single drawing, not a single sculpture that is not associated with astronomical calculations. Two crosses on the brow ridges; the heads of a snake, the claw of a jaguar in the ear of the god Kukulkan, the shape of the gate, the number of dew beads, the shape of repeating staircase motifs - all this expresses time and numbers. Nowhere have numbers and time been expressed in such a bizarre way. But if you want to find at least some traces of life here, you will see that in the magnificent kingdom of Mayan drawings, in the ornamentation of this people who lived among lush and varied vegetation, images of plants are very rarely found - only a few of the huge number flowers and none of the eight hundred species of cacti. Recently, in one ornament we saw a flower of Bombax aquaticum - a tree that grows half in water. Even if this is not really a mistake, the general situation still does not change: there are no plant motifs in Mayan art. Even obelisks, columns, steles, which in almost all countries are a symbolic image of a tree stretching upward, among the Mayans depict the bodies of snakes and writhing reptiles.

Two such serpentine columns stand in front of the “Temple of Warriors”. The heads with horn-like processes are pressed to the ground, the mouths are wide open, the bodies are raised upward along with the tails; these tails once supported the roof of the temple.

The Dutchman Guillermo Dupais, who served for many years in the Spanish army in Mexico, was an educated man with a passion for antiquity, and received an order from the Spanish King Charles G. to explore the cultural monuments of Mexico from the pre-Hispanic period.

Having reached Palenque with difficulty, Dupe was indescribably delighted with the architecture and the exterior decoration of the buildings: colorful patterns depicting birds, flowers, bas-reliefs full of drama. “The poses are very dynamic and at the same time majestic. Although the clothes are luxurious, they never cover the body. The head is usually decorated with helmets, crests and flowing feathers.”

Dupe noticed that all the people depicted in the bas-reliefs had a strange, flattened head, from which he concluded that the local Indians, with normal heads, could not possibly be the descendants of the builders of Palenque.

Most likely, according to Dupe, people of an unknown race that disappeared from the face of the earth once lived here, leaving behind majestic and beautiful creations of their own hands.

The Vatican Library contains an interesting testimony about the Coda Rios flood. Ironically, the Catholic clergy, who destroyed the original Mayan manuscripts, preserved their rare copies.

The Codex Rios tells about the creation of the world and the death of the first people. There were children left who were nourished by a wonderful tree. A new race of people was formed. But 40 years later the gods brought a flood to the earth. One couple survived, hiding in a tree.

After the flood, another race was reborn. But 2010 years later, an unusual hurricane destroyed people; the survivors turned into monkeys, which began to be chewed by the jaguar.

And again only one couple escaped: they disappeared among the stones. After 4801 years, people were destroyed by a great fire. Only one couple escaped by sailing out to sea on a boat.

This legend speaks of periodic (repeated every 2-4-8 thousand years) catastrophes, one of which is the flood.

If we look carefully at the map, we will be convinced that the Ancient Kingdom occupied a kind of triangle, the corners of which were formed by Vashak-tun, Palenque and Copan. The fact that on the sides of the corners or directly inside the triangle were the cities of Tikal, Naranjo and Piedras Negras will not escape our attention. Now we can come to the conclusion that, with one exception (Benque Viejo), all the last cities of the Old Kingdom, in particular Ceibal, Ishkun, Flores, were located inside this triangle.

When the Spaniards arrived in Yucatan, the Mayans had thousands of handwritten books made from natural materials, but some of them were burned and some ended up in private collections. Inscriptions on the walls of temples and stelae were also discovered. In the 19th century scientists knew about 3 books - codices, named after the city in which each text was discovered (Dresden, Paris and Madrid codes; later the 4th code was found - the Grolier Code). For 14 years, the chief Royal Librarian in Dresden, Ernst Forstemann, studied the Codex and understood the principle of operation of the Mayan calendar. And the research of Yuri Knorozov, Heinrich Berlin and Tatyana Proskuryakova opened a new stage in modern Mayan studies. More than 80 percent of all hieroglyphs have been solved, and archaeologists have made many amazing discoveries.

Thus, Yuri Knorozov came to the conclusion that the writing system of the Mayan Indians is mixed. Some signs must convey morphemes, and some must convey sounds and syllables. This writing system is usually called hieroglyphic.

It was not difficult for scientists to decipher Mayan digital signs. The reason for this is the amazing simplicity and perfected logic of their counting system.

The ancient Mayans used a base-20 number system, or counting. They wrote down their digital signs in the form of dots and dashes, and the dot always meant units of a given order, and the dash always meant fives.

Meeting of the New and Old Worlds

The first contact between the two cultures took place with the participation of Christopher Columbus himself: during his fourth voyage to the supposed India (and he believed that the land he discovered was India), his ship passed the shores of the northern part of modern Honduras and near the island of Guanaia he met a canoe that made from a whole tree trunk, 1.5 m wide. It was a trading boat, and the Europeans were offered copper plates, stone axes, ceramics, cocoa beans, and cotton clothes.

In 1517, three Spanish ships, going to capture slaves, landed on an unknown island. Having repelled the attack of the Mayan warriors, the Spanish soldiers, while dividing the spoils, found jewelry made of gold, and the gold should have belonged to the Spanish crown. Hernan Cortes, having conquered the great Aztec empire in central Mexico, sent one of his captains to the south to conquer new territories (the modern states of Guatemala and El Salvador). By 1547, the conquest of the Mayans was complete, although some tribes took refuge in the dense forests of the central Yucatan Peninsula, where they and their descendants managed to remain unconquered for another 150 years.

Epidemics of smallpox, measles and influenza, to which the indigenous population had no immunity, killed millions of Mayans. The Spaniards brutally eradicated their religion: they destroyed temples, smashed shrines, robbed, and those who were seen in idolatry were stretched on the rack by missionary monks, scalded with a boiling heel, and punished with whips.

At the head of the monks, Franciscan monk Diego de Landa, an extraordinary and complex personality, arrived in Yucatan. He studied the life and customs of the local population, tried to find the key to the secret of Mayan writing, and found a cache in which about 30 hieroglyphic books were stored. These were real works of art: black and red characters were written in calligraphy on light paper made from the bottom layer of fig or mulberry; the paper was smooth due to the gypsum composition applied to its surface; The books themselves were folded like an accordion, and the cover was made of jaguar skin.

This monk decided that the Mayan books contained esoteric knowledge, devilish temptations that confused the soul, and ordered these books to be burned all at once, which “plunged the Mayans into deep sorrow and severe suffering.”

During the three-month Inquisition under his leadership in 1562, about 5,000 Indians were tortured, of whom 158 died. De Landa was requested back to Spain on charges of abuse of power, but was acquitted and returned to Yucatan as a bishop.

Indian culture was destroyed in every possible way. And just a hundred years after the arrival of Europeans, there were no memories left of the glorious Mayan past.

Interesting facts about the Mayans.

1. Numerous representatives of the Mayan culture still live in their former regions. In fact, there are 7 million Mayans, many of whom were able to preserve important evidence of their ancient cultural heritage.
2. The Mayans had strange ideas about beauty. At an early age, a board was placed on the forehead of infants to keep it flat. They also liked squint: they put a large bead on the bridge of children’s noses so that they would constantly squint at it. Another interesting fact is that Mayan children were often named after the day on which they were born.
3. They loved saunas. An important cleansing element for the ancient Mayans was the diaphoretic bath: water was poured onto hot stones to create steam. Such baths were used by everyone, from women who had recently given birth to kings.
4. They also loved to play ball. The Mesoamerican ball game was equated with a ritual and existed for 3,000 years. The modern version of the game, ulama, is still popular among the local indigenous population.
5. The last Mayan country existed until 1697 (the island city of Taya). Nowadays, the lands under the buildings are mainly owned by one family, and the government owns the monuments themselves.
6. The Mayans did not know how to process metal - their weapons were equipped with stone tips or tips made of sharp shells. But! The Mayan warriors used hornet nests (“hornet bombs”) as throwing weapons to create panic in the enemy ranks—resourcefully.
7. They also say that the Mayans were very fond of guinea pigs. Well, how they loved it... They got very tasty meat and magnificent fluff from the poor creatures.

By the way, the Mayans also had a kind of horoscope. The fact is that according to the Tzolkin calendar (aka “Tzolkin”, which was reported above), each day of the year is assigned its own kin - a kind of frequency of cosmic energy (God, what am I talking about?) and, depending on which kin is yours (which corresponds to your birthday) - you can judge your character, life goals and blablabla. And depending on what kin is assigned to today, you can judge your luck, well-being and other crap that is usually written in horoscopes.
By the way, quite an entertaining thing. And the Mayan astrological characteristics of Kin personalities are quite consistent with reality, although usually I prefer not to believe in astrology.

There are rumors and legends about the culture, life and unusually broad knowledge of the Mayan tribe. So what is so attractive about this mysterious and mystical

Today, the Mayan tribe is one of the Indian tribes that lives in South America (in Guatemala, Mexico, Honduras and Belize). And starting from about 2000 BC, this was the name of the ancient civilization that settled in Central America. The Mayans conquered all the tribes and peoples who lived there at that time.

The dominance of this civilization lasted for almost 12 centuries. The peak of prosperity, according to historians, dates back to 900 AD, after which a long period of decline begins, the causes of which are still reliably unknown.

The Mayan tribe, whose history is of the greatest interest to scientists to this day, inextricably linked their life with heaven. The Indians built on the legacy of the Olmecs, an earlier civilization, and achieved astonishing advances in astronomy, hieroglyphic writing, and calendar systems. Moreover, the life of these people was very primitive.

The main occupation of these Indians was agriculture, for which they used the simplest tools and devices. But, despite this, they were excellent farmers - the Mayan tribe diligently cleared large areas of tropical forests, they built underground storage facilities to collect rainwater. In addition, the civilization also practiced pottery and weaving. And thanks to the routes they cleared, passing through swamps and jungles, the Indians established trade relations with other, distant peoples.

The ancient Mayan tribes, according to historians, did not even know what a wheel was. Meanwhile, it remains amazing and inexplicable that during its heyday this civilization created temples, palaces, observatories, miracle cities, tombs and other richly decorated architectural monuments. And all this, by the way, was built without the help of any metal tools.

At the time when the colonizers of the Old World set foot on the east coast of South America, the Mayan tribe was already in deep decline. The conquerors treated barbarically all those architectural monuments and works of art that were created by this ancient civilization. The colonialists saw in them only the legacy of paganism, which must be ruthlessly destroyed. But even what remains of Mayan knowledge and culture still excites the imagination of scientists.

Over time, the Mayans began to simply abandon the cities they had built in droves. Today there are several theories about this, but no one knows the real reason. And today it remains a mystery for the entire scientific world - what kind of civilization it was, where its representatives came from and where they went...

One of their main and amazing achievements is the calendar, which was based on astronomical calculations, the accuracy of which continues to amaze modern specialists.

In general, the Maya tribe used their observations in the field of astronomy both to solve various pressing problems (for example, in the field of agriculture) and to explain more global mysteries. Thus, the priests extremely accurately calculated the life cycles of the Earth, which are confirmed by modern knowledge. Horoscopes that astrologers compile based on the calendar of the ancient Indian tribe have still not lost their relevance. Well, perhaps the most popular prediction is the end of the world, which, according to the forecasts and calculations of this Indian tribe, should come in 2012. Whether to believe this or not is a personal matter for everyone, however, despite the considerable number of skeptics, there are very real reasons to believe the prophecy.

In H. G. Wells's story "The Star," an elderly professor tells his students, "It appears that mankind has lived in vain." Studying the Mayan calendar and their predictions in the form of myths and legends must have evoked precisely such emotions in scientists. There have been so many dates for the end of the world - 666, 1666 and beyond, until 2000 - they appeared with enviable regularity. But humanity continues to live. But unlike these obscure dates, the Mayan calendar is too categorical and plausible...

Wheelless civilization

The first reliable sources claim that this people appeared in Central America approximately 2000-1500 BC. However, in those distant times these were scattered, semi-wandering tribes of gatherers and hunters, united except by one language group. The rapid flowering of Mayan culture began in 1000 BC, that is, 3000 years ago. Cities began to emerge, agriculture developed, isolated tribes became a society, and technology and science developed rapidly.

Although several interesting points can already be noted here. For example, despite seriously developed agriculture, construction, and warfare, the Mayans did not know the wheel. There is also one of the greatest mysteries of this civilization - the Mayans claimed that the gods forbade them to use wheels! Another strange thing is that despite all the social development, the Mayans never united into one state and calling them an “empire” would be incorrect. Their state structure was more reminiscent of ancient Greek: each city and its surrounding territories were a separate state.

These city-states constantly fought with each other, changed hands, the population was enslaved, valuables were mercilessly plundered, the conquerors placed puppets on the empty throne, but the captured territory was never annexed to their own! Sometimes it also happened that a captured city gained strength after some time and, in turn, captured its enslaver...

No less interesting, or rather frightening, is that in such a highly developed civilization, slavery and the cult of human sacrifice were acceptable. Magnificent celebrations, literally drenched in the blood of the unfortunate victims, can shake the imagination of modern man. Most often, prisoners captured in battles acted as gifts to the gods. But there were also frequent cases of sacrificing quite high-ranking personalities from their state. The methods of pleasing the gods also varied - from burying alive to tearing out a still living heart from a ripped open body.

However, all these oddities and atrocities pale in comparison to how the Mayans treated their time. They were truly obsessed with him - it's hard to find another word. Every date, every event, even the smallest, was recorded - accurately, timely and for centuries. Archaeologists continue to find structures in Mayan cities and settlements where the exact chronology of events is recorded, right up to the day the structure was created. It seems that time was something sacred for these people.

A modern person accustomed to the “flat” modern calendar, in which there is only forward movement and where only “past”, “future” and “present” can be postponed, would certainly have found it difficult to live in the Mayan era. And first of all because of their calendar, or rather, calendars. It's no joke - the Mayans used three calendars! “Tzolkin” consisted of 260 days, “Tun” – of 360 and “Haab” – of 365. Their use is also interesting. For example, “Tzolkin” was used for religious rituals, “Tun” was used in chronology, and “Haab” was used in ordinary, everyday life. The years were divided into months of 20 days each. The number system was also interesting - 20-digit. For what reason the Mayans used it is no longer possible to understand. Most likely, the basis of such a reference system was the fact that a person has 20 fingers on his hands and feet.

All these calendars were very accurate, errors that accumulated over time were calculated, and the necessary corrections were made. The calendars depended on each other. In addition to ordinary days, months and years, the Mayans had 4-year and 52-year cycles of the combination of the Haab and Tzolkin years. In addition to these calendars, the Mayans also used the calendar of the planet Venus. And here another mystery arises. The above-mentioned planet was of very great importance for the ancient peoples of Central America. Mayan astronomers were amazingly accurate in their research. For example, they calculated its synodic period (the time it takes for the planet to return to a given point for an observer on Earth) as 584 days.

Modern research (using telescopes, satellites and supercomputers!) gave a result of 583.92 days. So, in order to coordinate it with the Tzolkin year, it is necessary to make an amendment to the calendar by 4 days after 61 Venusian years. Another adjustment of 8 days is required during every fifth cycle at the end of the 57th revolution. And these amendments ensure harmony not only between the Tzolkin and the Venusian cycle, but also the solar year.

Mayan astronomers observed the sky in their observatories. The only thing they had was their own eyes, with which they looked at the stars through narrow and long slits in the walls of the temples. And at the same time, with amazing accuracy, they calculated the duration of the synodic month of the Moon - 29.53053 days (modern value - 29.530588), the duration of the solar year - 365.2420 days (modern value - 365.2421). By the way, according to this indicator, the Mayan calendar is superior in accuracy to the Gregorian calendar! And all this was calculated literally on the knee. Without any computers, telescopes, chronometers.

But, as they say, “the further into the forest, the scarier it is.” In addition to “short” counting, the Mayans also used “long” counting, in which they operated with quantities that seem surprising even in our age with its speed and centuries-old history. Consider, for example, “Kinchilbtun”, which, translated into our chronology, is 3156164.140 years. Or “Alautun” – in our opinion, 63123287.245 years old! We should not forget that even if we take 2000 BC as the date of birth of the Mayans as a people, they have existed for a little more than 4 thousand years. And this people, who were given only 1.5 millennia (before the conquest by the Spaniards) to live freely and, therefore, to develop, for some reason operated in their calculations and observations with figures that are difficult to find application even in our days - the days of space exploration era.

Olmec Legacy

It is difficult for us, children of “Mondays”, “Tuesdays” and “Saturdays”, with our perception of the world and time, to understand the philosophy of the Mayans and their calendar for the simple reason that our calendar does not have a clear connection to any event (well, perhaps with the exception of the Nativity of Christ or the migration of the Prophet Muhammad (may peace be upon him!) from Mecca to Medina). In this regard, the ancient Mayan calendar is structured completely differently and much more complex. Its main difference is that it does not contain “past”, “present” and “future” in the modern sense.

A civilization that did not know the wheel, nevertheless, invented the wheel of time - cyclicity. In a simplified way, this can be expressed as follows: everything has happened before and will definitely happen again. The Sun will definitely return to the place where it was a certain time ago, during this time the Moon will return to its point a strictly certain number of times, if you add a few days - again, Venus will have time to “turn around” a certain number of times. It’s the same with the seasons on earth - the Mayans also calculated them with great accuracy. The only problem is that to calculate all this (given the then level of development of observational technology) required millennia. The Mayans didn't have them.

However, they did not hide the fact that they were not the ones who compiled these calendars, but received them from the Olmecs, the people who lived before them. This does them credit, but does not explain the main thing - where did such extensive and deep knowledge in astronomy, mathematics, and the laws of space come from? After all, they managed to calculate their distance from the Earth by the speed of movement of celestial bodies! How much observation, reflection, and calculation was needed to bring so many calendars into line? Moreover, with such accuracy that they differ little from the most modern values? “Alautun”, in our opinion, more than 63 million years is hardly needed just to know when the dry season begins and when to start sowing maize.

Mayan astronomers probably themselves understood that such a huge figure was simply unrealistic. After all, human life is just a moment in comparison. But they still used it. It is unlikely that they believed that in two “alutuns” someone would continue their research or complete the observation they had begun. Then why did they need all this? Or maybe they knew something that we don’t know? Or did they receive all this knowledge from someone else whose history goes back hundreds of millions of years? From whom? There is one more point - their own calendar clearly showed that humanity would not live even a tenth of this period of time...

The biggest secret of the Mayan calendar is that it is divided into periods, each of which has an exact start date and an equally precise end date. It is also interesting that the end of each period was marked by global cataclysms, as a result of which a significant part of the Earth's population died, and an insignificant group of survivors passed on their knowledge to the next generation. The Mayans called these periods the "Times of the Sun."

The First Sun lasted 4008 years and ended with violent earthquakes. The second Sun was a little older - 4010 years old and was destroyed by wind and cyclones. The Third Sun lasted 4081 years and was destroyed by huge volcanic eruptions. The Fourth Sun lasted for 5026 years and ended with a flood. Here you need to pay attention to the date. The quarter sun period ended on August 11, 3114 BC. And the Mayans, judging by the discovered sources, appeared at least a thousand years later. How did they know this date, and with such accuracy? And where did she even come from? There is no answer to these questions.

There is one more oddity. In 1928-1929, Dr. Simon Woolley carried out excavations in the vicinity of the Chaldean city of Ur. Suddenly the workers came across a layer of pure clay. They had to dig one and a half meters until it ran out. What’s interesting is that above the layer there were traces of the Sumerian civilization. Beneath it are traces of a completely different, mixed one. Research has shown that such a thick layer of pure clay could only be applied by water. And again, judging by the thickness of the formation, it was not just water, but a real flood! Around the same time, Stephen Langdon discovered similar sediment deposits at Kish, in the region of Ancient Babylon.

And this is what the famous French orientalist Dorm wrote: “It is now absolutely clear that the cataclysm, as Langdon suggests, occurred in 3300 BC, as evidenced by the traces discovered in Ur and Kish.” Remember the date of the end of the Fourth Sun, how it ended and compare with the conclusions of scientists...

We live in the period of the Fifth Sun, which began on August 12, 3114 BC. The Mayans called it the “Sun of Movement” because, according to their ideas, during this era the Earth would move (remember this definition given by ancient astronomers!), which would cause the death of almost all living things. And the end of this period is already near. Having lasted 5126 years, according to the Mayan calendar, it should end on December 23, 2012...

Believe it or not?

There are as many answers to this question as there are people in the world. The Maya Indians might not know for sure how the periods before them ended - with global cataclysms, local upheavals, or changes in people's consciousness. It is quite possible that the imagery and originality of their thinking led to the fact that “rains of fire”, “floods” and “earthquakes” are just metaphors. Or, may scientists and archaeologists forgive us, just errors in deciphering ancient hieroglyphs.

One thing is indisputable - the care with which the ancient people treated their calendar, its accuracy in observations and calculations leaves no doubt about the accuracy of the date of the end of the Fifth Sun. If it weren’t for the obscurantists, who at one time came to the Mayan land after the conquistadors and destroyed almost all the written evidence of the ancient people, we would probably know more today about what awaits us. Unfortunately, a person does not change. For the sake of faith, the monks burned Mayan manuscripts, and already in our time bonfires of books were burning in Hitler’s Germany, but here you could get a prison term for a book by Yesenin or Solzhenitsyn...

Unfortunately, mere crumbs from the treasury of Mayan knowledge fell into the hands of such renowned scientists as Yuri Knorozov, Jean Genoud, and Eric Thompson. Suffice it to say that two-thirds of the hieroglyphs have not yet been deciphered, and, most likely, they will never reveal their secret.

December 23, 2012. This is not only the day of the winter solstice, but also the Mayan new year - this is what Jean Genoud believed. According to him, on December 23, a new month began - “Yash,kin”, which translated means “New Sun”. But this is not the main feature. On December 21, 2012, the “New Sun” will be born, and the so-called Parade of the Planets will take place. From the point of view of astronomy, such “parades” are an ordinary and safe phenomenon. But the difference between this particular parade is that not only Earth, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn will line up in a line, but also planets of other star systems that form a line to the center of the Galaxy.

Thus, the Earth will be on an axis that will connect us, our Sun, the Earth with the very heart of our Galaxy. Many astronomers do not see anything terrible or catastrophic in this. Only the Mayans are too definite in their prophecy - the Earth will move...

Jesus Christ did not reveal to his disciples the date of the end of the world, limiting himself to admitting that it would happen unexpectedly and quickly. But his teaching was philanthropy. The ancient Mayans had a different attitude towards both human life and death, therefore they were not scrupulous in their predictions. Well, there is not much left until the specified date, maybe the Mayans made a mistake and everything will still end well?