Sharing My Interest in the Mayans

 A tradition that our family has started in the the last couple years is to vacation in the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico. We have visited both Cancun and Riviera Maya.  While I enjoy the tropical surroundings, I also enjoy the rich history of the area. It is the history of the Maya, one of the greatest ancient civilizations. We usually allot a day or two of exploring the ruins of the ancient cities and local culture. It is never enough time to truly understand this complex society. I hope in this blog to give you some insight that I have gathered by studying the Maya. 

Below is a paper that I wrote for a Latin American history course at Elizabeth City State University:

The Maya Culture: Still Alive in the Yucatan Peninsula

"We are not myths of the past, ruins in the jungle or zoos. We are people and we want to be respected, not to be victims of intolerance and racism." — Rigoberta Menchú, 1992.

      One of the greatest ancient indigenous cultures of the world is the Mayan civilization. Things that make it so fascinating are the culture’s sophisticated ways and its sudden demise. In the tropical forest of Mexico and Central America laid Mayan cities that were vast creations encompassing a complex society far ahead of its time. From about 250 to 900 A.D. these cities flourished in a state of extensive scientific and artistic enlightenment. Mayans are credited with their advancements first pre-Columbian written language in the Americas, their art, architecture, and mathematical and astronomical systems. They also made great progress in agriculture methods such as irrigation. Despite all their progress, the Mayans never got past what we would consider the Stone Age.

Historical monographs suggest that after centuries of glory the Mayan people fled their cities for reasons unknown and relocated to smaller villages. By the time the Spaniard Conquistadors discovered these cities hundreds of years later, all that was left were the ruins of this great civilization. Most of what we know today about the ancient Mayan Empire has been from discoveries made by archeological excavations and interpretations of hieroglyphics. However; the Mayans did not disappear with the collapse of their empire nor during the arrival of the Spanish Conquistadors. Today, the Mayans maintain sizeable populations throughout Mexico and Central America and maintain a distinctive set of traditions and beliefs that are a mixture of pre-Columbian and post-Conquest ideas and cultures.

The Mayan region was by no means homogenous in culture or in the distribution of natural resources. While historical data suggests that the ancestral Mayan populations started in a particular highland region of Central America, consequent dispersal led to the formation of many differentiated groups in different areas. These groups often interacted with each other through trade because of the need for resources. Various groups often followed the same system of agriculture and worshiped the same tribal gods. However, each tribe still had its own specific culture and style. One of the largest areas of the Mayan Empire and the region of my particular interest where the civilization reached its maximum height is located in the northern Maya lowlands of the Yucatan Peninsula. Chichen Itza is one of the greatest of Mayan cities that produced a multitude of architectural styles that is representative of the great cultural diffusion of the region. 

Chichen Itza temple

 

 Photo courtesy of Jessica L. Barnett

In the northern Maya lowlands, Chichen Itza was major economic power at its zenith between 900 and 1050 AD. By participating in the water-borne circum-peninsular trade route through a port on its north side, Chichen Itza became a powerful trading hub in the Yucatan. The city was able to obtain unavailable resources from distant areas such as obsidian from central Mexico and gold from southern Mexico.

Mayan art and scientific architecture have made a lasting impression on modern humanity. Achievements in art can be witnessed in sculptures, the remnants of Mayan paintings, and the beauty of their pottery, stone, and jade preserved in both their altars and historical monuments. Much of Mayan art is distinctly different from that of European art and is easily recognizable. The Maya also made great accomplishments in architecture in their terraced pyramids and the detailed planning of their cities such as Chichen Itza. The Mayans were forward thinkers in using engineering techniques in their building such as taking into consideration factors such as stress and strain.

Scientifically, the Maya were more progressive than any other civilization in this time period and advanced far beyond their own personal needs. The calendar system the Mayans invented allowed them to plot time for the next 400 million years and predict occurrences such as the movements of the planets and the eclipses of the sun and the moon to the nearest second. The Mayans calculated the days in the year to add up to 365.2420 days compared to our actual value of 365.2422. Their number system allowed them to make sums up into the millions and comprehend the concept of zero ahead of any other culture. 

The last three centuries of this empire’s existence consisted of an increase in the abundance and elaborate detail of art and building in these communities. This all ended very suddenly and without any obvious explanation. One by one, life in the cities ceased as no more monuments were erected and no more temples were built. In many cases, work was actually stopped before completion which suggests the deed of a sudden catastrophe. Several speculations have been made as to what caused the collapse of the Mayan civilization, nevertheless discrepancies have been found in each hypothesis. Many people have attempted the decline of the cities on disease, but epidemics such as malaria and yellow fever were only introduced with the arrival of the Spanish. Others blame it on the Mayan agriculture procedure of cutting and burning the forest, and suggest the lack of food as the reason for the empire’s end. However; good soil fertility has been found to refute this explanation.

            The theory that makes the most sense is by historian, J. Eric S. Thompson.  His theory is that the cities were not actually abandoned with the end of cultural activities. Archeological excavation has shown that burials and sacrifices were still made in cities even after building had stopped. Most likely a series of peasant revolts against the upper class of priests and nobles was the cause of the empire’s demise. As the demand for labor in construction and food production grew at the peak of the civilization, the underclass probably rebelled and drove out or killed the ruling group. This would explain the abrupt cessation of art and monument erection, along with the continuation of religious ceremonies. The buildings presumably slowly began to deteriorate with the peasants half-heartedly tried to keep their cities in shape and failing.

Pyramid El Castillo (The Castle) in Tulum

 Photo courtesy of Jessica L. Barnett

The Maya of today still live within the boundaries of their old empire in Mexico and Central America. The region that makes up this area includes the five states in Mexico and the modern day countries of Belize, Honduras, El Salvador, and Guatemala. The Yucatan was one of the latter Mayan civilizations that still have a very active Mayan population. Of the approximately seven million Mayas left today, a large segment of the population in the region is Mayan or of Mayan decedent. Chichen Itza, named a seven wonder of the world, lies in the eastern portion of the Yucatan state of Mexico.

            Despite several hundred years of European dominance in their country, much of the native and historical Maya tradition has remained with its people. When the Spaniards arrived in Yucatan Peninsula around the early 16^th century, many of the indigenous people were living out in jungle. This kept them isolated from the many Catholic missionaries eager to convert them to Christianity, and it also allowed them practice much of their own culture. Despite the repression they suffered due to the Spanish invasion, the Maya were able to keep their Indian culture alive by their adaptability. Although their culture could not help but be influenced by the invaders, it managed to keep much of its traditional foundations.

            A very important part of this culture is associated with the Mayan language. Although the official language of the ruling minority (sixty percent of Mexicans are of Mayan descent) is Spanish, about a million people today speak the indigenous language of the Yucatan called Yucatec Maya. Many of the Maya today speak Spanish as a second language because of contact through trade and tourism, but remain native dialect speakers.

In religion, the Maya have also fought to keep much of their own tradition alive and have blended it with Spanish influences. The result is that the Maya have their own brand of Christianity which consists of characteristics of old tribal religions and Roman Catholicism An example is a  Catholic Maya performing a ceremony that have obvious characteristics of shaman rituals. Chicken sacrifices and food offerings are also witnessed in some churches. In addition, some Mayans still worship old deities like the corn god for good luck with the harvest.

            In addition, other pre-Columbian traditions and customs have remained intact. Many Maya continue to work in agriculture. The main crops are still beans and corn; the fields are still prepared and cleared by cutting and burning as was done by the ancient Mayans so long ago. After the arrival of the Spanish, Maya began to work in other industries such as the cattle and henequen industries. Much of the traditional clothing, textiles, and cooking is also still established custom.

However, only ten percent of the Yucatan lives a totally Mayan lifestyle compared to the sixty percent that have Mayan ancestors. Only a small population of the Yucatan own land. As has been true since the arrival of the Spanish, the people of Mayan descent lack basic human rights. Despite the fact that Mexico won its independence from Spain in 1821, the Spanish invasion still greatly affects the indigenous people. Much of the conflict dealt with indigenous rights and land distribution. Many modern Maya live at or below the poverty level. The most fertile land of the country is used for mass production of agriculture products which leaves the indigenous population with the land scraps. The Maya were mainly used as a labor force to work on the main plantations and are treated equal to slaves. During the Caste War of the Yucatan from 1847- 1901, the native Maya people revolted against Yucatecos, people of European descent who held both economic and political control of the region.  The war ended with occupation of the Maya capital by Mexican forces. However, the Maya people still held hostilities towards the Mexican government and refused to recognize Mexican laws for several decades. In the preceding years, the political and economic situation has improved in the area with people of Maya heritage being government offices and the economy booming because of tourism. 

 Riviera Maya

 Photos Courtesy of Jessica L. Barnett

            The Mayan people once had an ancient civilization comparable to that of the Greeks in the Old World. While the empire crumbled and no longer exists, its people still inhabit the area and have a heritage of great wealth. There is a large majority of Maya that have integrated into Hispanicized mestizo culture, but some continue to live a more traditional distinct life with Maya as their primary language. Regardless, the Maya culture is still alive and well in the Yucatan Peninsula!

Bibliography

 Henderson, John S. The World of the Ancient Maya. New York: Cornell University Press 1981.

Nelson, Reed. The Caste War of Yucatan. Palo Alto: Stanford University Press, 1964.

 Thompson, J. Eric S. The Rise and Fall of Maya Civilization. University of Oklahoma: Oklahoma University of Oklahoma Press, 1966.

  

United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization. Pre-Hispanic City of Chichen-Itza.  http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/483 (Retrieved on November 10, 2011)