Maya civilization

Mesoamerican former civilization

The Maya civilization was one of the great Mesoamerican and Pre-Columbian civilizations. The Maya were renowned for having the most sophisticated and developed writing system in the Western Hemisphere as well as their monumental achievements in art, architecture and astronomy. At its height, the Maya cultural area spanned the Yucatan Peninsula and highlands of Chiapas and Campeche in Mexico, all of Guatemala and Belize, and parts of western Honduras and El Salvador.

See also: Indigenous cultures of Mesoamerica

Understand

Contrary to popular belief, although the Spanish Conquistadores overthrew Maya states and ended Maya civilization in that sense, the Maya people and their cultural heritage never really died. There are millions of people who identify as Maya and speak Mayan languages and despite the turmoil that was created by the Spanish conquest, many of them have carried on traditions that have existed for over a thousand years.

In contrast to the Aztecs and the Inca, the Maya cultural sphere never merged into one empire. Throughout all periods of its history, the Maya were politically organized as city-states and chiefdoms competing and interacting with one another.

Areas referred to as the Mayan Riviera and Costa Maya are promoted for tourism today; both are primarily beach resort destinations, though it is possible to explore some of the history using either as your base.

Architecture

Mayan cities often show elements of distinctive architectural styles that correspond to regional differences at different points in time. The architectural styles include:

  • Peten style
* Elements: prominent stairways, stepped terraces, tall, slender pyramids, interiors have arched ceilings and stucco masks
* Sites: Tikal, Xunantunich, Uaxactun, El Mirador
  • Puuc style
* Elements: veneer over stone/concrete, lattices and frets, Chac masks, corbel arch, alignment to central plaza 14 degrees east of north
* Sites: Uxmal, Sayil, Kabah, Labna
  • Rio Bec style
* Elements: Twin non-functional towers with false staircases, non-functional temples with no interior rooms, false doorways
* Sites: Xpujil, Rio Bec, Becan
  • Chenes style
* Elements: carved mosaic facades, doors framed with monster masks around a doorway/mouth
* Sites: Dzibilnocac, Hochob, Edzná, Chicanna

Museums

Mexico

  • 🌍 Museo Maya de Cancun, Blvd. Kulkulcan km 16.5, Cancun. Large museum housing thousands of relics from Maya archaeological sites in Quintana Roo, as well as select pieces representing major sites elsewhere (including Palenque, Chichen Itza, and Comalcalco. The museum is built at the San Miguelito archaeological site and you can see four groups of restored structures from the original Maya settlement. (updated Dec 2023)
  • 🌍 Museo de la Cultura Maya (Maya Culture Museum), Chetumal. Small museum focused on Mayan culture. Many Maya artworks along with scale reproductions of significant temples and landmarks. 

Guatemala

  • 🌍 National Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology (Museo Nacional de Arqueología y Etnología), Guatemala City. Expansive and highly underrated collection of Mayan relics and artwork, including more than 100 sculptures from sites like Tikal and El Mirador. Many models of site layouts and exhibits about various aspects of Maya culture. 
  • 🌍 Museo Popol Vuh, Guatemala City. Fascinating modern museum operated by the Universidad Francisco Marroquin. The museum presents a historical and cultural view of Maya civilization and includes some surprisingly innovative exhibits such as a gallery that focuses on the role of women in Mayan societies. 
  • Museo Ixchel del Traje Indígena, Guatemala City. Specialized museum that focuses on how Mayan indigenous people dressed. Includes displays showing weaving methods as well as a large collection of everyday clothing like shawls, dresses, and shirts, as well as formal ceremonial garb that would have been the province of priests or royalty. The museum is located next door to the Museo Popol Vuh. Ancient Maya fashionistas would love this place! 

Archaeological sites

Mexico

  • 🌍 Bonampak. Set deep in the jungles of Chiapas, Bonampak eluded European interest for centuries. It is best known for its colorful murals depicting the city's history and interaction with other Maya city-states. (updated Feb 2023)
  • 🌍 Becan, Xpujil. Fortified city with walls and a moat, known for compact construction and Rio Bec architecture. (updated Aug 2023)
  • 🌍 Calakmul. One of the two Maya superpowers along with Tikal during the Classic Period. The rivalry with Tikal was intense, with both city-states and their vassals engaging in Cold War and actual wars over many centuries. (updated Jul 2019)
  • 🌍 Chichen Itza. Arguably the most popular Maya archeological site among tourists. It was one of the largest Maya cities and incorporated a diverse range of architectural styles. (updated Jul 2019)
  • 🌍 Coba. Large city ruins about 30km inland from Tulum, known for its far reaching network of sacbeob, a system of raised paved pathways that functioned like an interstate highway system between Mayan city-states. The site dates from about 300 BC. (updated Jul 2019)
  • 🌍 Comalcalco, Comalcalco. Interesting site whose architectural style is similar to Palenque. Probably reached its peak around 900 AD. 
  • 🌍 Edzna. An impressive site in Campeche state, with a long period of occupation spanning the Preclassic to Postclassic periods. (updated Jul 2019)
  • 🌍 Ek' Balam. Large Maya archaeological site that was the seat of King Ukit Kan Lek Tokʼ. His well-preserved tomb in the site's largest pyramid is the site's most well-known feature. (updated Oct 2023)
  • 🌍 Izamal. A sacred town and place of pilgrimage among the Maya faithful. Two great Maya temples, one dedicated to the sun god Kinich Kak Moo and another to the creator Itzamatul, are still standing and visible from a great distance. (updated Jul 2019)
  • 🌍 Izapa, Tapachula. Oldest of Mexico's major Maya sites, dating to 1500 BC, but largely ruined with little to see. Close to Guatemala border. 
  • 🌍 Kabah. Smaller site known for the Codz Poop, an amazing wall of masks with long snouts that are thought to have been used for illumination. 
  • 🌍 Kohunlich. Large, lightly-visited site known for the Temple of Masks, featuring the sun god, Kinich Ahau (updated Aug 2024)
  • 🌍 Mayapan. After the fall of Chichen Itza in the 13th century, a group of Itza Mayans searched for a new home until they settled at Mayapan. Large numbers of Itza followed between 1263 and 1283, building Mayapan into the most powerful city of the northern Yucatan (for a while). (updated Oct 2023)
  • 🌍 Moral Reforma. Very old Maya site dating to about 300 BC. Site of a unique "double-pyramid". Excavations in 2023 discovered a tomb with the remains of 13 young men. (updated Mar 2024)
  • 🌍 Palenque. Palenque was a medium-sized city that contained some of the finest Maya art and architecture. It is one of the most studied Maya archeological sites. (updated Jul 2019)
  • 🌍 Toniná. An aggressive warmongering city-state in the western Maya region that was a rival to Palenque for much of its history. (updated Jul 2019)
  • 🌍 Tulum. One of the best preserved coastal sites and one of the last cities to be constructed. Served as the major port for Coba. Jade, copper, gold, obsidian, salt and textiles were all traded on the shores of Tulum. (updated Jul 2019)
  • 🌍 Uxmal. Considered to have the most characteristic Yucatan architectural style, Uxmal thrived between the 7th and 10th centuries. (updated Jul 2019)
  • 🌍 Xcaret. A busy port of navigation and trade on the eastern coast of the Yucatan Peninsula. Some of the original structures have been enveloped in an ecotourism park. (updated Oct 2019)
  • 🌍 Yaxchilan. Large city-state deep in the jungle on the Usamacinta River along the border of Guatemala. Remote, well-preserved site with several significant temples. (updated Jul 2019)

Belize

A monkey pot from the cave of Actun Tunichil Muknal.
  • 🌍 Actun Tunichil Muknal. The cave contains skeletal remains, some of whom were sacrifice victims, and elaborate pottery from the Pre-Classical Period (700-900). (updated Feb 2020)
  • 🌍 Altun Ha. The most famous artifact discovered at Altun Ha was the "Crown Jewel of Belize", the jade head of the Maya sun god Kinich Ahau. One of the country's greatest national treasures, the jade head appears on nearly all banknotes in Belize. (updated Jul 2019)
  • 🌍 Caracol. At first a client state of Tikal, Caracol surged in prominence from the early 7th century. During its golden age, Caracol supported a population more than twice that of Belize City, the largest city in modern Belize, and covered a much wider area. (updated Jul 2019)
  • 🌍 Lamanai. Famous for a trio of temples: the Jaguar Temple, Mask Temple and High Temple. All of them have been fairly well preserved though face the ongoing battle of being covered by the dense jungle growth. (updated Jul 2019)
  • 🌍 Lubaantun. Emerged during the late Classic Period. What distinguishes Lubaantun from other sites is its unusual architecture, with black slate being the primary material used instead of limestone, and its large collection of small ceramic figurines. (updated Jul 2019)
  • 🌍 Xunantunich. The best known structure at the site is "El Castillo", Belize's second tallest pyramid. Xunantunich thrived for about a century longer than nearby sites. (updated Jul 2019)

Guatemala

Tikal Temple I, also known as Temple of the Great Jaguar.
  • 🌍 Aguateca. Likened to Pompeii because of the remarkable preservation of how everyday people lived in Maya times. (updated Jul 2019)
  • 🌍 Cancuén. Site of the largest palace in the Maya world, a 3-story structure encompassing 23,000 square feet with 170 rooms and 11 courtyards. Abandoned around 800 AD. (updated Jul 2023)
  • 🌍 El Mirador. A large preclassic Maya site which was abandoned by the end of the 9th century and never to be inhabited again. Buried deep in the jungle, the remoteness of El Mirador has prevented it from becoming a popular tourist site. (updated Jul 2019)
  • 🌍 Iximche (Tecpan Guatemala). The Postclassic capital of the highland Kaqchikel Maya, and focus of the first short-lived Spanish colonial settlement. (updated Jul 2019)
  • 🌍 Mixco Viejo (Jilotepeque Viejo). The postclassic capital of the highland Chajoma (or eastern Kaqchikel) Maya, which for many years was confused with the capital of the Pocomam Maya. Well restored. (updated Jul 2019)
  • 🌍 Nakbé. A major Middle Preclassic site that was important throughout the Maya sphere because of its extensive limestone quarries, a key material used to build many of the grand temples. (updated Jul 2019)
  • 🌍 Piedras Negras. Compared to other sites, Piedras Negras is known for its sculptural wealth. (updated Jul 2019)
  • 🌍 Qʼumarkaj. The most well known late postclassic Maya city that was based in the highlands. Qʼumarkaj was a thriving city until the Spanish conquest. Many structures in the site remain but archaeologists have not done much restoration work on some of the ruins. The core of the city contains a central plaza, many temples, palaces that have been reduced to rubble, and a Mesoamerican ballgame court. (updated Jul 2019)
  • 🌍 Quirigua. A small Classic period site that became embroiled in the greater political maneuverings of its time and dramatically rebelled against Copan (Honduras), its overlord. The site has an impressive body of sculpted stelae in a similar style to Copan. (updated Jul 2019)
  • 🌍 Takalik Abaj (Kooja). An important Preclassic and Classic Maya city that had important links with the Olmecs and Teotihuacan, and a large amount of interesting sculpture on display. (updated Jul 2019)
  • 🌍 Tikal (Yax Mutal). The preeminent Maya city of the Classic Periods and lowlands. Tikal was a political and cultural superpower in its time, extending its influence far beyond. (updated Jul 2019)
  • 🌍 Zaculeu (Saqulew). The Classic and Postclassic capital of the Mam Maya, which fell to the Spanish after a bloody siege in 1525. (updated Jul 2019)

Honduras

  • 🌍 Copán Ruinas. Was the capital city of a kingdom during the Classical Period for four centuries. On the Mesoamerican southeastern frontier, the city was almost completely surrounded by non-Maya people. Famous for its elaborate stelae. (updated Jul 2019)
  • 🌍 El Puente. (updated Jul 2019)

El Salvador

  • 🌍 Cihuatán. Large city-state in Central El Salvador, locally important during the late Classic period. (updated Sep 2024)
  • 🌍 San Andrés (Campana San Andrés). On the southernmost fringes of the Maya cultural sphere, San Andrés was the capital of a locally important regional capital during the Classic period. (updated Jul 2019)
  • 🌍 Tazumal. On the southernmost fringes of the Maya cultural sphere, Tazumal was a major city from the preclassic all the way to the late postclassic period. It contains some of the oldest metal artifacts in Mesoamerica. (updated Jul 2019)
  • 🌍 Joya de Ceren, Western El Salvador. Excavated ruins of a Maya village that was buried by a volcanic eruption in 600 AD. The site is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. (updated Aug 2024)

Eat

The staples of the Maya diet were maize (corn), squash, beans and chili peppers. Corn was always nixtamilized (soaked in limewater or lye), which added vitamins to the corn and made it a complete protein. Many types of meals were made from corn, including tortillas, tamales and gruels of varying consistencies. Cassava was also a widely grown crop, the energy and nutrient-rich tuber vegetable playing its part in sustaining a dense population for its time.

Meats were mostly obtained by hunting though dogs and turkeys may have been domesticated. The most common source of game was white-tailed deer. In the coastal areas, and in the larger inland cities where transportation networks were well developed, seafood was part of the Maya diet.

The Maya were the first people to cultivate the cacao plant and drink an ancient form of chocolate. Avocados were a commonly eaten fruit and used in a variety of dishes.

Beekeeping was (and still is) widely practiced by the Maya. The Mayan practice dates to about 300 BC. American bee species are smaller than European honey bees and have no stingers. The Maya preferred a species known today as Melipona beecheii, which is a smaller bee that lives in hollowed logs. The honey is said to be sweeter than the honey of European bees and it has a distinctive citric flavor. The Maya used the honey as a sweetener and also fermented it to make a mead that they called balche. Today, they still make mead from the honey of native stingless bees. Look for bottles of Xtabentún (which is flavored with anise).

Itineraries

See also

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