Essay On The Mayan Civilization- Examples & Topics

Introduction:

The Mayan Civilization has been one of the major classifications of Mesoamerican civilization. Mesoamerican civilization is a composite of divergent indigenous cultures which have been developed in the different parts of Central America and Mexico. Other than Mayan, Olmec, Zapotec, Mixtec, Aztec have been the prime cultures of Mesoamerica. The Mayan civilization has conserved the territories of Southern Mexico, Northern Belize, and Guatemala. The origination of the Mayan Civilization can be traced to 2600 B.C. in Yucatan, however, they have captured prominence since A.D. 250. History has revealed that during the prolongation of the late eight to the ninth century certain unprecedented circumstances have trembled the foundational pillars of Mayan Civilization. In the early twenty-first century, approximately five million bilingual people have been identified who behold the inheritance of Mayan civilization and can speak almost thirty different Mayan languages. In the contemporary period, six million Mayann people inhabit the territories of Peru and Mexico.

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Discussion:

Civilization and Culture of Mayan people:

Archaeological study has revealed that the rise of Mayan Civilization has been initiated in A.D. 250 which has been entitled the Classical period of Mayan cultural development. In the early period of 1500 BCE, the Mayan people have adopted agriculture as the prime profession of the community and have settled in villages. Mayan people have adhered to the prolificacy of architecture. They have constructed pyramid-shaped temples, stone buildings with gold and copper materials. Additionally, they have engraved hieroglyphic writing on the inner walls of the buildings which have deciphered lately. Their writings have included calendrical and astronomical patterns and rituals. In the late classical period, they have created books consisting of the cultural norms and signs, known as codices. It has been said that most of the architectural chores and inscriptions have been derived from early Mayan culture. Archaeologists have opined that the development of Mayan Culture is majorly influenced by the Olmec Civilization which is also a classification of the Mesoamerican community. The classical period of Mayan culture has lasted for 900 CE. During the late classical period, Mayan culture has captured the pinnacle which has helped the community to expand the population and regional boundaries. During the period, the community has conserved forty cities which include Tikal, Dos Pilas, Palenque, Uaxactun, and others. The population has reached up to two million people and most of them have settled in the territories of Guatemala. Though archaeological evaluations have defined that in the post-period of 900 CE the prosperity of Mayan culture has reduced precipitously, however, certain cities, like Mayan, Uxmal, Yucatan Peninsula, have survived to retain their glory and flourishment.

The cultural emblem of Mayan civilization has been reflected by the construction of contemporary architecture. The Mayan cities and ceremonial buildings have featured pyramidal palaces and temples which are utterly ornamented by materialistic inscriptions. The statues and inscriptions have reflected the Native American cultures. The chronicles of Mayan culture have been discovered by the Spaniards. The sequential exploration of Mayan civilization in 1830 has revealed the cultural and scientific inventions of the community. The Mayan religion has been solely based on the pantheon of nature gods which includes corn (most cultivated vegetable), rain, the Sun, and the Moon. The religion has created social stratification within the community which has allowed the priestly class to complete and guide the rituals, norms, and ceremonies. Mayan culture has preserved an impressive progression in astronomy and mathematics. The positional notation and utilization of zero are counted as the pinnacle of mathematic exploration in Mayan culture. The astronomical inventions have helped the community to create a complicated calendar which is complied with the positions of the Moon and Venus along with the accurate estimation of solar eclipses. The hieroglyphs of Mayan culture have depicted certain aristocratic and brutal incidents of the community as well. The tyrannical Mayan rulers have led war on the rival cities and captive their people for mutilation and sacrifice to God. Human torture has been quite common in the Mayan community. It has been performed to captivate fertility, moreover, ignorance of the religious norms can lead to cosmic chaos and disorder.

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The fall of Mayan civilization:

The progression and evolution of the Mayan civilization have eventually led to its tragic downfall. The civilization has evolved from the pre-classical period to the post-conquest period. Archaeologists have cultivated several theories which have eventually led to the inevitable fall of Mayan civilization which include foreign invasion, climate change, deforestation and drought, and others. Certain critics have believed the foreign invasion of the ninth century by the Toltec community of Central Mexico has captivated the destruction. The invasion has started in the ninth century and consisted of more than a hundred years. Moreover, the diminishment of trading routes is also counted as an elemental reason. Mayan civilization has established a strong relationship with the Teotihuacan of Central Mexico. The Teotihuacan has started to fall during the seventh century which has trigged the collapse of the Mayan community. Moreover, the rise of epidemic diseases has also bought the fall of civilization. Widespread endemic infectious diseases, like Ascaris, Trypanosomiasis, Enteropathogenesis, have depopulated the community rapidly. The diseases have hindered the nutritional development of the human body which has increased the demand for carbohydrate-rich corps. Climate change is entitled the most popular theory of Mayan collapse. Palaeoclimatological evaluations have opined that several prolonged droughts have occurred in Peten Basin and Yucatan Peninsula. Mayan civilization has confronted massive pessimistic impressions of deforestation. To create one square of lime plaster the Mayans have to burn twenty trees. The construction of temples, monuments and reservoirs have cost the lives of thousand which has declined the rate of rainfall and brought drought.

Though the consequences have increased the sufferings of Mayan people, a handful of them have managed to survive. Today, the number of Mayan people is almost six million which has made the largest single indigenous community of Peru. Mexico has also contained certain groups of the Mayan community. The groups speak divergent languages; however, they are interconnected by Mayan and Spanish languages. The modernization has helped the community to expand by forming intermarriages with Spanish immigrants. They inhabit Southern Mexico, Lacandon, El Salvador, and Honduras. In the Lancadon region, most of the Mayan people have been Christianised, however, they have parted their lifestyle from the modern society. They mostly rely on the forest for hunting and cultivation. The Mayan people are also subjected to magnificent political upheaval. They have witnessed significant depopulation and financial devastation due to the Civil Wars. The wars have forced them to flee from Guatemala and immigrate to Mexico, the United States, and Canada. The human rights activists have focused to bring solutions to the deprivations of discrimination and genocide. The archaeological exploration of ancient Mayan sculptures and cities has captivated a generous amount of public attention which has helped the Mayan people to impose tourism for the captivation of financial resources.

Conclusion:

Hence, summing up, it can be said that, the descendants of the Mayan community have retained the hereditary essence of Mayan culture. The civilization has worshipped nature which has allowed the contemporary Mayan people to embrace nature as the source of life. The Mayan culture has always seemed mysterious to the archaeologists for its immense progression during the pre-classical period and enigma regarding the collapse of Mayan civilization. Hence, as the paper has reached a cohesive conclusion, it can be said that, in the present days, the Mayan people have successfully sustained to flourish their culture and community.