The Mayan Civilization

The Maya civilization is one of the most fascinating cultures in human history. Their sophisticated civilization was shaped by their vast pantheon of gods and complex belief system, centered around 13 layers of heaven and nine levels of the underworld.

The underlying structure of the Maya worldview was an intricate creation myth that explained how the universe had originated, why there were so many gods and why humans were created. The gods had a special place in the Maya pantheon, and each god ruled a particular aspect of the universe.

Maya priesthood
The priesthood was a highly specialized class that held a great deal of power and authority within the Mayan society. They performed a wide variety of religious services, including sacrifices and divination. They also sat on the council of the rulers, and were considered semidivine, mediating between the physical and supernatural realms.

Priests were primarily men, although women performed important functions as well. Their titles included k'uhul ajaw ('holy lord'), yajaw k'ahk ('master of fire') and jk'uhuun ('worshipper'). They were also known for performing elaborate ceremonies, including human sacrifice.

Sculpture was an important part of the Maya civilization. Using stone, wood, Obsidian, bone and Jade, the Maya created sculptures to represent their culture, lifestyles, and beliefs.

They also carved animal and plant life into the walls of their temples, pyramids, and palaces to decorate them. This helped create a sense of place and connected people to the land they lived in.

Their art and architecture is stunning, with their towering roofs and corbel vaults atop pyramid temples. They also used stucco to embellish their buildings and palaces with reliefs and figures.

The architecture of the Mayan temples was designed to house religious practices. They were tall and pyramid-shaped, with a central ball court surrounded by large plazas. They were constructed in a specific architectural style for religious purposes, incorporating a number of architectural features such as corbel vaults, roof combs, and elaborate stucco.

Mayans used their calendar to keep track of their lives and the cycles of nature. Each cycle was governed by a god and each month had its own energy. The 13th b'ak'tun ended on December 21, 2012, and the Maya believed this was the end of the world.

They used hieroglyphs to write their words and their words were formed from combinations of nearly 800 signs. They did not use an alphabet, but a syllabary that resembled the Latin alphabet.

Throughout their history, the Maya fought wars for many reasons. Initially, they fought for captives and land, or they defended themselves from other polities. However, as their populations grew, they fought for food and other resources that they needed to sustain their societies.

When warfare became more extensive and constant, Mayan societies started to collapse. Until recently, there had not been a definitive explanation as to why this happened. Some theories argue that drought, migration or wars contributed to the decline.

However, surviving Mayan societies are still found throughout South and Central America today.