The Magical Mayans

This blog is not about colonization. It is not about how the early Europeans came to the Americas and conquered civilizations. It is not about the concept of “God, gold and glory” or the need for more wealth, gold, or trade routes. It is not about the early European’s desire to spread Christianity.

What I would like this blog to be about is the especially important contributions of the ancient Mayan civilization and how much further ahead we may be as a society had we not burnt their books, dismantled their temples, and destroyed their people. Sounds like the results of all historical conquests, right?

But I don’t know enough about the Mayan culture or colonization to write any type of essay with accuracy. I don’t have the inclination to do the research. But I will share a few thoughts and photos, taken during visits to a few of the Mayan ruins in the Mexican state of Yucatán. (A special thank you to our driver/tour guide, and our new friend Nestor for sharing his great respect and knowledge of his Mayan heritage with us. Check him out! Nestor Duran)

Yucatán is the capital of the Mayan culture. There are about 200 ruin sites open to the public and countless others that are not. The state capital, Merida, embraces its Mayan heritage, and cultural performances, museums, restaurants, and shops are devoted to keeping that heritage alive—not to mention bringing in tourists from all over the world!

The ancient Maya are a fascinating people. They made major achievements in astronomy and mathematics, including a positional numeral system with a concept of zero. This system allowed complex calculations used in astronomy, architecture, and trade.

Their hieroglyphic writing system consisted of logograms and syllabic symbols. They inscribed information on many surfaces, including stone, pottery, and bark paper. In fact, writing on bark paper made it possible to transport and save their knowledge.

I am in awe of the Mayan calendar system. Remember when the world was supposed to end in 2012? I remember people saying that date was based on the Mayan calendar, but what we did not realize was that the calendar didn’t end; it just changed. No end of the world there, folks! The Mayans had four calendars. One was a 260-day record used for religious ceremonies and divination. (260 days = 9 months!) Another was a 365-day calendar used for agricultural and civil purposes. The third was a Long Count calendar, which recorded historical events over extended periods of time. These three calendars combined to form the Round Calendar. Dates were determined by their position on the calendars. There were 18,980 different combinations used to identify the day in a 52-year cycle.

The Mayans were skilled astronomers who calculated the cycles of the sun, moon, and planets. This knowledge, plus their advanced mathematical abilities, led to very precise construction in their monumental architecture. These skills helped with urban planning. They constructed city-states, each functioning as an independent centre and characterized by massive architecture. You can see remnants of those temples, pyramids, palaces, ball courts, and plazas in the ruins of Yucatán. They also built sophisticated drainage systems to manage water flow and avoid flooding.

It is fascinating to see how the windows and doorways of many structures were built to align with events such as solstices and equinoxes. For example, during some celestial events, sunlight or moonlight would shine through a window, highlighting a particular area of a temple. How precise is that?

The Maya also developed advanced agricultural practices such as terracing, raised fields, and irrigation systems and established ways to use the area’s natural resources. They were responsible for trade networks connecting different regions of Mesoamerica. This not only paved the way for the trade of goods such as cacao, precious stones, and agricultural products; it also allowed for the spread of ideas, technology, and art.

I could spend hours visualizing what once was. Who lived here? Who walked this path? What were their thoughts? And it’s not just here, in this land rich in Mayan history. It’s everywhere. I wonder about my Viking roots and those who died in battle. I wonder about the Indigenous people who came before us on Treaty 6 land where I live. What happened where my house now stands? Sometimes, if you listen closely, you can hear their sighs, or the beat of the drum.

The Mayans were, and continue to be, a fascinating culture. There are many online sites full of information, but the best way to learn more about this culture is to visit it. Maybe I will see you during a celestial event in Merida! Seriously, it is a wonderful place to explore.

Note: While writing this blog, a fascinating historical discovery was made in my home province, Saskatchewan, Canada, close to the city of Prince Albert and on the Sturgeon Lake First Nation.  It may have looked like “just” a piece of charcoal, but radiocarbon dating tests suggest a sample found along the North Saskatchewan River dates back about 10,700 years. It indicates a permanent settlement. The date also puts this spot up there with other ancient sites such as the Great Pyramids of Egypt, Stonehenge in England, and Göbekli Tepe in Turkey. Imagine that! Mayan records don’t come into play until around 2600 BC, although there were other civilizations before them.

Interesting Reads & Things

Carbon dating puts Sask. Indigenous archaeological site at almost 11,000 years old | CBC News

Click to access HIST101-1.2-OriginsofCiv-FINAL1.pdf

https://www.britannica.com/topic/Maya-people

https://www.locogringo.com/things-to-do/maya-ruins