Maya 2

The Maya: Overview

Geographical Features

  • Southern Highlands:

    • East-west band of peaks and valleys.
    • Elevation: 300 - 800 m above sea level.
    • Climate: Mean average temperature 15-25 °C, Rainfall 2,000 - 3,000 mm.

  • Lowlands:

    • Divided into Southern/Central/Eastern lowlands and Northern lowlands (Yucatán).
    • Composition: Karstic limestone plains.
    • Climate: Mean average temperature 25-35 °C, Rainfall varies (510 - 3,050 mm).
    • Vegetation:
    • Northern lowlands: Scrub vegetation.
    • Southern lowlands: Dense broadleaf tropical rainforest.

Chronology of the Maya Civilization

  • Late Archaic Period: ca. 12,000 BCE – 1,200 BCE.
  • Preclassic (Formative Period): ca. 1000 BCE – 250 CE.
  • Classic Period: ca. 250 – 900 CE.
  • Early Postclassic: ca. 900 – 1200 CE.
  • Late Postclassic: ca. 1200 – 1521 CE.
  • Spanish Colonial Period: ca. 1525 CE – ~ 1700 CE.

Subsistence and Agriculture

  • Diet primarily based on the American triumvirate: maize, beans, and squash.
  • Supplemented by fruits, vegetables, meat, and fish.
  • Agricultural practices:
    • Use of canals, raised fields, wetland farming, terraces, milpas, managed forests, household gardens.
    • Evidence gathered through aerial photos, traditional surveys, and LiDAR surveys.

Preclassic Maya Environment

  • Maize Domestication: Evidence dates back to 3000 BCE.
  • Earliest Known Villages: Coincide with early Olmec civilization.
  • Ceremonial Architecture:
    • Example: Ceibal in Guatemala.
    • Large platforms are early indicators of communal planning.

E-Groups and Astronomy

  • Architecture E-Groups: Structures align with celestial events.

Key Archaeological Sites

  • Nakbe, Guatemala:

    • Ruling chiefs, not kings, by 800-600 BCE.
    • Earliest constructions include platforms and masonry pyramids.

  • El Mirador, Guatemala:

    • Dominant site by 350 BCE, featuring the largest Maya pyramids (Danta Group).
    • Significant architectural features include triadic groups and extensive road networks (sacbes).

Artistic and Cultural Evidence

  • San Bartolo Murals (400 – 200 BCE):

    • Depict mythical ruler origins and coronation rituals.

  • Cerros, Belize:

    • Evolved from modest fishing community to ceremonial center, then reverted.

Preclassic Collapse

  • Decline: By 150 CE, cities like El Mirador face depopulation, possibly due to multi-causal factors such as warfare, environmental degradation, and agricultural limitations.

Classic Maya Context (250-900 CE)

  • Flourishing cities with royal courts and established hierarchies.
  • Significant artistic, architectural, and socioeconomic advancements.

Maya Cosmology

  • Three Realms: Underworld, Middle World, Upper World.
  • Connection among worlds via the Sacred World Tree (Wacah Chan).

Kingship and Divine Rule

  • Classic Maya rulers as divine shamans, exemplifying links to the otherworld through blood-letting rituals for divine communication.

Calendar Systems

  • Maya Calendar: Comprises a 260-day ritual cycle and 365-day solar year, forming a 52-year Calendar Round.
    • Long Count: Integrated to track dates over time, with a mythical start on August 11, 3114 BCE.

Maya Number System

  • Base-20 (vigesimal) system including a zero. Symbols: dot = 1, bar = 5, shell = 0.

Maya Society and City-States

  • Structure: Hierarchical, with sharp divides between elites and commoners.
  • Role of kings as mediators between earthly and divine realms.

Urban Centers

  • Cities as sacred landscapes, featuring civic-ceremonial cores and suburban outskirts for agriculture and craftsmanship.

The Ballgame

  • Played in dedicated ball courts; significant as ritual drama rather than mere competition.

Political Landscape

  • Infighting among city-states (Tikal, Calakmul, Palenque, Copan), driven by trade control.
    • A cycle of alliances, conflicts, and temporary victories.

Tikal's Historical Dynamics

  • Renowned Classic city with complex political history tied to external influences from Teotihuacan.
  • Notable conflicts and alliances defined the regional power dynamics.

The Classic Maya Collapse

  • Collapse characterized by widespread societal and political upheaval from 800-830 CE, culminating in major population relocations toward northern regions, leading to the emergence of new city-states in the Yucatán.