The Maya Civilization

Quick Facts

• The Maya elongated their children’s skulls to be like Kukulkan
• Kukulkan is a well known Mayan God
• King Pacal was a Mayan leader who was found with a death mask made out of jade
• The Aztec calendar was based off the Mayan calendar

Taking it Further

Learning isn’t limited. Not everything about the Maya is mentioned here. So challenge yourself. Check out some more katuns about the Maya, and read some of the links I listed in my sources. Read the quick facts and maybe even take notes on them. Ask yourself a question or two, like I did in the section above, and see if you can find an answer. You can even start to learn about another civilization like the Aztecs or Incas. Or you can try one of the projects I talk about below:

• A. Write a 1-2 paragraph essay summarizing the important points in this essay
• B. Imagine you are a part of the Mayan civilization in need of more people to join your city. Create an poster, list, paper or card board pyramid, or anything else you can think of to advertise the achievements and other reasons you should become a part of the civilization.
• C. As mentioned previously, some theories have been made that the Maya Civilization was made with the help of shipwrecked Egyptians. Research more about this. Defend or dispute this statement.
• D. Design a collage, showing some of the achievements of the Maya

• E. Learn ten new facts about the Maya not listed in this article and take notes on them. From what you know between those facts and from what you learned in this article, create apowerpoint, write an article, or make some other presentation, to educate others about the Maya as well.

If you actually do any of these, email them to me (or depending on the project, take a picture of it and email me that) you’ll make me really happy . And, I’ll maybe put it in my blog.

If you have further questions, if you are unable to find an answer through further research or are just too lazy to research it, leave a comment.

For further information about the Maya, you can also check out my blog or google group:

http://americatheancient.blogspot.com/

http://groups.google.com/group/ancient-america

And if you like this article and care about my hopes and dreams, you’ll join my google group

Definitions

When researching about the Maya you may encounter some of the following terms:

Mesoamerica-The term used to describe the areas between part of Central America (El Salvador) and central Mexico.

Ajaw-A term referring to a leader of a Mayan city.

Popul Vuh-Sometimes referred to as the Mayan bible, it is a book written in Classical Quiché in the 1500’s that depicts the mythological stories of the Maya. It is believed to be based on past Mayan codicies.

King Pacal-A Mayan leader of Palenque, who took the throne at age 12 and succeeded his mother, Sak K’uk’.

Kukulkan-A word meaning feathered serpent, that refers to a God revered by many Mesoamerican cultures.

Quetzalcoatl-Another Mesoamerican God who was revered as the sky and creator God. He was more prominently known in the Aztec culture.

Codex (plural codicies)-originating in the first century, the codex is a book composed of folded sheets sewn along one edge, distinct from other writing vehicles such as the roll or tablet. The codex was initially a low-grade form manufactured of papyrus.

Toltecs-An ancient civilization of Mesoamerica that flourished between the 900 and 1200 A.D. and eventually joined with the Maya

Olmecs-ANOTHER ancient civilization that although began around 1300 B.C. may have preceeded the Maya. Some believe the Maya began in 3000 B.C. and others believe they began as late as 900 B.C.

Sources and Great Links

Wikipedia entry on Mayan Civilization

History Channel’s Decoding the Past: Mayan Doomsday Prophecies

The Mayan Prophecies, by Adrian G Gilbert and Maurice Cotterel

All About the Maya

The Maya Astronomy page

Mayan Katuns

Maya Numbers

Future Research and Ways of Contact

In future research, and maybe even after simply reading this, you will likely have many questions. Many of my own questions, took hours of research, and conclusions of my own to answer. If you have a question about any Civilization of Ancient America, and would like some help researching the answer, I would be happy to assist you. You can contact me in any of the following ways:

Leaving a comment on this article

Joining the Google group and making a forum post: http://americatheancient.blogspot.com/

Leaving a comment on my blog: http://americatheancient.blogspot.com/

Thanks for reading, and feel free to leave a comment or ask a question. I’d love to hear them.

Update:I have made some changes to this article, including rewording, adding some information, clarifying some things, and adding a source.

Also, I am very sorry about the delay I’ve had with the promised Mayan doomsday article, but between some conflicts from new research I’ve found, and getting a new computer, it has been delayed. I am no longer promising a doomsday article, as I don’t feel as though I’ve fully researched it enough to write a complete article about it, and I believe everyone who reads what I write should be entitled to completely 100% accurate information. Although I’m not giving a definative yes, I may evidently write an article about the Mayan doomsday.