36 BC ancient Mayans. Mysterious and majestic Mayan civilization

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, Quiriguaidr.

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).

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?

There is a huge difference between the early agricultural cultures we have just looked at and the awe-inspiring achievements of the Classic Maya. But nevertheless, no matter what gulf separates them, it is not absolutely insurmountable. The main questions associated with the formation of the Maya civilization are: what happened in that period of time that lies between the Late Archaic and Pre-Classical periods, and how did the development of those cultural features that are characteristic of the Maya civilization of the classical period actually occur?

A number of contradictory hypotheses have already been put forward regarding the emergence of the Mayan civilization. One of the most odious believes that the previously unremarkable Mayan Indians came under the influence of travelers who came to them from the shores of China. It is worth making a digression here and making it clear for the non-specialist that it can be absolutely categorically stated that none of the things found in Mayan cultural centers have been identified as objects from the Old World, and since the time of Stephenson and Catherwood, theories about transatlantic or transpacific contacts have been carefully studied consideration always crumbled.

Followers of another scientific school, based on the supposedly low agricultural potential of Petén and Yucatan, argue that advanced civilization was brought to the lowland Maya region from regions with more favorable climatic conditions. Another hypothesis suggests that the agricultural potential of these areas is greatly underestimated and the Mayan culture, as we know it from the classical period, is completely sui generis. (lat.)), which does not carry any traces of external influence. It must be said that both of these points of view are exaggerations and at least partially erroneous. The fact is that the Maya, both highland and lowland, were never isolated from the rest of Mesoamerica, and, as we will see in this and subsequent chapters, throughout their history, from the most ancient times, the Maya culture was influenced by cultures existing on the territory of modern Mexico.

What exactly do we mean by the word “civilization”? How exactly is civilization different from savagery? Archaeologists usually try to evade such a question and, instead of a clearly formulated answer, offer a whole list of features that, in their opinion, are inherent in civilization. One of the essential criteria is the presence of cities, but, as we will soon see, neither the Mayans of the classical period, nor a number of other ancient civilizations had anything similar to what we are accustomed to defining as a “city.” The late V.J. Child believed that another important criterion for a civilization is whether it has a written language. But the Incas of Peru, who created a developed civilization, were completely illiterate.

A civilization differs from what preceded it in quantitative rather than qualitative terms, although no civilization can arise without the establishment of state institutions, temples, significant public works, and widespread, uniform artistic styles. . With few exceptions, complex government apparatus has a need for some form of record keeping, and in response to this need writing usually arises, and usually for the same reason more or less accurate methods of keeping time are created.

We should not forget that, despite the existence of common features, each of the civilizations is unique in its own way. The Classic Mayans, who lived in a mountainous region, had an elaborate calendar, writing, pyramidal temples and palaces made of limestone blocks, inside which there were rooms with vaulted ceilings. They also had a tradition of architectural planning, when some buildings located around the market square were distinguished by several rows of stone steles installed in front of them. In addition, they had polychrome ceramics and a sophisticated artistic style, which was evident in both bas-reliefs and wall paintings. All these characteristic features of the classical period are completely absent from the materials found to date relating to the Late Archaic (300 BC - 150 AD) and Pre-Classical (150-300 AD) periods .

The existence of one form or another of a time recording system is typical for all sufficiently developed cultures - it is necessary to record important events in the life of the rulers of the state, track the cycle of agricultural work and ceremonies of the year, and mark the movement of the heavenly bodies. A calendar cycle lasting 52 years existed among all the peoples of Mesoamerica, including the Mayans. This time system, which probably dates back to very ancient times, consists of two permutation cycles.

One of these cycles was 260 days long, and the system was a complex interplay of 13-day periods of time superimposed on a cyclical sequence of twenty days, each with its own name. Sometimes the term “tzolkin” is also used to refer to this counting system. The days of the twenty-day cycle are named: Imish, Ik, Ak "bal, K"an, Chichkan, Kimi, Manik", Lamat, Muluk, Ok, Chuen, Eb, Ben, Ish, Men, Kib, Boar, Esanab, Kavak, Ahau.

Among the Mayans, the countdown of the 260-day cycle began with the day of Imish, which had the number 1, followed by the day Ik as the second number, the third Ak "bal, the fourth day K"an, and so on until the calendar reached the day Ben , which was number 13.

The next day in the calendar was the day of Ish, which began a new thirteen-day cycle and, accordingly, received serial number 1, the next day Men received serial number 2, and so on. With this scheme, the last day of the 260-day cycle was the day of Ahau with serial number 13, and the entire cycle was repeated again, starting with the day of Imish, again numbered 1.

How this timing scheme came about remains a mystery, but how it was used is quite clear. Each of the days of the cycle was associated with certain specific concepts, and the entire course of twenty-day cycles showed with mechanical clarity what exactly should happen in the future, and strictly regulated the life of both the Mayans themselves and all other peoples of Mesoamerica. This system of counting time still exists unchanged among some isolated peoples in southern Mexico and in the Mayan mountain region. The calculations to ensure the correct operation of this system are carried out by special priests.

Related to the 260-day calendar cycle is the 365-day “fuzzy year,” so named because the actual length of the solar year is about a quarter of a day longer. It is this circumstance that forces us to declare every fourth year a leap year and add one more day to it so that there is no mismatch between the calendar and the solar year. The Mayan calendar completely ignored this circumstance. Within this year, there were 18 months of 20 days each, to which at the end of the year a fear-inducing period was added, consisting of five unlucky days.

The Mayan New Year began on the first of the month Pop, followed by the second, third of that month, and so on. However, the last day of the month did not bear the ordinal number 20, but a special sign indicating the “transition of control” to the next month in order, which is associated with Mayan philosophy, which believed that the influence of any particular time interval was felt before that period of time actually occurred , and continues for a certain amount of time after its completion.

From all that has been said, it follows that each of the days had a corresponding date both according to the 260-day calendar cycle and according to the “fuzzy year” calendar system. For example, the first day of K'an of the 260-day cycle could simultaneously be the first day of the month Pop. Such a coincidence of dates, when the 1st K'an was the first day of the month Pop, occurred once in 18,980 days, that is, over a period of time , equaling 52 "fuzzy years".

This period of time is called the "calendar circle" and is the only system of keeping track of years that the peoples of mountain Mexico have, a system which has obvious shortcomings when the recording of events requires reference to periods of time exceeding fifty-two years in duration.

Although the Long Count calendar is usually called the Mayan calendar, in the Classic period and even in earlier times this calendar was very widespread in the lowland areas of Mesoamerica. But this system was brought to the highest degree of accuracy by the Mayans, who lived in the central region. This calendar is a completely different counting system, also based on permutation cycles, but these cycles are so long that, unlike the “calendar circle”, any of the events that occurred throughout historical time could be recorded without any fear that there will be ambiguity in understanding the dates.

Instead of using a “fuzzy year” as the basis for the “long count” calendar, the Mayans and other peoples used Tun, a period of 360 days. The calendar year cycle looked like this:

20 Kinov - 1 Uinal, or 20 days;
18 Uinals - 1 Tun, or 360 days;
20 Tuns - 1 K'atun, or 7200 days;
20 K'atuns - 1 Baktun, or 144,000 days.

The "long count" calendar dates recorded by the Maya on their monuments consist of the mentioned cycles, following the order from longest to shortest, in descending order of magnitude. Each of these cycles has its own numerical coefficient, and all these periods must be added in order to obtain the number of days that have passed since the end of the last large cycle, a period equal in duration to 13 Baktuns, the end date of which fell on the day that in the calendar circle corresponded to the 1st day of Ahau and the 8th day of the month of Kumhu when counting according to the 365-day cycle of the “fuzzy year”. Thus, the date traditionally recorded by the Maya as 9.10.19.5.11, the 10th day of Chuen on the 4th of the month of Kumhu, can be calculated as follows:

9 Baktuns - 1,296,000 days
10 K "atuns - 72,000 days
19 Tunov - 6840 days
5 Uinals - 100 days
11 Kinov - 11 days
Total 1,374,951 days.

This is exactly how many days have passed since the end of the last calendar cycle until the day has arrived that, according to the calendar circle, corresponds to the date: the 1st day of Chuen, the 4th of the month of Kumhu.

Here it is necessary to explain the numerical coefficients of the calendar themselves. The Mayans and some other lowland peoples, particularly the Mixtecs of the Oaxaca Valley, have an extremely simple number system, using only three symbols: a dot for one, a horizontal line for 5, and a stylized shell for zero. Numerals up to four inclusive are indicated by dots; to indicate the number 6, a dash was drawn, above which one dot was placed, and 10 was indicated using two horizontal stripes. The largest coefficient used in the calendar, the number 19, was depicted using four dots located above three horizontal lines. The designation of numbers over 19, for the recording of which the presence of the concept of “zero” was extremely important, will be discussed in detail in Chapter 8.

Almost all researchers agree that the “long count” calendar began to be used much later than the “calendar circle”, but it is impossible to say with certainty how many centuries or millennia. Be that as it may, the earliest date recorded by the Maya using the Long Count system is from the period limited by Baktun with a factor of 7, and was found on a monument located outside the Maya area.

Currently, the oldest is considered to be Stela 2 from Chiapa de Corzo, an ancient ritual center that existed in the arid Grijalva Valley in Central Chiapas since Late Archaic times. On this stela was carved a vertical column of calendar coefficients (7.16.) 3.2.13, followed by the date of the “calendar circle” - the 6th day of Ben. There is no indication of the month of the “fuzzy year” on this stela, which is generally typical for early records of calendar dates. This date corresponds according to modern chronology to December 9, 36 AD. e.

Five years later, at the Olmec settlement of Tres Zapotes in the Mexican state of Veracruz, the famous Stela “C” was discovered, carved with the calendar date (7.) 6/16/16/18, 6th day of Esanab. On each of these monuments, none of which has reached us in its original form, the initial coefficient is missing, but its restoration does not pose any particular problem.

The time period designated in the Mayan calendar as K'atun 16 Baktun 7 falls in the Late Archaic period. Since there is no reason to believe that the starting point in these calendar records could not coincide with the date designated as 13.0.0.0.0, 4th day of Ahau on the 8th of the month of Kumhu, which is used to record the end of the last great cycle, then it is safe to say that the Mayan calendar was brought to its final form before the beginning of the 1st century by peoples who were heavily influenced by the Olmecs and perhaps even were not Maya.From them, writing and the calendar spread to the territories lying along the Pacific coast of Guatemala and in the Maya mountain region, and gradually reached the developing states located in the Petén forests.

The most important source of information necessary to find the key to solving the riddle of how the highly developed Mayan civilization arose are the material remains of the Izapan civilization. The high interest in everything connected with this culture is explained by the fact that it, both in time and space, occupies an intermediate position between the Olmec culture of the Middle Archaic period and the Early Classic Mayan culture. Monuments bearing the imprint of the distinctive artistic style of this culture are scattered over a vast territory stretching from Tres Zapotes, which lies on the Atlantic coast of the state of Veracruz, to the lowland regions of Chiapas and Guatemala located on the Pacific coast and beyond, all the way to Guatemala City.

During its heyday, Izapa was a major religious and cultural center, in which more than 80 temple foundations have been preserved to this day - pyramidal-shaped mounds lined with river stones. This settlement is located among the low hills lying east of the city of Tapachula, Chiapas, in an area with a very humid climate, 20 miles from the Pacific coast.

The question of whether this settlement is considered one of the cultural and religious centers of the Maya or attributed to one of the cultures of pre-Hispanic Mexico has not yet been resolved, but the language spoken here in ancient times was not one of the Mayan languages, but the language of Tapachulteco, an extinct language belonging to the Zoquean group, the languages ​​of which were once much more widespread than they are now. Although Izapa was founded as a religious center in times dating back to the Early Archaic period and existed until the Early Classical period, most of its architectural structures and, apparently, all of its monumental sculpture date from the Late Archaic to Pre-Classical periods.

Most characteristic of Izapa's artistic style are the large, ambitiously designed but somewhat ornate scenes that appear in most of the culture's carvings. Many of the images have secular themes, such as a man in a magnificent suit beheading a defeated enemy, but there are also religious themes. Among the latter, the most common is the image of a deity called the “long-lipped god.” It was depicted with an excessively elongated upper lip and fire escaping from its nostrils. This character undoubtedly represents a further development of the image of the Olmec werewolf jaguar - the god of rain and lightning.

Certain repeated icons appear to represent elements of traditional iconography. These include a sign resembling the Latin letter U between two slashes, which was usually placed above the main scene and may have been an early version of the sky strip sign so common in classical Maya art. The "U" itself is most likely a prototype of another hieroglyph for the moon, and it may appear several times on one bas-relief.

The finds belonging to the Izapan culture have many features characteristic of the heyday of the Mayan lowland civilization, such as stele-altar complexes and the “long-lipped god,” the image of which is already beginning to transform into the rain god Chac. These also include the artistic style of carved images on bas-reliefs, which tends to depict historical and mythological scenes, in which special attention was paid to the headdress decorated with feathers and other details of the costume. There is no written language or calendar, but on the slopes of the mountain ranges that run east along the Pacific Ocean into Guatemala, there are monuments with inscriptions and calendar dates dating back to the Baktun 7 period.

One such place in Guatemala is Abah-Takalik, located south of Colombo in the lush, wet foothills that were famous for cocoa beans during the Conquest. Now the main crop grown in this region is coffee. In appearance, Abakh-Takalik resembles Izapa - bulk hills scattered in disorder throughout the settlement. Less than a mile from the central group of mounded foundations is a huge boulder on which is carved, in purely Olmec style, the image of a bearded were-jaguar. From this we can conclude that the Olmecs once visited this territory.

Stela 1 from Abah-Takalik is purely Izapanese in style, but there is no date on it. On the other hand, on the somewhat damaged Stela 2 there is a bas-relief depiction of two Izapanese characters in magnificent costumes and high headdresses decorated with feathers, facing each other. Between them is a vertical row of hieroglyphic signs, and below, from carved curls resembling a cloud, the face of the god of heaven peeks out. The first, uppermost character in the column of hieroglyphs undoubtedly represents the earliest form of the "introductory hieroglyph" which in later classical Maya texts appears at the beginning of the recording of calendar dates in the "Long Count". Directly below it is the numerical coefficient of Baktun, which undoubtedly means the number 7.

A more advanced hieroglyphic inscription from the Baktun 7 era is found on Stela 1, or the Guererra stele, from El Baul, which is located southeast of Abah Takalik, among coffee plantations, in the area of ​​​​well-explored centers of the Cotzumalhuapa culture dating back to the Early Classic period. Since its discovery in 1932, heated controversy has erupted around this object. It is believed that the origin of this object dates back to a time later than the classical era. On the right side of this stele there is a figure of a man turned in profile in a tense pose with a spear in his hand. Above the figure's head is a cloud-like cluster of scrollwork, the lower part of the face is hidden by a bandage, and the headdress has ribbons that tie under the chin, a detail well known in lowland Mayan art from ancient times. In front of the figure are two columns of carved signs. The right one consists of flat oval-shaped tablets, which obviously had to be painted with paints.

The icons located in the left vertical row deserve more attention. They represent the first calendar date on a monument found within the Mayan region itself. The topmost icon in this column is the symbol for the numerical factor 12, directly below which is an element shaped like a skeleton's jaw - a sign adopted in Mexican cultures to mark the day of Eb. Then there are four indecipherable characters, followed by a series of icons indicating the numerical coefficients of the "long count" system, which, taking into account the reference to the day Eb of the "calendar circle", can be read as 7.19.15.7.12. According to our chronology, this corresponds to the year 36 AD. BC, that is, this calendar record refers to a date that is 256 years earlier than any other date recorded in the calendar records of the Maya plain zone, but is significantly later than the dates recorded by ancient calendar inscriptions in Chiapas and on the coast of Veracruz.

Before concluding our consideration of the regions of the Pacific coast, it is worth mentioning one more stylistic direction of monumental sculpture, which is widespread both in these territories and in Kaminalguya. An expression of this style are large, rather primitive statues depicting people with cauldron-like bellies, puffy faces and a lower jaw so protruding that they have been compared to late portraits of Mussolini. Near the settlement of Monte Alto, located not far from El Baul, there is a whole group of similar monsters arranged in a row. There is also a colossal stone head made in the same style. It is believed that this sculptural complex is associated with the Olmec culture, which preceded the Izapan culture. However, since the entire territory of Monte Alto is strewn with clay shards dating back to the Late Archaic period, such a hypothesis seems controversial. Rather, we can assume that these statues are associated with one of the minor religious cults that existed simultaneously with the cult of the Izapan god of rain, just as at one time in ancient Alexandria the religions and artistic styles of the Greco-Roman and Egyptian civilizations coexisted and flourished.

But to which god exactly was this cult dedicated? This deity could only be the “fat god,” whose cult was widespread among the peoples who inhabited Mexico and the northern Maya region in the classical era, although we know nothing about the functions that he performed.

The Late Archaic period saw the flourishing of the Miraflores culture. At this time, Izapa's rival in the splendor of monumental sculpture, in the size and number of bulk temple foundations was Kaminalguyu, a large cultural and religious center, the remains of which are still preserved on the western outskirts of Guatemala City. Most of the 200 temple foundations discovered were apparently built by people who lived in the last centuries AD. e., during the “Miraflores” stage. It is likely that the Kaminalguyu rulers at that time had enormous economic and political power, which extended over much of the Maya mountain zone. Excavations of two burials belonging to the “Miraflores” stage brought many finds testifying to the luxury with which they were accustomed to surround themselves. The mound number E-III-3, located near Kaminalguyu, consists of several temple platforms, each of which was built on top of the previous one and was a step pyramid with a flat top, along the front of which there was a wide staircase. The final height of the embankment is more than 60 feet. Since the ancient builders did not have easily processed stone at hand, ordinary clay, baskets of earth and household waste served as building materials for the construction of the pyramid.

The temples were structures with thatched roofs supported by vertical wooden supports. Apparently, each time they were buried they were rebuilt. The tomb, the construction of which began at the top of the mound, was a series of successively smaller rectangular depressions, going deeper and deeper into the pyramid, into the layers of previous temple platforms. After all the ceremonies were completed, the burial was walled up under a new clay floor. Pyramids served for burials until the classical era. The body of the deceased was dressed in a magnificent outfit and covered from head to toe with red paint, then placed on a wooden stretcher and lowered into the grave. The bodies of sacrificed adults and children were also placed there, along with rich offerings, the abundance of which was surprising. Over 300 magnificent items were in one of the graves, some of them were placed next to the body of the buried person, others on its wooden ceiling. Ancient grave robbers, who entered through a gap created by the destruction of one of the burials lying deep inside the pyramid, stole jade jewelry from the burial.

Among the funerary clothing discovered in the grave were the remains of a mask or headdress composed of jade plates, which were probably once attached to a wooden base, earrings made of jade, and a bowl carved from crystalline slate, on the surface of which the “miraflores” typical of the stage are engraved. patterns in the form of curls, small carved bottles, the materials for which were fuchsite and soapstone.

Although the ceramic vessels from the Miraflores stage, found both in burial E-SH-3 and in some other places, are made in the traditional manner that was widespread in the Late Archaic period throughout southeastern Mesoamerica from Izapa to El Salvador and beyond, up to the central and northern Maya regions, they differ greatly from other pottery in their delicacy.

The shape of the vessels becomes more complex, their contours acquire curved outlines, the surface is decorated with decorative elements, and vessels with legs appear. Sometimes they were made in the form of funny figurines, some of them depict a smiling old man. In order for pink and green colors to appear on the surface of ceramic products after firing, painted gypsum was used. Most bowls and jugs are decorated with carved scrollwork. When making Usulutan ceramics, an unusual method of decorative decoration of the product was used, which is a distinctive feature of the Late Archaic period. It is believed that such ceramics first appeared in El Salvador, where it gained enormous popularity. These products, which were in great demand among the Mayans, were coated with a layer of a protective substance, such as wax or a thin layer of clay, with a flat brush. After this, the products were darkened over low heat, exposing them to smoke. Then the protective material was removed, and on the surface of the product there remained a pattern of parallel wavy lines of a yellowish color on a dark orange or brown background.

At one time there was an opinion that the people of the Miraflores stage made only so-called “mushroom-shaped stones” from stone sculptures. The purpose of these peculiar objects, one of which was found in burial E-Sh-3, is unclear. Some believe that they are primitive phallic symbols. Others, such as Dr. Borhegui, connect them with the cult of hallucinogenic mushrooms, which is still widespread in the mountainous regions of Mexico. Proponents of this idea insist that the mortars and pestles often found with these stone objects were used for rituals related to the preparation of narcotic substances.

Since the Kaminalguyu hills were subjected to barbaric destruction during the construction of new city quarters, a large amount of material was revealed on the surface that allows us to take a fresh look at what happened during this era. It turned out that during the Miraflores culture there were artists here who were able to create large sculptural works from stone in the Izapan art style, which is the predecessor of the style of the classical Mayan era. Moreover, representatives of the elite groups of the Kaminalguyu population knew how to write at a time when the rest of the Mayan peoples were just beginning to realize what writing was.

Two such monuments were found during the construction of a drainage trench. The first of them is a granite stele depicting a walking man wearing several masks of the Izapan “long-lipped god.” In one hand this character carries a rather ornate object made of flint. On either side of it are burning clay incense burners, similar to those that were discovered during the excavation of layers with Miraflores ceramics.

Another stele is even more unusual. Before it was deliberately broken into pieces, it may have been gigantic in size and, judging by the surviving fragments, it was decorated with images of several Izapan gods. One of them, a bearded one, ties up a character who has tridents turned point down instead of eyes. He is probably the forerunner of some of the gods who later appeared at Tikal. The hieroglyphs carved near these figures may be their calendar names, since in ancient Mesoamerica both gods and people were identified with the days of the calendar on which they were born. The longer text, consisting of several columns of hieroglyphs, is written in a script that has not yet been read. According to a number of authoritative researchers, including the famous American Maya specialist Tatyana Proskuryakova, it can be considered the predecessor of classical Mayan writing, since it is very similar to it in form, although it has a number of differences.

The skilled artisans of the Miraflores culture made not only large-sized steles. Among the finds there are also carved figures of frogs and toads of various sizes, called silhouette sculptures, which probably should have been installed in a vertical position inside temples or in squares using tenon fastenings.

Frequently encountered images of a character already familiar to us with a large, bowler-like belly also date back to this period. On this occasion, the question again arises: are these figures not sacred objects of cult, widespread among ordinary people, whose beliefs differed somewhat from the aristocratic religion of their rulers? But perhaps those researchers who consider these objects to belong to other cultural layers are right.

The amazing richness of the material culture of the Miraflores stage, the perfection of its architectural and artistic creations, the obvious connection with classical Mayan art, manifested in the artistic style, visual subjects and writing system - all this allows us to conclude that the Izapan culture of the mountain region greatly influenced the formation of a highly developed civilization in the central and northern Maya regions.

But, despite all the successes that the Kaminalguyu civilization achieved during the Late Archaic period, by the 2nd century. n. e. its star began to set, and after a century or two nothing remained of it but ruins. It was only in the Early Classic period, when there was a major invasion of tribes from Mexico, that this area regained its former splendor.

While the Mayan mountain region and the Pacific coast experienced an unprecedented flowering of Late Archaic culture, the central and northern regions also experienced rapid growth. Temples of major religious and cultural centers rose above the cleared areas in the jungle. But the culture of the Maya, who lived in the lowland region, from the very beginning developed in a different direction than the related peoples of the southern territories, and soon began to take on those unique features that distinguished it in the classical period.

At this time, in the northern and central Maya regions, the leading role belonged to the Chicanel culture, which, despite the differences in its elements in different regions, was surprisingly homogeneous. As in the southern region, characteristic features of this period are Usulutan ceramics and wide-necked vessels decorated with carefully sculpted rims. Monochrome products predominate - red or black, with a waxy surface to the touch; there are practically no vessels on the legs. It seems rather strange that no figurines were found in the most famous cultural and religious centers of the Chicanel culture. This indicates that some changes have occurred in religious cults.

However, the most important distinguishing feature of the Chicanel stage is the high level of architectural development, especially at the end of the late Formative stage (100 BC - 150 AD). It should be recalled that, from a geological point of view, the united territory of Petén-Yucatán has enormous reserves of easily worked limestone, and here flint is found in abundance, from which tools can be made. Moreover, the Mayans of the lowland zone, back during the Mamon stage, discovered that if they burn pieces of limestone and mix the resulting powder with water, they get a white lime mortar that holds the stones together very firmly. And finally, they quickly realized that in construction they could use a filler made from limestone chips and clay - a kind of ancient concrete.

Therefore, even in ancient times, Mayan architects could build their temples, creating real architectural masterpieces. Excavations in the largest Mayan cultural and religious centers in this territory - Vashaktun and Tikal - showed that already at the end of the Chicanel stage, their main pyramids, temple platforms and ritual sites began to take their final form. It is generally accepted, for example, that the temple platform E-VII-sub at Washaktun was built at the end of the Chikanel stage. Perfectly preserved under later strata, this platform - a pyramid with a truncated top - is covered with a layer of white plaster on top and consists of several tiers, each of which has a bulk threshold - a very characteristic feature of the architecture of the Maya plains. In the center of each side of the pyramid there is a staircase recessed into its surface, decorated on the sides with masks of huge monsters, in which some researchers see a transformed image of the Olmec god of rain, although, probably, some of them are images of the heavenly serpent. Recesses made in the floor for poles indicate that on the upper platform of the pyramid there was a building built from poles or reeds.

Just a few hours' walk south of Washactun lies another major center of Mayan culture: Tikal. Its temples are in no way inferior in their architectural perfection, and perhaps even superior to the temples of Vashaktun. At the top of the structures dating back to the late period of the Chikanel stage, there were religious buildings, of which only walls made of stone have survived, and it is quite possible to assume that their rooms were covered with a stepped, or, as it is also called, “false” vault . The outer walls of one of these temples are decorated with a rather unusual painting depicting human figures standing against a background of cloud-like swirls. It was undoubtedly made by the hand of an experienced artist, who used black, yellow, red and pink paints for this work. Another fragment of wall painting, this time painted in black on a red background, was found at Tikal inside a burial, also dating to the late Chicanel period. It depicts six characters in lavish costumes, likely including both humans and gods. These works, which presumably date back to the second half of the 1st century. BC e., made in a undoubtedly Izapan style, very similar to the one that was common in Kaminalguya.

Some of the burials of Tikal, dating back to the Late Archaic period, prove that the ruling elite of the Chicanel stage was in no way inferior in position in society and wealth to the representatives of the upper strata of society of the Miraflores stage. An example is burial 85, located, like all other burials of this period, at the base of the temple platform. Only one skeleton was found in the burial chamber, covered with a primitive stepped vault. It is surprising that this skeleton is missing a skull and femurs, but given the richness and variety of objects found in this burial, it can be assumed that this man died during the battle and his body, mutilated by his enemies, was later discovered by his subjects. The remains were carefully wrapped in cloth and were in an upright position. A small mask of green stone, with eyes and teeth made of mother-of-pearl, attached to the top of this bundle, was apparently supposed to replace the missing head. In addition to its grisly contents, the package also included the spine and dorsal shield of a sea urchin, a creature considered a symbol of self-sacrifice among the Mayans. Near the burial chamber, in special hiding places, no less than 26 vessels dating back to the end of the Chicanel stage were found, in one of them charred pieces of pine wood were found, which, according to radiocarbon dating, date back to the period from the 16th to 131 AD e.

Remnants of the former splendor of the material culture of the late Archaic period are found in the Maya plain zone wherever the archaeologist's shovel plunges into the deep layers of the soil. Even in the northern zone, which is much less rich in archaeological finds, there are monuments of monumental architecture of this period, such as the huge mound of Uaksun - a temple platform, the base of which is a rectangle measuring 60 by 130 meters.

By the beginning of the protoclassical period, which lasted from the middle of the 2nd century. to the end of the 3rd century. n. e., the Mayan civilization came close to the beginning of its most brilliant era - the classical one. By this time, many characteristic features of the culture of this civilization had already been fully formed - the location of temples near the squares and the use of limestone and white knock in their construction, embankment thresholds and stairs stretching along the front side of the pyramids, the construction of burial chambers, frescoes with naturalistic scenes.

During the short Protoclassical period, new forms of ceramics appeared - vessels with hollow hemispherical legs, stands for pots, shaped like an hourglass. In all likelihood, such products first appeared on the territory of British Honduras (modern Belize). During this period, polychrome ceramics became widespread. Its distinctive feature is the use of a large number of colors, which were applied over a layer of translucent orange enamel. It is impossible to say exactly where such pottery first appeared, although most researchers believe that it occurred outside of Petén. By the middle of the 3rd century. n. e. The stepped vault has already become popular in architecture, the principle of which was used in the construction of tombs. It's pretty simple. From the edge of the wall to the top of the vault, stones were laid out row after row, so that each row protruded a little further than the previous one. At the top of this structure was a large flat stone. Despite its simplicity, this design has its weaknesses: in order to compensate for the weight of the huge ceiling, Mayan architects were forced to build massive walls and reinforce them with building filler - the prototype of modern concrete. However, once invented, this method developed over time into a very characteristic feature of lowland Mayan architecture, which sharply distinguished it from Mexican architecture, which favored flat roofs using wood or reed stalks.

These impressive achievements suggest that it was here, in the lowland zone, that the Mayan civilization arose several centuries before the start of the Classic period. But missing from them are two very important details of later civilization - the calendar dates of the Long Count and writing. As we already know, they were found among materials related to the Izapan civilization that existed at the same time in the highlands and on the Pacific coast, although, most likely, both the calendar and writing were borrowed by the Izapan culture from the even more ancient Olmec civilization that once existed on the shores of the Bay of Campeche. The Izapan style had by this time become quite widespread in the central and northern regions, as evidenced, for example, by fragments of carvings found in the acropolis of Tikal in archaeological layers dating back to the Protoclassical period, early frescoes of Tikal and images of human figures on the walls of Loltun Cave, but until the beginning of the classical period, neither the calendar nor writing received significant distribution in these territories.

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

Birth of the Mayan civilization

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

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

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

Mayan Indians: history of the development of civilization

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

The photo below shows the ancient Mayan cultural center in the ancient city of Tikal.

The Indians created their own system, including architecture with unique buildings - pyramids, monuments, palaces, politics and social hierarchy. Society was divided into the masses and the elite, consisting of rulers.

The Mayans believed that their rulers were descended from the gods. The status was emphasized by robes with a mandatory attribute - a breast mirror. “Mirror of the people” - this is what the Mayans called their supreme ruler.

Mayan ruling class

The ancient Mayan civilization numbered more than 20 million people.

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

Economic development of the Mayans

Initially, the Mayans were engaged in slash-and-burn agriculture - they cut down the forest on the site that they planned to cultivate, then burned the trees and shrubs, and fertilized the soil with ash. Since the land in the tropics is infertile, its resources were quickly depleted, and the fields ceased to be cultivated. They words were overgrown with forest. Then the whole process began again.

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

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

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

Salt production

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

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

Jade products

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

Art and architecture

During the "classical" early and late periods (250 - 600 AD and 600 - 900 AD), a huge number of temples were built, and wall paintings depicting rulers appeared. Art is flourishing.

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

Copan and Palenque become new cultural centers.

Migration

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

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

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

Why did the Mayan civilization disappear?

No one knows for sure the reason for the disappearance of the Indian people. There are only hypotheses on this matter. According to the main one, in 1441 there was an uprising of the leaders who lived in the cities neighboring Mayapan. This caused the degeneration of civilization and its transformation into scattered tribes. Drought and famine also had an impact. Then the conquistadors appeared.

Below in the photo is the last center of civilization.

In 1517, Spanish ships landed on an unknown shore. In the battle with the Indians, the conquistadors saw gold. This began the extermination of the Mayan people, since the Spaniards believed that gold should belong to their rulers. In 1547, the Mayans were conquered, but some of the tribes managed to escape and hide in the center of the Yucatan Peninsula, where they lived for 150 years.

The diseases that the Spaniards brought with them caused outbreaks of epidemics. The Indians had no immunity to influenza, measles and smallpox, and they died by the millions.

The culture and religion of the Indians was exterminated in every possible way: temples were destroyed, shrines were destroyed, idolatry was punished by torture.

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

Watch the BBC documentary about the mysterious Mayan civilization below

Who they were, what they wanted and where they went. Apparently, the Mayans were very interesting people: they built giant pyramids, knew mathematics, astronomy and writing. But modern people do not know much about them. For example:

1. The Mayans considered human sacrifice a great honor.

2. The Mayans preferred to invent their own technologies

3. The Mayans were probably seafarers

4. The Mayans did not have spaceships, but they did have working observatories.

5. Were the Mayans familiar with aliens?

6. “Apocalypse” by Mel Gibson is a fiction from beginning to end and has nothing to do with the real Mayans

7. The Mayans could have come from Atlantis

8. The Mayans were the first to know that time has neither beginning nor end.

9. The Mayans invented sports

10. The Mayans still exist