We explain everything about Mayan culture and the periods of its history. In addition, its characteristics, political organization and more.
The Mayans were the Mesoamerican civilization that lasted the longest.
The Mayan culture was one of the most important Mesoamerican civilizations. He inhabited the Yucatán Peninsula since 2000 BC. C. until the conquest of the Spanish, in 1527 AD. c.
The Mayan peoples developed multiple independent states, organized around urban centers with imposing buildings, pyramidal temples, astronomical observatories and great palaces. They were fearsome warriors who influenced the cultures of the entire Mesoamerican region.
They deepened knowledge about the stars and created a complex writing systemits own numerical system and new cultivation techniques to improve food production.
Characteristics of the Mayans
- They inhabited the Yucatan Peninsula from 2000 BC until the Spanish conquest in 1527 AD.
- They were organized in independent city-stateswith its own authorities in each one.
- The government was theocratic: political and religious power were united.
- They took prisoners of war as slaves, who were forced to work in the construction of public buildings and temples.
- They were good warriors and they confronted neighboring towns for control of territories or political supremacy.
- The most important Mayan temples were made of stone with stepped pyramid shapewith walls painted in bright colors.
- The Mayan culture is recognized for its development in agricultural technology and engineeringwhich were used for food production in areas with diverse climates.
Geographic location of the Mayans
The Mayans inhabited the Yucatan Peninsula.
Throughout their history, the Mayans occupied a vast territory, which included three regions differentiated by their geographical characteristics:
- The highlands. In the current countries of Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador, it was a mountainous area with great volcanic activity.
- The Petén Lowlands. In Guatemala, Belize and the south of the Yucatan Peninsula, it was an area of forests and jungles.
- The northern lowlandsTo the north of the Yucatan Peninsula, it was a territory of forests, mountains and a plain with few rivers.
History of Mayan culture
Ceibal was one of the oldest Mayan cities, inhabited between 400 BC and 200 AD.
The history of the Mayan civilization spans more than 3,500 years and is divided into the following periods:
- Preclassical (2000 BC-250 AD)During this period, the Maya developed their agricultural culture and adopted sedentary lifestyles. Around 320 AD and during the last part of this period (called Late Preclassic) the first urban centers appeared.
- Classical (250-900 AD)This period encompasses the development of the so-called “Old Empire,” with the rise of important cities such as Tikal, Palenque, Bonampak and Copán. Towards the end of the 9th century AD, the Mayan settlers abandoned the cities and migrated to the north of the Yucatán Peninsula. Specialists believe that the causes of these migrations were linked to the exhaustion of soil fertility, political problems between the cities and invasions by other Mesoamerican peoples.
- Postclassical (950-1527 AD). In these centuries the development of the “New Empire” took place, marked by the alliance of the cities of Chichén Itzá, Mayapán and Uxmal. During the 15th century AD. C., disputes between these urban centers led to the dissolution of their political unity. Finally, during the first half of the 16th century, the Spanish conquered the territory.
The Spanish conquest
Martín de Urzúa took the last independent Mayan city, Nojpetén from the Itzá kingdom.
Between 1511 and 1521, the Mayans resisted the conquest attempts of the Spanish. After the fall of Tenochtitlán, various armies were sent to the Yucatán Peninsula.. The Spanish took advantage of the disputes and enmities between the Mayan cities, and were able to complete the conquest of the north of the peninsula around 1546.
However, some Mayan cities in the Petén lowlands remained independent. It was only in 1697 that the last of the Mayan cities, Nojpetén, of the Itzá kingdom, fell into the hands of Martín de Urzúa.
Political organization of the Mayans
The Mayans They organized a political system of city-statesEach city was independent, controlled a portion of surrounding territory and had its own political and religious authorities. There were strong commercial and cultural ties between the Mayan cities.
In Mayan culture, The governments were theocratic: political and religious power were united. Each city was led by a supreme leader called halach huinicwho in addition to having civil and military powers, fulfilled important religious functions. It was believed that the halach huinic He was a mediator between gods and men. This ruler was advised by a high priest (highest religious authority) and a council made up of nobles and clerics.
Social organization of the Mayans
The king, the priest and the warrior represented the Mayan ruling class.
Mayan society was divided into groups differentiated by their origin, their activities and their importance within the community:
- The royalty. It included priests, government officials, large merchants and military leaders. They were the ones who controlled the government, religion and the army.
- Peasants and artisansThey were responsible for the production of all the goods needed for the survival of the community. In addition to producing food and crafts, they built temples and public buildings and provided military service when necessary.
- The slavesThey were prisoners of war who were forced to work on the construction of public buildings and temples, as well as carrying loads for merchants.
Economic organization
Mayan culture is recognized for its development in agricultural technology and engineering, which applied to food production in territories with diverse climates. To cultivate in jungle territories they used the cornfield method: they cut down the trees and undergrowth in the area to be cultivated, and then burned the remains to clean the land and at the same time fertilize it with the ashes.
Instead, In the highlands they used a terrace cultivation system: They built steps on the slopes of the mountains, several meters deep and hundreds of meters wide, supported with stones that allowed them to keep the land fertile.
The Mayans They grew corn, pumpkins, beans, cassava, sweet potatoes, chili peppers, tomatoes and cocoa.They also gathered wild fruits such as guava, avocado and papaya, and hunted deer, monkeys and birds. Because of its fiber, they used the maguey plant to make ropes and bags.
Military culture
Warriors were part of the nobility of Mayan society.
The Mayans were assiduous warriors and They had numerous political-military conflicts throughout their history. The Mayan kingdoms competed with each other for various reasons: control of territories and trade routes, or for political supremacy. It is not known with certainty what the internal military organization of their armies was like. However, specialists affirm that high military positions were in the hands of the nobility and that, in many cases, peasants were called to take up arms as soldiers when necessary.
His favorite weapons were the blowguns, obsidian swords and, above all, the atlatla long spear. War scenes abound in Mayan art, especially in the Classic period, as well as in some inscriptions. Stories are recounted and, in some cases, the sacrifice of the overthrown ruler.
Cultural features of Mayan culture
Mayan architecture
Temples occupied a fundamental place in the design of Mayan cities.
Each Mayan city was distinguished by the style of its architecture since It depended on the materials availablethe specific topography and the tastes of the elite.
All cities built government palaces and different types of religious buildings. The most important temples were made of stone in the shape of a stepped pyramid, with exterior and interior walls painted in bright colors.
In addition, some cities built astronomical observatories. In these observatories, they studied the passage of the stars and recorded time. The observatory in the city of Chichén Itzá is known for its beauty and the detail of its architecture. The openings of the building are aligned with the sun at the spring and autumn equinoxes.
Many Mayan cities had ball game courts.. It was a sacred game, which involved passing a rubber ball through a stone hoop placed high on the wall. Although the dynamics of the game are not known in detail, specialists believe that the players could only touch the ball with their backs, knees, elbows or hips.
Mayan writing
It is believed that the Mayans inherited some elements of ancient Olmec writing.
The Mayans They developed a logosyllabic writing system. Through glyphs they symbolized ideas, words and syllables. Writing was used mainly by priests, who wrote in codices made with strips of paper obtained from the bark of trees. In addition, it was written on the walls of temples and some public buildings, on stone steles and on vessels to denote the content or accompany their decoration.
The Mayans too They created a vigesimal numbering system (based on 20 digits) that combined three signs and included the notion of zero (which, in Europe, was introduced by the Arabs only 900 years later).
Mayan languages
Most of the Mayan texts found from the classical period are in classical Choltí.
Archaeologists and linguists have discovered that in the Mayan culture there was not a single language spoken. It is believed that During the history of this civilization, there were more than thirty different languages.derived from proto-mayan (the original ancestral language, which linguists assume was spoken at the beginning of the pre-classical period).
Most of the texts and inscriptions from the classical period are written in Classic Cholti. However, specialists consider that it was a liturgical language used by the nobility and priests, and that the rest of the population spoke other languages.
Mayan religion
Some religious ceremonies included human sacrifices to appease the wrath of the gods.
The worldview of the Mayans is recorded in the Popol Vuh, their sacred book. It describes how the gods created and destroyed the universe several times until, in the last creation, they made the “corn man” and gave him wisdom.
Mayan religious practices were based on eternally thanking the gods for their existence, through offerings and ceremonies to avoid their wrath. The offerings could…