home-Shoes-A message about the ancestors of the Mayans. Ancient civilizations of Latin America

A message about the ancestors of the Mayans. Ancient civilizations of Latin America

The Mayan peoples inhabited the territories:

  • in the west - from the Mexican state of Tabasco,
  • in the east - to the western outskirts of Honduras and El Salvador.

This area is divided into three areas clearly distinguishable by climatic and cultural-historical characteristics.

  1. The northern one - the Yucatan Peninsula, formed by a limestone platform - is characterized by an arid climate, poor soil and the absence of rivers. The only sources fresh water-karst wells (cenotes).
  2. The central region covers the Mexican states of Tabasco, part of Chiapas, Campeche, Quintana Roo, as well as Belize and the Guatemalan department of Petén. This area is made up of lowlands, replete with natural reservoirs and crossed by the large rivers Usumacinta, Motagua and others. The territory is covered with tropical rainforests with a diverse fauna, a rich selection of edible fruits and plants. Here, as in the north, there are practically no mineral resources.
  3. TO Southern region relate mountain ranges up to 4000 m high in the state of Chiapas and the Guatemalan highlands. The territory is covered with coniferous forests and has a temperate climate. Various minerals are found here - jadeite, jade, obsidian, pyrite, cinnabar, which were valued by the Mayans and served as trade items.

The climate of all regions is characterized by alternating dry and rainy seasons, requiring precision in determining the time of sowing, which is impossible without the development of astronomical knowledge and the calendar. The fauna is represented by ungulates (peccaries, tapirs, deer), feline predators, varieties of raccoons, hares and reptiles.

History of the Mayan civilization

Periodization of Mayan history

  • …-1500 BC - Archaic period
  • 1500-800 BC. - Early formative
  • 800-300 BC. - Medium formative
  • 300 BC - 150 AD - Late formative
  • 150-300 - Protoclassical
  • 300-600 - Early Classic
  • 600-900 - Late Classical
  • 900-1200 - Early Postclassic
  • 1200-1530 - Late Postclassic

The problem of settling the Maya region is still far from a final solution. Some evidence suggests that the Proto-Maya came from the north, moving along the Gulf Coast, displacing or intermingling with local populations. Between 2000-1500 BC. began to settle throughout the zone, breaking up into different language groups.

In the VI-IV centuries. BC. In the Central region, the first urban centers appear (Nakbe, El Mirador, Tikal, Vashaktun), distinguished by the monumentality of their buildings. During this period, the urban layout took on the appearance characteristic of Mayan cities - an articulation of independent, astronomically oriented acropolises adapted to the relief, representing a rectangular area surrounded by temple and palace buildings on platforms. Early Mayan cities formally continued to maintain a clan-fratric structure.

Classical period - I (III) -X centuries. n. BC - the time of the final formation and flowering of the Mayan culture. Throughout the Maya territory, urban centers with subordinate territories of the city-state appeared. As a rule, the cities in these territories were no further than 30 km from the center, which was apparently due to communication problems due to the lack of draft animals in the region. The population of the largest city-states (Tikal, Calakmul, Caracol) reached 50-70 thousand people. The rulers of large kingdoms bore the title of Ahav, and the centers subordinate to them were ruled by local rulers - Sahals. The latter were not appointed officials, but came from local ruling families. There was also a complex palace hierarchy: scribes, officials, masters of ceremonies, etc.

Despite the changing structure social relations, power in city-states was transferred according to a tribal scheme, which was expressed in the magnificent cult of deified royal ancestors, in addition, power could also belong to women. Since Mayan acropolises and cities were of a “genetic” nature and were associated only with specific representatives of one or another clan, this was the reason for the periodic abandonment of individual acropolises and the final “abandonment” of Mayan cities in the 10th century, when the invading invaders destroyed members of the elite related by blood relationship with ancestors buried within the acropolises (pyramids). Without such a connection, the acropolis lost its significance as a symbol of power.

Social structure

Evidence of a tendency towards centralization of power in the 3rd-10th centuries. - usurpation by the rulers of the capital centers of the ritual ball game, the emergence of which dates back to the times of intra-tribal rotation of power and collective decision-making. The aristocracy concentrates in its hands the trade in valuable items, cocoa beans and minerals used for making jewelry and handicrafts - obsidian, jadeite, etc. Trade routes they ran both on land and along rivers and seas, going far into foreign territories.

Hieroglyphic texts mention priests divided into

  • priest-ideologists,
  • priest-astronomers,
  • "seeing" and
  • soothsayers.

Psychedelic practices were used for divination.

Detail of a sacred fresco from San Bartolo (Guatemala). OK. 150 BC The painting depicts the birth of the cosmos and proves the divine right of the ruler.

The basis of the society was made up of free community members who settled in family households, sometimes near cities, and sometimes at a considerable distance from them, which is due to the nature of land use and the need to change (due to a decrease in yield) the sown plots cultivated by the family every 4 years.

In their free time from sowing and harvesting, community members participated in public works and military campaigns. Only in the postclassical period did a special layer of semi-professional Kholkan warriors begin to emerge, who demanded “services and offerings” from the community.

Mayan texts often mention military leaders. Wars were in the nature of short-term raids to ruin the enemy and sometimes capture prisoners. Wars in the region were constant and contributed to the restructuring of political power, strengthening some cities while weakening and subjugating others. There is no data on slavery among the Classic Mayans. If slaves were used, it was as domestic servants.

Information about legal system Mayans are missing.

Crisis of the 10th century - political and cultural restructuring

By the 10th century Active migrations begin in the Central region, while the population decreases sharply, by 3-6 times. City centers are falling into disrepair political life freezes. There is almost no construction going on. The guidelines in ideology and art are changing - the cult of the royal ancestors is losing its primary importance, while the justification for the power of the ruler is the origin of the legendary “Toltec conquerors”.

In Yucatan the crisis of the end classical period did not lead to population decline and the fall of cities. In a number of cases, hegemony moves from old, classical centers to new ones. The processes of social and political change after the destruction of the traditional Mayan system of urban government by the Toltecs are observed in the postclassic period in the example of such cities as

  • Chichen Itza of the Toltecs in the X-XIII centuries;
  • Mayapan during the reign of the Cocoms in the 13th-15th centuries;
  • postclassical Mani, under whose command in the 16th century. there were 17 towns and villages.

By the time the Spaniards appeared in the southeast of Yucatan, the state of Acalan (Maya-Chontal) had formed, where the capital city of Itzamkanak with 76 subordinate cities and villages had already emerged. It contains an administration, temples, 100 houses made of stone, 4 quarters with their patrons and their temples, a council of quarter heads.

Confederations of cities with their own capital became a new type of political-territorial entities that controlled the political, administrative, religious and scientific spheres of life. In the spiritual sphere, the concept of reincarnation goes into the realm of religious abstraction, which allows cities (emerging capitals) to retain their functions even after a change of power. Internecine wars become the norm, the city acquires defensive characteristics. At the same time, the territory is growing and the control and protection system is becoming more complex.

The Yucatan Mayans had slavery and trade in slaves was developed. Slaves were used to carry heavy loads and homework, but more often acquired for sacrifice.

In mountainous Guatemala, with the onset of the Postclassic period, the “Maya-Toltec style” spread. Obviously, the infiltrated nahuacultural groups were, as in Yucatan, assimilated by the local population. As a result, a confederation of 4 Mayan tribes was formed - Kaqchiquel, Quiche, Tzutihil and Rabinal, which subjugated in the XIII-XIV centuries. various Mayan and Nahua-speaking tribes of highland Guatemala. As a result of civil strife, the confederation soon disintegrated, almost simultaneously with the invasion of the Aztecs and the appearance at the beginning of the 16th century. Spaniards.

Economic activity

The Mayans practiced extensive slash-and-burn agriculture with regular rotation of plots. Main crop There were maize and beans, which formed the basis of the diet. Of particular value were cocoa beans, which were also used as a unit of exchange. They grew cotton. The Mayans had no domestic animals, with the exception of a special breed of dogs, which were sometimes used as food, poultry - turkeys. The function of the cat was performed by the nose, a type of raccoon.

In the classical period, the Mayans actively used irrigation and other methods of intensive agriculture, in particular “raised fields” similar to the famous Aztec chinampas: artificial embankments were created in river valleys, which rose above the water during floods and retained silt, which significantly increased fertility. To increase productivity, the plot was simultaneously sown with maize and legumes, which created the effect of fertilizing the soil. Fruit trees and chile peppers, which are an important component of the Indian diet, were planted near the dwelling.

Land ownership continued to remain communal. The institution of the dependent population was underdeveloped. The main area of ​​its application could be plantations of perennial crops - cocoa, fruit trees, which were privately owned.

Mayan civilization culture

Scientific knowledge and writing

The Mayans developed a complex picture of the world, which was based on ideas about reincarnation and the endless alternation of cycles of the universe. For their constructions, they used precise mathematical and astronomical knowledge, combining the cycles of the Moon, Sun, planets and the time of the precessional revolution of the Earth.

The complication of the scientific picture of the world required the development of a writing system based on the Olmec. The Mayan writing was phonetic, morphemic-syllabic, involving the simultaneous use of about 400 characters. One of the earliest inscriptions is from 292 AD. BC - discovered on a stela from Tikal (No. 29). The bulk of the texts were applied to monumental monuments or small plastic objects. A special source is represented by texts on ceramic vessels.

Mayan books

Only 4 Mayan manuscripts have survived - “codes”, representing long strips of paper folded like an accordion (pages) from ficus bark (“Indian paper”), dating back to the Postclassic period, obviously copied from more ancient samples. Regular copying of books was probably practiced in the region from ancient times and was associated with the difficulties of storing manuscripts in a humid, hot climate.

The Dresden manuscript is a strip of “Indian paper” 3.5 m long, 20.5 cm high, folded into 39 pages. It was created earlier than the 13th century. in Yucatan, from where it was taken to Spain as a gift to Emperor Charles V, from whom it came to Vienna, where in 1739 the librarian Johann Christian Götze acquired it from an unknown private person for the Dresden Royal Library.

The Parisian manuscript is a strip of paper with a total length of 1.45 m and 12 cm in height, folded into 11 pages, from which the initial pages have been completely erased. The manuscript dates back to the period of the Cocom dynasty in Yucatan (XIII-XV centuries). In 1832 it was acquired by the Parisian National Library(kept here to this day).

The Madrid manuscript was written no earlier than the 15th century. It consists of two fragments without beginning and end of “Indian paper”, 13 cm high, with a total length of 7.15 m, folded into 56 pages. The first part was acquired in Extremadura by José Ignacio Miró in 1875. Since it was suggested that it once belonged to the conqueror of Mexico, Cortez, hence its name - “Code of Cortez”, or Cortesian. The second fragment was acquired by Brasseur de Bourbourg from Don Juan Tro y Ortolano in 1869 and was called Ortolan. The pieces joined together became known as the Madrid Manuscript, and it has since been kept in Madrid in the Museum of the Americas.

Grolier's manuscript was in a private collection in New York. These are rather fragments of 11 pages without beginning or end, dating back to the 13th century. Apparently this Mayan manuscript, the origin of which is unknown, was composed under strong Mixtec influence. This is evidenced by the specific recording of numbers and features of the images.

Texts on Mayan ceramic vessels are called “clay books.” The texts reflect almost all aspects of the life of ancient society, from everyday life to complex religious ideas.

The Mayan script was deciphered in the 50s of the 20th century. Yu.V. Knorozov based on the method of positional statistics he developed.

Architecture

Mayan architecture reached its peak in the classical period: ceremonial complexes, conventionally called acropolises, with pyramids, palace buildings and ball stadiums were actively erected. The buildings were grouped around a central rectangular area. The buildings were erected on massive platforms. During construction, a “false vault” was used - the space between the roof masonry gradually narrowed upward until the walls of the vault closed. The roof was often crowned with massive ridges decorated with stucco. Construction techniques could vary from stone masonry to concrete-like masses and even bricks. The buildings were painted, often red.

There are two main types of buildings - palaces and temples on pyramids. Palaces were long, usually one-story buildings, standing on platforms, sometimes multi-tiered. At the same time, the passage through the enfilades of rooms resembled a labyrinth. There were no windows and light came in only through doorways and special ventilation holes. Perhaps the palace buildings were identified with long cave passages. Almost the only example of buildings with several floors is the palace complex in Palenque, where a tower was also erected.

The temples were built on pyramids, the height of which sometimes reached 50-60 m. Multi-stage staircases led to the temple. The pyramid embodied the mountain in which the legendary cave of our ancestors was located. Therefore, an elite burial could occur here - sometimes under the pyramid, sometimes in its thickness, and more often immediately under the floor of the temple. In some cases, the pyramid was built directly over a natural cave. The structure on top of the pyramid, conventionally called a temple, did not have the aesthetics of an internal very limited space. The doorway and the bench placed against the wall opposite this opening had functional significance. The temple served only to mark the exit from the cave of the ancestors, as evidenced by its external decoration and sometimes its connection with the intra-pyramidal burial chambers.

Appears in the Postclassic new type areas and buildings. The ensemble is formed around the pyramid. Covered galleries with columns are being built on the sides of the square. In the center there is a small ceremonial platform. Platforms for risers appear with poles studded with skulls. The structures themselves are significantly reduced in size, sometimes not corresponding to human growth.

Sculpture

The friezes of buildings and massive roof ridges were covered with stucco made of lime mortar - a piece. The lintels of temples and the steles and altars erected at the foot of the pyramids were covered with carvings and inscriptions. In most areas they were limited to relief techniques; only in Copan did round sculpture become widespread. Palace and battle scenes, rituals, faces of deities, etc. were depicted. Like buildings, inscriptions and monuments were usually painted.

Monumental sculpture also includes Mayan steles - flat, about 2 m high monoliths, covered with carvings or paintings. The highest steles reach 10 m. Steles are usually associated with altars - round or rectangular stones installed in front of the steles. Steles with altars were an improvement on Olmec monuments and served to convey the three-level space of the universe: the altar symbolized the lower level - the transition between worlds, the middle level was occupied by the image of events occurring with a specific character, and the upper level symbolized the rebirth of a new life. In the absence of an altar, the subject depicted on it was compensated by the appearance on the stele of a lower, “cave” level, or a relief niche, inside which the main image was placed. In some cities, roughly rounded flat altars placed on the ground in front of the stele, or stone figured images of reptiles, as for example in Copan, became widespread.

The texts on the steles could be dedicated to historical events, but most often they were of a calendar nature, marking the periods of the reign of one or another ruler.

Painting

Works monumental painting were created on the internal walls of buildings and burial chambers. The paint was applied either over wet plaster (fresco) or over dry ground. The main theme of the paintings is mass scenes of battles, celebrations, etc. The most famous are the Bonampak paintings - buildings of three rooms, the walls and ceilings of which are entirely covered with paintings dedicated to victory in military operations. TO fine arts The Maya include polychrome painting on ceramics, characterized by great variety of subjects, as well as drawings in “codes”.

Dramatic art

The dramatic art of the Maya came directly from religious ceremonies. The only work that has come down to us is the drama of Rabinal-Achi, recorded in the 19th century. The plot is based on the capture of a Quiché warrior by warriors of the Rabinal community. The action develops in the form of a kind of dialogue between the prisoner and the other main characters. Basic poetic device-rhythmic repetition, traditional for oral Indian folklore: the participant in the dialogue repeats the phrase spoken by his opponent, and then pronounces his own. Historical events- Rabinal's wars with the Quiché - overlap with mythological basis- a legend about the abduction of the water goddess, the wife of the old rain god. The drama ended with the real sacrifice of the main character. Information has been received about the existence of others dramatic works, as well as comedies.

A little earlier in time, in the neighborhood of the Aztecs (in the territory of what is now Yucatan-Guatemala-Salvador-Gondras), there was a more extensive civilization of the Mayan Indians.

Mayan civilization

Maya - group Indian peoples, related by language. Where did these peoples come from? How did they appear in the jungles of Central America? There is no exact answer to these and other questions. Today, one of the main points of view on this issue is that America was settled from Asia through the Bering Strait during the period Upper Paleolithic, i.e. approximately 30 thousand years ago.

The Mayans are one of the brightest civilizations of pre-Columbian America. This is a “mystery culture”, a “phenomenon culture” full of contradictions and paradoxes. She gave birth great amount questions, but not all have answers. The Mayans, living practically in the Stone Age (they did not know metals until the 10th century AD, wheeled carts, ploughs, pack and draft animals), created an accurate solar calendar, the most complex hieroglyphic writing, used the concept of zero before the Arabs and Hindus, predicted solar and lunar eclipses, calculated the movements of Venus with an error of only 14 seconds per year, and achieved amazing perfection in architecture, sculpture, painting and ceramics production. They worshiped their gods and at the same time obeyed kings and priests, built temples and palaces under their leadership, performed ritual ceremonies, sacrificed themselves, and fought with their neighbors.

The Mayans created cities that were extraordinary in themselves, built only on muscle power. And for some reason, almost all cities of the classical period bear traces of violent destruction. Currently, more than 200 ruins of ancient cities are known. Full list famous Mayan cities.

In ancient times the Mayans represented various groups, which had a common historical tradition. Due to this, the characteristics of their cultures were similar, their physical features were the same, and they spoke languages ​​belonging to the same linguistic branch. When studying the Mayan civilization, several periods are distinguished. Their names and chronology are as follows:
- Early Preclassic (about 2000 – 900 BC)
- Middle Preclassic (900 – 400 BC)
- Late Preclassic (400 BC – 250 AD)
- early classical (250 – 600 AD)
- late classical (600 – 900 AD)
- postclassical (900 – 1521 AD)

This one is strict scientific information, in no way explains why the Mayan cities began to decline, their populations to decline, and civil strife to intensify. But the processes that finally destroyed the great civilization, which took place during the colonial period, which lasted from 1521 to 1821, are completely obvious. Great humanists and Christians - not only did they introduce influenza, smallpox and measles - but formed their colonies on the American continent with fire and sword. What previously did not benefit the Mayans - fragmentation and the absence of a single control center of the state - did not benefit the conquerors either. Each city was a separate warlike state, and more and more efforts had to be made to seize the territory.

And the Mayan cities were built with great skill and scope. Worth mentioning are Lamanai, Cahal Pech, El Mirador, Calakmul, Tikal, Chichen Itza, Uxmal, Copan. Some of these cities existed for more than a millennium. The ruins of each of them are a gift to archaeologists, historians and tourists.

Of great interest are the ideas of an extinct civilization about time and space. The cyclical time of the Maya, associated with natural and astronomical phenomena, was displayed in various calendars. According to one of the predictions, the next (last) cycle will end on December 22, 2012. The end of the cycle will be marked by a flood, after which this world will perish and be born new universe and a new cycle will begin... Well, we have every chance to verify the reliability of the Mayan predictions.

During the 1st - early 2nd millennium AD, the Maya people, speaking various languages ​​of the Maya-Kiche family, settled over a vast territory, including the southern states of Mexico (Tabasco, Chiapas, Campeche, Yucatan and Quintana Roo), the current countries of Belize and Guatemala and western regions of El Salvador and Honduras. These areas, located in the tropical zone, are distinguished by a variety of landscapes. In the mountainous south there is a chain of volcanoes, some of which are active. Once upon a time, powerful trees grew here on generous volcanic soils. coniferous forests. In the north, the volcanoes give way to the limestone mountains of Alta Verapaz, which further north form the limestone Petén plateau, characterized by a hot and humid climate. Here the center of development of the Mayan civilization developed classical era. Western part Petén plateau, drained by the Pasion and Usumacinta rivers, which flow into Gulf of Mexico, and the eastern one - rivers carrying water to the Caribbean Sea. North of the Petén plateau, humidity decreases with the height of forest cover. In the northern Yucatecan Plains, tropical rainforests give way to shrubby vegetation, and in the Puuc Hills the climate is so arid that in ancient times people settled here along the shores of karst lakes (cenotes) or stored water in underground reservoirs (chultun). On the northern coast of the Yucatan Peninsula, the ancient Mayans mined salt and traded it with the inhabitants of the interior regions.

It was initially believed that the Maya lived in large areas of tropical lowlands in small groups, practicing slash-and-burn agriculture. With the rapid depletion of soils, this forced them to frequently change their settlement sites. The Mayans were peaceful and had a special interest in astronomy, and their cities with tall pyramids and stone buildings also served as priestly ceremonial centers where people gathered to observe unusual celestial phenomena. By modern estimates, ancient people The Maya numbered more than 3 million people. In the distant past, their country was the most densely populated tropical zone. The Mayans were able to maintain soil fertility for several centuries and transform unsuitable soils Agriculture land in a plantation where maize, beans, pumpkins, cotton, cocoa and various tropical fruits were grown. Mayan writing was based on a strict phonetic and syntactic system. The decipherment of ancient hieroglyphic inscriptions has refuted previous ideas about the peaceful nature of the Mayans: many of these inscriptions report wars between city-states and captives sacrificed to the gods. The only thing that has not been revised from previous ideas is the exceptional interest of the ancient Mayans in the movement celestial bodies. Their astronomers very accurately calculated the cycles of movement of the Sun, Moon, Venus and some constellations (in particular, the Milky Way). The Mayan civilization, in its characteristics, reveals commonality with the nearest ancient civilizations of the Mexican Highlands, as well as with the distant Mesopotamian, ancient Greek and ancient Chinese civilizations.

In the archaic (2000-1500 BC) and early formative periods (1500-1000 BC) of the preclassical era, in the lowlands of Guatemala, small semi-wandering tribes of hunters and gatherers lived, eating wild edible roots and fruits, as well as game and fish. They left behind only rare stone tools and several settlements definitely dating from this time. The Middle Formative Period (1000-400 BC) is the first relatively well-documented era of Mayan history. At this time, small agricultural settlements appeared, scattered in the jungle and along the banks of the rivers of the Peten plateau and in the north of Belize (Cuelho, Colha, Kashob). Archaeological evidence suggests that in this era the Mayans did not have pompous architecture, class divisions or centralized power. However, during the subsequent Late Formative Period of the Preclassic era (400 BC - 250 AD), major changes occurred in Mayan life. At this time, monumental structures were built - stylobotes, pyramids, ball courts, and rapid growth of cities was observed. Impressive architectural complexes are being built in cities such as Calakmul and Tsibilchaltun in the north of the Yucatan Peninsula (Mexico), El Mirador, Yashactun, Tikal, Nakbe and Tintal in the jungle of Peten (Guatemala), Cerros, Cuello, Lamanay and Nomul (Belize), Chalchuapa (El Salvador).

There was a rapid growth of settlements that arose during this period, such as Kashob in northern Belize. At the end of the late formative period, barter trade developed between settlements remote from each other. Products made from jade and obsidian are most valued. sea ​​shells and feathers of the quetzal bird. At this time, sharp flint tools and the so-called appeared for the first time. eccentrics - stone products of the most bizarre shape, sometimes in the form of a trident or profile human face. At the same time, the practice of consecrating buildings and arranging hiding places where jade products and other valuables were placed was developed. During the subsequent Early Classic period (250-600 AD) of the Classical era, Mayan society developed into a system of rival city-states, each with its own royal dynasty. These political entities revealed commonality both in the system of government and in culture (language, writing, astronomical knowledge, calendar). The beginning of the Early Classic period roughly coincides with one of the oldest dates, recorded on the stela of the city of Tikal, - 292 AD, which, in accordance with the so-called. The "long count of the Maya" is expressed in numbers 8.12.14.8.5. The possessions of individual city-states of the classical era extended on average 2000 square meters. km, and some cities, such as Tikal or Calakmul, controlled significantly larger territories.


The political and cultural centers of each state were cities with magnificent buildings, the architecture of which represented local or zonal variations of the general style of Mayan architecture. The buildings were located around a vast rectangular central square. Their facades were usually decorated with masks of the main gods and mythological characters, carved from stone or made using relief techniques. The walls of long narrow rooms inside buildings were often painted with frescoes depicting rituals, holidays, and military scenes. Window lintels, lintels, palace staircases, as well as free-standing steles were covered with hieroglyphic texts, sometimes interspersed with portraits, telling about the deeds of the rulers. On lintel 26, in Yaxchilan, the ruler's wife is depicted helping her husband put on military regalia. In the center of Mayan cities of the classical era, pyramids rose up to 15 m high. These structures often served as tombs for revered people, so kings and priests practiced rituals here with the goal of establishing a magical connection with the spirits of their ancestors.

The ritual ball game was important in the Mayan religion. Almost every major Mayan settlement had one or more similar sites. It is, as a rule, a small rectangular field, on the sides of which there are pyramidal platforms from which the priests watched the ritual. Meanwhile, there was a cult of the game. In the Popol Vuh, an invaluable collection of Mayan myths, the ball game is mentioned as a game of the gods: the death deities Bolon Tiku (or as they are called in the text, the Lords of Xibalba, i.e. the underworld) and two brothers of the demigod Hun competed in it. Ahpu and Xbalanque. Thus, the players initiated on stage one of the episodes of the struggle between good and evil, light and darkness, masculine and feminine, snake and jaguar. The Mayan ball game, like similar games of other peoples of Mesoamerica, contained elements of violence and cruelty - it ended with human sacrifice, for the sake of which it was started, and playgrounds were framed by stakes with human skulls.

Most northern cities built in the Postclassic era (950-1500) lasted less than 300 years, with the exception of Chichen Itza, which survived until the 13th century. This city shows architectural similarities to Tula, founded by the Toltecs around 900, suggesting that Chichen Itza served as an outpost or was an ally of the warlike Toltecs. The name of the city is derived from the Mayan words "chi" ("mouth") and "itsa" ("wall"), but its architecture is in the so-called. Puuc style, violates the classical Mayan canons. For example, stone roofs of buildings are supported on flat beams rather than on stepped vaults. Some stone carvings depict Mayan and Toltec warriors together in battle scenes. Perhaps the Toltecs captured this city and over time turned it into a prosperous state. During the Postclassic period (1200-1450), Chichen Itza was for a time part of a political alliance with nearby Uxmal and Mayapan, known as the League of Mayapan. However, even before the arrival of the Spaniards, the League had collapsed, and Chichen Itza, like the cities of the classical era, was swallowed up by the jungle. In the Postclassic era, maritime trade developed, thanks to which ports emerged on the coast of Yucatan and nearby islands, for example, Tulum or a settlement on the island of Cozumel. During the Late Postclassic period, the Mayans traded slaves, cotton, and bird feathers with the Aztecs.

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

The families of the rulers were entrusted with the obligation to perform the rite of bloodletting at every important event in the life of the city-states, be it the consecration of new buildings, the onset of the sowing season, the beginning or end of a military campaign. According to Mayan mythology, human blood nourished and strengthened the gods, who, in turn, gave strength to people. It was believed that the blood of the tongue, earlobes and genitals had the greatest magical power. During the bloodletting ceremony, thousands of people gathered in the central square of the city, including dancers, musicians, warriors and nobles. IN climax During the ceremonial event, the ruler appeared, often with his wife, and with a plant thorn or an obsidian knife he bled himself, making a cut on the penis. At the same time, the ruler's wife pierced her tongue. After this, they passed a rough agave rope through the wounds to increase the bleeding. Blood dripped onto strips of paper, which were then burned in the fire. Due to blood loss, as well as under the influence of drugs, fasting and other factors, ritual participants saw images of gods and ancestors in puffs of smoke.

Mayan society was built on the model of patriarchy: power and leadership in the family passed from father to son or brother. Classic Maya society was highly stratified. A clear division into social strata was observed in Tikal in the 8th century. At the very top of the social ladder were the ruler and his immediate relatives. Next came the highest and middle hereditary nobility, who had varying degrees of power, followed by retinues, artisans, architects of various ranks and status, below were rich but humble landowners, then simple communal farmers, and on the last steps were orphans and slaves . Although these groups were in contact with each other, they lived in separate city neighborhoods, had special duties and privileges, and cultivated their own customs.

The ancient Mayans did not know the technology of metal smelting. They made tools mainly from stone, but also from wood and shells. With these tools, farmers cut down forests, plowed, sowed, and harvested crops. The Mayans did not even know the potter's wheel. When making ceramic products, they rolled clay into thin flagella and placed them one on top of the other or molded clay plates. Ceramics were fired not in kilns, but on open fires. Both commoners and aristocrats were engaged in pottery. The latter painted vessels with scenes from mythology or palace life.
Until now, the disappearance of the Mayan civilization is a subject of debate among researchers. At the same time, there are two main points of view regarding the disappearance of the Mayan civilization - ecological and non-ecological hypotheses.

Ecological hypothesis based on the balance of the relationship between man and nature. Over time, the balance has been upset: an ever-growing population faces the problem of a lack of quality soil suitable for agriculture, as well as a shortage of drinking water. The ecological extinction hypothesis of the Maya was formulated in 1921 by O. F. Cook.

Non-ecological hypothesis covers theories of various kinds, from conquest and pestilence to climate change and other catastrophes. They speak in favor of the Mayan conquest version archaeological finds items that belonged to another people of medieval Central America - the Toltecs. However, most researchers doubt the correctness of this version. The assumption that the cause of the crisis of the Mayan civilization was climate change, and especially drought, is expressed by geologist Gerald Haug, who studies climate change. Also, some scientists associate the collapse of the Mayan civilization with the end of Teotihuacan in Central Mexico. Some scholars believe that after Teotihuacan was abandoned, creating a power vacuum that also affected Yucatan, the Mayans were unable to fill this vacuum, which ultimately led to the decline of civilization.

In 1517, the Spaniards appeared in Yucatan under the leadership of Hernandez de Cordoba. The Spanish introduced diseases from the Old World that were previously unknown to the Mayans, including smallpox, influenza, and measles. In 1528, colonists under the leadership of Francisco de Montejo begin the conquest of northern Yucatan. However, due to geographical and political disunity, it would take the Spaniards about 170 years to completely subjugate the region. In 1697, the last independent Mayan city of Tayasal was submitted to Spain. Thus ended one of the most interesting civilizations of ancient Mesoamerica.

Mayan cities:

Guatemala: Aguateca - Balberta - Gumarkah - Dos Pilas - Ichimche - Ishkun - Yaxha - Kaminaljuyu - Cancuen - Quirigua - La Corona - Machaquila - Misco Viejo - Naachtun - Nakbe - Naranjo - Piedras Negras - Saculeu - San Bartolo - Ceibal - Cival - Tayasal - Takalik Abah - Tikal - Toposhte - Huaxactun - El Baul - El Mirador - El Peru

Mexico: Akanmul - Akanseh - Balamku - Becan - Bonampak - Ichpich - Yaxchilan - Kabah - Calakmul - Coba - Comalcalco - Kohunlich - Labna - Mayapan - Mani - Nokuchich - Oshkintok - Palenque - Rio Bec - Sayil - Sakpeten - Santa Rosa Stampak - Tancah - Tonina - Tulum - Uxmal - Haina - Tsibilchaltun - Chacmultun - Chacchoben - Chikanna - Chinkultik - Chichen Itza - Chunchukmil - Shkipche - Xpujil - Ek Balam - Edzna

Belize: Altun Ha - Karakol - Kahal Pech - Kueyo - Lamanai - Lubaantun - Nim Li Punit - Xunantunich

Honduras: Copan – El Puente

Salvador: San Andres - Tazumal - Hoya de Seren

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.

About 10,000 years ago, when the last ice age ended, 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 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 success in the field scientific knowledge. Ritual, solar and lunar calendars are used. They represent complex system 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 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 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 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) 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, 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. 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 of the Maya of the 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 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 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 a fairly high level of 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 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.”

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. By 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 water (except for rain) is served by 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, the lush splendor of tropical flora and fauna greatly distinguishes 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, significantly distinguishing it from other Mayan areas.

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).



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