Maya civilization
Layman terms books, tours and conferences on the Maya civilization. Understanding the difference between legends, gossip and the most approximate history according to many respectable experts on Maya civilization in SIMPLE WORDS for all kinds of people.

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      For: Maya Compendia: English, Español, Français, Italiano & Deutsch.
      For Maya-Mexico: English, Español, Italiano.

     Articles of Maya Compendia: How to build a pyramid, After life, Virgins & cenotes, Maya writing, Farming.
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     Maya Compendia, English version

Summary

 

 


Summary ...................................................................................................................................................................9
Foreword ................................................................................................................................................17
I: The Natural Environment .................................................................................................................19
Geographic Location ................................................................................................................................21
The location of some archaeological sites ..................................................................................................22
Topography .............................................................................................................................................25
Climate and Rainfall ..................................................................................................................................26
Hydrography: rivers, lakes and cenotes (sinkholes).................................................................................... 27
Terrain .....................................................................................................................................................28
Biodiversity ..............................................................................................................................................28
Animals, vegetation y ecosystems ..............................................................................................................28
Plant Species ...........................................................................................................................................29
Land Mammals & Birds ...........................................................................................................................30
Land Invertebrate Species ........................................................................................................................31
Aquatic Species ........................................................................................................................................31
II: Historical Roots ................................................................................................................................33
Who are the Maya? ..................................................................................................................................35
Map of Mesoamerica and the Maya Zone ..................................................................................................36
How Archaeologists have divided the eras ..................................................................................................36
Table of Time Periods ................................................................................................................................37
The difference between the Maya, Aztecs, Toltecs and Teotihuacans........................................................... 38
Characteristics shared by the cultures of Mesoamerica ................................................................................38
Principal characteristics of the Aztec, Toltec and Teotihuacan cultures.......................................................... 39
The Mexicas or Aztecs ...............................................................................................................................39
The Toltecs.................................................................................................................................................40
The Teotihuacans....................................................................................................................................... 40
III: Society, Religion and Science.......................................................................................................... 41
Clothing and Physical Characteristics.......................................................................................................... 43
Family, Education and Housing................................................................................................................... 44
Agriculture................................................................................................................................................. 45
Table of seasonal agriculture....................................................................................................................... 46
Food and Drink.......................................................................................................................................... 47
Commerce................................................................................................................................................. 47
Leading commercial products..................................................................................................................... 48
System of Government............................................................................................................................... 48
Forms of Government................................................................................................................................ 48
Classic Period (250 – 909 AD).................................................................................................................. 48
Late Classic Period (800 – 1000 AD) and the Early Post-Classic Period (909 – 1451 AD)......................... 49
Regional States during the Late Classic, according to Adams........................................................................49
Mathematics............................................................................................................................................... 51
Other representations of Maya numbers...................................................................................................... 52
Comparison of the numbers used by different civilisations and the Maya........................................................55
Astronomy ..................................................................................................................................................55
Instruments used to chart the movement of stars and other heavenly bodies in the night skies..........................56
The Sun’s movements in the heavens........................................................................................................... 57
Some Maya Calendars................................................................................................................................ 58
Glyphs for different days.............................................................................................................................. 60
Glyphs formonths in the Haab Solar Calendar.............................................................................................. 63
Ways of combining the different Maya calendars.......................................................................................... 65
Interpretation of a Date in the Maya Calendar known as the Long Count...................................................... 66
The importance of Venus............................................................................................................................. 67
Venus.......................................................................................................................................................... 67
Language, Literature and Writing.................................................................................................................. 68
Some Maya inscriptions............................................................................................................................... 69
Madrid Codex (Tro-Cortesian).................................................................................................................... 70
Dresden Codex............................................................................................................................................ 71
Grolier Codex.............................................................................................................................................. 72
Paris Codex................................................................................................................................................. 73
Deciphered Maya syllables........................................................................................................................... 74
The Pyramids, their construction, their interior and their purpose..................................................................... 91
Comparison of the Maya and Egyptian Pyramids........................................................................................... 93
The concept of Maya Religion....................................................................................................................... 95
Religious hierarchy........................................................................................................................................ 97
Ceremonies................................................................................................................................................... 97
Gods with animal characteristics..................................................................................................................... 98
Gods with animal characteristics..................................................................................................................... 98
The creation of man........................................................................................................................................ 98
Ball Game...................................................................................................................................................... 99
Human Sacrifice........................................................................................................................................... 102
The Afterlife................................................................................................................................................. 103
The return of Quetzalcóatl, the arrival of the Spaniards, European epidemics and the indigenous decline......... 104
The return of Quetzalcóatl, the arrival of the Spaniards, European epidemics and the indigenous decline......... 105
Maya contributions to the world................................................................................................................... 106
IV: Archaeological Sites........................................................................................................................... 107
Cancun, Archaeological Museum of Cancun................................................................................................. 109
Tour............................................................................................................................................................ 109
Chichen Itza................................................................................................................................................. 110
Map of Chichen Itza.................................................................................................................................... 111
Tour............................................................................................................................................................ 112
Grupo de la Casa Colorada /Red House Group........................................................................................... 112
Casa de las Monjas /The Nunnery................................................................................................................ 112
Glyph of La Casa Colorada/ The Red House................................................................................................ 113
La Iglesia/The Church................................................................................................................................... 113
Anexo de las Monjas/Annexe to the Nunnery................................................................................................ 114
Akab Dzib.................................................................................................................................................... 114
Templo de los Tableros Esculpidos /Temple of the Carved Panels ..................................................................114
Observatorio Astronómico or El Caracol /Astronomical Observatory or the Snail........................................... 114
Grupo del Osario / Ossuary Group................................................................................................................ 115
Glyph of the Ossuary Group.......................................................................................................................... 115
Grupo de las 1000 Columnas /The 1000 Columns Group.............................................................................. 116
Templo de los Guerreros/Temple of the Warriors........................................................................................... 116
Templo de las Mesas/Temple of the Tables.................................................................................................... 116
Plataforma de Venus A-/Venus Platform A..................................................................................................... 116
Cenote Sagrado/Sacred Sinkhole................................................................................................................... 117
Plataforma de las Águilas y los Jaguares / Platform of Eagles and Jaguars........................................................ 117
Tzompantli..................................................................................................................................................... 117
Tzompantli..................................................................................................................................................... 118
El Juego de Pelota A/Ball Court A.................................................................................................................. 118
El Castillo/The Castle..................................................................................................................................... 119
Coba............................................................................................................................................................. 120
Tour............................................................................................................................................................... 120
La Iglesia/The Church..................................................................................................................................... 120
Juego de Pelota A/ Ball Court A..................................................................................................................... 121
El Templo de los Frescos/The Temple of Frescoes.......................................................................................... 121
Map of Coba................................................................................................................................................. 122
Juego de Pelota B /Ball Game Court B........................................................................................................... 123
Xaybé........................................................................................................................................................... 123
Stela 20, 30 November 780 AD.................................................................................................................... 124
Estela 20/Stela 20.......................................................................................................................................... 125
Nohoch Mul.................................................................................................................................................. 125
Nohoch Mul.................................................................................................................................................. 125
Ek Balam....................................................................................................................................................... 126
Tour............................................................................................................................................................... 126
Plaza Norte /North Plaza................................................................................................................................ 126
Map of Ek Balam........................................................................................................................................... 127
Las Murallas /The Walls................................................................................................................................. 127
Estructura 18 /Structure 18............................................................................................................................. 128
Sacbe 2 ..........................................................................................................................................................128
Estructura 2 /Structure 2................................................................................................................................. 128
Estructura 1 o la Torre /Structure 1 or The Tower........................................................................................... 128
Estructura 3 o el Palacio de las Monjas /Structure 3 or The Nuns Palace......................................................... 129
Estructuras 11 y 12 /Structure 11 and 12........................................................................................................ 129
Estructura 17 o los Templos Gemelos /Structure 17 or The Twin Temples....................................................... 129
Estructura 16 o el Palacio Oval /Structure 16 or The Oval Palace.................................................................... 129
Estelas y Estructura 15 /Stelae and Structure 15.............................................................................................. 129
Juego de Pelota /Ball Court............................................................................................................................ 129
El Meco......................................................................................................................................................... 130
Tour............................................................................................................................................................... 130
Plaza A.......................................................................................................................................................... 130
Map of El Meco............................................................................................................................................. 131
Estructura 1 o El Castillo/Structure 1 or The Castle......................................................................................... 131
Estructura 8/Structure 8.................................................................................................................................. 131
Adoratorio/Shrine........................................................................................................................................... 132
Plaza B.......................................................................................................................................................... 132
Plaza C.......................................................................................................................................................... 132
El Rey - The King.......................................................................................................................................... 133
Tour............................................................................................................................................................... 133
Estructuras I y V /Structures I and V............................................................................................................... 133
Estructura II /Structure II................................................................................................................................ 133
Map of El Rey................................................................................................................................................ 134
Grupo Estructura 3 / Group III........................................................................................................................ 135
Estructuras I, IV y VII /Structures I, IV y VII.................................................................................................. 135
Muyil.............................................................................................................................................................. 136
Tour............................................................................................................................................................... 136
Muyil A.......................................................................................................................................................... 137
Sacbe 3.......................................................................................................................................................... 137
Estructura 8I-13 o El Castillo /Structure 8I-13 or The Castle........................................................................... 137
Sacbe 1.......................................................................................................................................................... 137
Muyil B.......................................................................................................................................................... 137
Estructura 9K-1 o Palacio Rosa o Templo 8 /Structure 9K-1, Pink Palace, Temple 8...................................... 138
Map of Muyil................................................................................................................................................. 138
Tulum............................................................................................................................................................. 139
Tour............................................................................................................................................................... 139
Torre Norte/North Tower............................................................................................................................... 139
Map of Tulum................................................................................................................................................. 140
Casa/House.................................................................................................................................................... 140
El Templo del Dios del Viento/Temple of the God of Wind.............................................................................. 141
Templo del Dios Descendente /Temple of the Descending God (Ah Muken Kab)............................................ 141
El Castillo/The Castle..................................................................................................................................... 141
Templo 9 o Serie Inicial/Temple 9 or the Initial Series..................................................................................... 141
Descending God (Ah Muken Kab)................................................................................................................ 142
Templo de los Frescos/Temple of Frescoes.................................................................................................... 142
Calle/Road.................................................................................................................................................... 143
Casa con Chultún/House with Chultun............................................................................................................ 143
Casa con tumba/House with tomb.................................................................................................................. 143
Mural of the Temple of Paintings.................................................................................................................... 143
Uxmal........................................................................................................................................................... 144
Tour............................................................................................................................................................. 145
Pirámide del Adivino/Pyramid of the Fortune Teller....................................................................................... 145
Cuadrángulo de las Monjas/Quadrangle of the Nuns..................................................................................... 145
Juego de Pelota/Ball Court............................................................................................................................ 145
Map of Uxmal............................................................................................................................................... 146
Casa de las Tortugas/House of Turtles............................................................................................................ 146
Palacio del Gobernador/Palace of the Governor.............................................................................................. 147
La Gran Pirámide/The Great Pyramid............................................................................................................. 147
Grupo el Palomar/The Dovecote Group.......................................................................................................... 147
Xel Há.......................................................................................................................................................... 148
Tour............................................................................................................................................................. 148
Structure of the Pillars, the Sacbe, Jaguar Group and the Sinkhole (cenote).................................................... 148
Estructura 13-B o El Palacio /Structure 13-B or The Palace.......................................................................... 148
Estructura o Casa de los Pájaros/Structure or House of the Birds................................................................... 148
Map of Xel Ha.............................................................................................................................................. 149
Valladolid...................................................................................................................................................... 150
Tour.............................................................................................................................................................. 150
V: The current situation............................................................................................................................. 151
The relationship between the Maya, other Mexicans and tourists..................................................................... 153
The situation of the Maya (and other indigenous people) in society and the actions of the government of Mexico (wages, cost of living).................................................................................................................................... 153
The economy of the Yucatan Peninsula.......................................................................................................... 156
The Importance of Maya culture in contemporary Mexican society and common Maya traditions.................... 157
Epilogue........................................................................................................................................................ 158
Magazines...................................................................................................................................................... 160
Books............................................................................................................................................................ 160

 


      The author was born in Poza Rica, Veracruz, Mexico in 1968. He is actually working as a tour guide and lives in Cancún. Among his many and different activities: he owns a website for hotel reservations in Cancun, edits a cultural monthly magazine and his own books.

      ph: +52 (998) 112 1003 (Nextel) CD 62*15*66939 jahg1968@gmail.com  info@cancunideas.com