Communicate Co.

Summary 11

Foreword 19

I: The Natural Environment 21

Geographic Location 23

The location of some archaeological sites 24

Topography 27

Climate and Rainfall 28

Hydrography: rivers, lakes and cenotes (sinkholes) 29

Terrain 30

Biodiversity 30

Animals, vegetation y ecosystems 30

Plant Species 31

Land Mammals & Birds 32

Land Invertebrate Species 33

Aquatic Species 33

 

II: Historical Roots 35

Who are the Maya? 37

Map of Mesoamerica and the Maya Zone 38

How Archaeologists have divided the eras 38

Table of Time Periods 39

The difference between the Maya, Aztecs,

Toltecs and Teotihuacans. 40

Characteristics shared by the cultures of

Mesoamerica 40

Principal characteristics of the Aztec,

Toltec and Teotihuacan cultures. 41

The Mexicas or Aztecs 41

The Toltecs 42

The Teotihuacans 42

III: Society, Religion and Science 43

Clothing and Physical Characteristics 45

Family, Education and Housing 46

Agriculture 47

Table of seasonal agriculture 48

Food and Drink 49

Commerce 49

Leading commercial products 50

System of Government 50

Forms of Government 50

Classic Period (250 – 909 AD) 50

Late Classic Period (800 – 1000 AD)

and the Early Post-Classic Period (909 – 1451 AD) 51

Regional States during the Late Classic,

according to Adams 51

Mathematics 53

Other representations of Maya numbers 54

Comparison of the numbers used by different

civilisations and the Maya 57

Astronomy 57

Instruments used to chart the movement of stars

and other heavenly bodies in the night skies 58

The Sun’s movements in the heavens 59

Some Maya Calendars 60

Glyphs for different  days 62

Glyphs formonths in the Haab Solar Calendar 65

Ways of combining the different Maya calendars 67

Interpretation of a Date in the Maya Calendar

known as the Long Count 68

The importance of Venus 69

Venus 69

Language, Literature and Writing 70

Some Maya inscriptions 71

Madrid Codex (Tro-Cortesian) 72

Dresden Codex 73

Grolier Codex 74

Paris Codex 75

Deciphered Maya syllables 76

The Pyramids, their construction,

their interior and their purpose 93

Comparison of the Maya and Egyptian Pyramids 95

The concept of Maya Religion 97

Religious hierarchy 99

Ceremonies 99

Gods with animal characteristics 100

Gods with animal characteristics 100

The creation of man 100

Ball Game 101

Human Sacrifice 104

The Afterlife 105

The return of Quetzalcóatl,

the arrival of the Spaniards,

European epidemics and the indigenous decline. 106

The return of Quetzalcóatl,

the arrival of the Spaniards,

European epidemics and the indigenous decline. 107

Maya contributions to the world 108

IV: Archaeological Sites 109

Cancun, Archaeological Museum of Cancun 111

Tour 111

Chichen Itza 112

Map of Chichen Itza 113

Tour 114

Grupo de la Casa Colorada /Red House Group 114

Casa de las Monjas /The Nunnery 114

Glyph of La Casa Colorada/ The Red House 115

La Iglesia/The Church 115

Anexo de las Monjas/Annexe to the Nunnery 116

Akab Dzib 116

Templo de los Tableros Esculpidos /

Temple of the Carved Panels 116

Observatorio Astronómico or El Caracol /

Astronomical Observatory or the Snail 116

Grupo del Osario / Ossuary Group 117

Glyph of the Ossuary Group 117

Grupo de las 1000 Columnas /

The 1000 Columns Group 118

Templo de los Guerreros/Temple of the Warriors 118

Templo de las Mesas/Temple of the Tables 118

Plataforma de Venus A-/Venus Platform A 118

Cenote Sagrado/Sacred Sinkhole 119

Plataforma de las Águilas y los Jaguares /

Platform of Eagles and Jaguars 119

Tzompantli 119

Tzompantli 120

El Juego de Pelota A/Ball Court A 120

El Castillo/The Castle 121

Coba 122

Tour 122

La Iglesia/The Church 122

Juego de Pelota A/ Ball Court A 123

El Templo de los Frescos/The Temple of Frescoes 123

Map of Coba 124

Juego de Pelota B /Ball Game Court B 125

Xaybé 125

Stela 20, 30 November 780 AD 126

Estela 20/Stela 20 127

Nohoch Mul 127

Nohoch Mul 127

Ek Balam 128

Tour 128

Plaza Norte /North Plaza 128

Map of Ek Balam 129

Las Murallas /The Walls 129

Estructura 18 /Structure 18 130

Sacbe 2 130

Estructura 2 /Structure 2 130

Estructura 1 o la Torre /Structure 1 or The Tower 130

Estructura 3 o el Palacio de las Monjas /

Structure 3 or The Nuns Palace 131

Estructuras 11 y 12 /Structure 11 and 12 131

Estructura 17 o los Templos Gemelos /

Structure 17 or The Twin Temples 131

Estructura 16 o el Palacio Oval /

Structure 16 or The Oval Palace 131

Estelas y Estructura 15 /Stelae and Structure 15 131

Juego de Pelota /Ball Court 131

El Meco 132

Tour 132

Plaza A 132

Map of El Meco 133

Estructura 1 o El Castillo/Structure 1 or The Castle 133

Estructura 8/Structure 8 133

Adoratorio/Shrine 134

Plaza B 134

Plaza C 134

El Rey - The King 135

Tour 135

Estructuras I y V /Structures I and V 135

Estructura II /Structure II 135

Map of El Rey 136

Grupo Estructura 3 / Group III 137

Estructuras I, IV y VII /Structures I, IV y VII 137

Muyil 138

Tour 138

Muyil A 139

Sacbe 3 139

Estructura 8I-13 o El Castillo /

Structure 8I-13 or The Castle 139

Sacbe 1 139

Muyil B 139

Estructura 9K-1 o Palacio Rosa o Templo 8 /

Structure 9K-1, Pink Palace, Temple 8 140

Map of Muyil 140

Tulum 141

Tour 141

Torre Norte/North Tower 141

Map of Tulum 142

Casa/House 142

El Templo del Dios del Viento/

Temple of the God of Wind 143

Templo del Dios Descendente /

Temple of the Descending God (Ah Muken Kab) 143

El Castillo/The Castle 143

Templo 9 o Serie Inicial/

Temple 9 or the Initial Series 143

Descending God (Ah Muken Kab) 144

Templo de los Frescos/Temple of Frescoes 144

Calle/Road 145

Casa con Chultún/House with Chultun 145

Casa con tumba/House with tomb 145

Mural of the Temple of Paintings 146

Uxmal 147

Tour 148

Pirámide del Adivino/Pyramid of the Fortune Teller 148

Cuadrángulo de las Monjas/Quadrangle of the Nuns 148

Juego de Pelota/Ball Court 148

Map of Uxmal 149

Casa de las Tortugas/House of Turtles 149

Palacio del Gobernador/Palace of the Governor 150

La Gran Pirámide/The Great Pyramid 150

Grupo el Palomar/The Dovecote Group 150

Xel  Há 151

Tour 151

Structure of the Pillars, the Sacbe,

Jaguar Group and the Sinkhole (cenote) 151

Estructura 13-B o El Palacio /

Structure 13-B or The Palace 151

Estructura o Casa de los Pájaros/

Structure or House of the Birds 151

Map of Xel Ha 152

Valladolid 153

Tour 153

V: The current situation 154

The relationship between the Maya,

other Mexicans and tourists. 156

The situation of the Maya

(and other indigenous people) in society and

the actions of the government of Mexico

(wages, cost of living) 156

The economy of the Yucatan Peninsula 159

The Importance of Maya culture in contemporary

Mexican society and common Maya traditions. 160

Epilogue 161

Magazines: 163

Books: 163