La CULTURA MAYA: su Historia, Tradiciones, Características, Organización y MÁS🐆🌌

Summary

La civilización maya, que se extendía por el sureste de México y el norte de Centroamérica, fue una de las más avanzadas de Mesoamérica. Durante su apogeo, entre 250 y 900 d.C., contribuyó significativamente a la escritura, matemáticas, arquitectura y arte. Aunque nunca formó un estado unificado, sus ciudades-estado independientes tuvieron un impacto duradero. A pesar de su declive en el periodo Postclásico, la cultura maya persistió en la Península de Yucatán hasta la conquista española.

Takeaways

• 🗺️ La civilización maya se desarrolló en Mesoamérica, ocupando territorios que hoy corresponden al sur de México y el norte de Centroamérica, llegando a Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras y Belice.
• 📚 Su apogeo ocurrió durante el período Clásico, entre 250 y 900 d.C., aunque luego experimentó un largo declive, excepto en las ciudades de la Península de Yucatán.
• 🔢 Los mayas crearon un sistema de escritura completo y contribuyeron significativamente a la arquitectura y el arte, además de inventar sofisticados sistemas astronómicos y matemáticos.
• 🏰 A diferencia de otras culturas mesoamericanas, los mayas no formaron un estado unificado, sino que se organizaron en ciudades-estado con una considerable independencia.
• ✝️ La legitimidad de los reyes mayas provenía de la religión, ya que eran considerados figuras divinas en una sociedad con marcados caracteres de clase.
• 🌱 El origen de la cultura maya se sitúa en el Período Preclasic, que abarcó desde 2000 a.C. hasta 250 d.C., con asentamientos iniciales en Belice alrededor de 2600 a.C.
• 🏛️ Durante el Período Clásico, las ciudades mayas se vieron influenciadas por Teotihuacán y se vivió un tiempo de esplendor cultural con la construcción de ciudades como Tikal, Palenque y Copán.
• 📉 La década del 9 al 10 d.C. marcó el inicio de un nuevo colapso en las ciudades mayas, dejando un campo de interpretaciones sobre sus causas.
• 🏰 En el Período Postclásico, la Península de Yucatán mantuvo la cultura maya con la construcción de ciudades como Chichén Itzá y Mayapán hasta el contacto con los españoles.
• 🌐 La geografía de la civilización maya varió con el tiempo, alcanzando su máxima extensión durante el Período Clásico y abarcando tres áreas ecológicas: la Península de Yucatán, las Tierras Altas de Chiapas y Guatemala, y la zona central del Petén.
• 🔑 Los mayas destacaron en matemáticas y astronomía, creando sistemas de numeración y calendarios que influyeron en la agricultura y la vida cotidiana.

Q & A

¿Cuál fue el periodo de máxima esplendor de la civilización maya?

El periodo de máxima esplendor de la civilización maya fue el Período Clásico, entre 250 y 900 d.C.

¿En qué áreas geográficas se extendió la civilización maya durante su período clásico?

Durante el Período Clásico, la civilización maya controlaba aproximadamente 280,000 kilómetros cuadrados, incluyendo partes de los estados mexicanos de Yucatán, Campeche, Quintana Roo y Chiapas; Petén e Izabal en Guatemala; áreas noroestes de Honduras; y Belice.

¿Qué diferenciaba a la organización política de los mayas de otras culturas mesoamericanas como los aztecas o incas?

A diferencia de otras culturas mesoamericanas, los mayas no formaron un estado unificado, sino que se organizaron en ciudades-estado con una considerable independencia.

¿Cuáles fueron algunos de los logros más destacados de la civilización maya en el ámbito de la matemática y la astronomía?

Entre los logros de los mayas en matemáticas y astronomía destacan la creación de un sistema de numeración vigesimal, la introducción del cero matemático y la elaboración de dos calendarios: el tzolkin (ritual) y el haab (solar).

¿Cómo se relacionaba la religión maya con la naturaleza y cuáles eran algunas de las deidades más importantes?

La religión maya era politeísta y sus creencias estaban estrechamente vinculadas a la naturaleza. Sus dioses más importantes incluían a Itzamná y Hunab Ku, así como otros relacionados con la lluvia, el sol, la agricultura, la muerte y otros aspectos de su vida diaria.

¿Qué era el 'pok a pok' y cómo se practicaba en la cultura maya?

El 'pok a pok' era un juego de pelota que los mayas practicaban en estadios construidos en varias ciudades. Era un deporte importante y también tenía un componente religioso, ya que se creía que los resultados del juego agradaban o desagradaban a los dioses.

¿Cuál fue el papel de la guerra y los guerreros en la sociedad maya?

La guerra y los guerreros tenían un papel de gran importancia en la cultura maya. Las conflictos militares eran frecuentes y los guerreros, por su prestigio social, formaban parte de la clase alta.

¿Cómo estaba organizada la economía de los mayas y cuál era su principal actividad económica?

La economía maya estaba basada principalmente en la agricultura, con la propiedad de las tierras reflejando su organización política y religiosa. El gobernante分配土地根据每个家庭的需要，而农民保留他们收获的东西，尽管必须将一部分上交给政府。

¿Qué era el 'xocolatl' y cómo era relevante en la gastronomía maya?

El 'xocolatl' era una bebida que consistía en una mezcla de chile, miel y cacao, consumida caliente y conocida como 'bebida de los dioses'. Era una de las bebidas más conocidas en la gastronomía maya y se consideraba un elemento importante en su dieta.

¿Cómo se organizaba la sociedad maya y cuál era la posición del rey dentro de esta?

La sociedad maya estaba altamente jerarquizada, con una gran división social entre la élite y la clase baja de los comuneros. El rey, llamado Halach Uinic, estaba en la cima de la sociedad y tenía el estatus de un dios, con su posición heredada y dominando todos los altos cargos administrativos, religiosos, judiciales y militares.

Outlines

00:00

🗺️ La Civilización Maya

La civilización maya se desarrolló en Mesoamérica, ocupando lo que hoy es México meridional y América Central, incluyendo Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras y Belice. Su apogeo ocurrió durante el período Clásico, entre 250 y 900 d.C. Aunque la mayoría de la civilización declinó, algunas ciudades en la Península de Yucatán mantuvieron su esplendor hasta el siglo XVI. Los mayas son reconocidos por su avanzada escritura, contribuciones a la arquitectura y el arte, así como por su sofisticado sistema astronómico y matemático. A diferencia de otras culturas mesoamericanas, los mayas no formaron un estado unificado, sino que se organizaron en ciudades-estado con una notable independencia.

05:07

🌱 El Origen y la Historia de los Mayas

El origen de la cultura maya se sitúa en el Período Preclásico, que abarca desde 2000 a.C. hasta 250 d.C. La primera colonización en Belice fue alrededor de 2600 a.C., y durante el Período Preclásico, las primeras ciudades mayas como Nakbé en Guatemala comenzaron a crecer. Sin embargo, en el siglo I a.C., muchas de estas ciudades fueron abandonadas. El Período Clásico, entre 250 y 900 d.C., marcó el renacimiento y el esplendor máximo de la civilización maya, dividido en el Clásico Temprano y el Clásico Tardío. Este período vio la influencia de Teotihuacan y la rivalidad entre ciudades-estado como Tikal y Calakmul.

10:08

🏰 El Período Postclásico y la Geografía de los Mayas

El Período Postclásico, que duró desde 950 hasta 1531 d.C., vio cómo la Península de Yucatán se convirtió en el último bastión de la civilización maya. Chichén Itzá se convirtió en la ciudad más importante en esta época, hasta que fue destruida por una alianza de ciudades-estado. La cultura maya se extendió a lo largo de 280,000 km², abarcando áreas de México, Guatemala, Honduras y Belice, con una compleja ecología que incluía la península de Yucatán, las altas mesetas de Chiapas y Guatemala, y la región de Petén.

15:14

🌟 Características Generales de los Mayas

La civilización maya se caracterizó por su religión politeísta, sus creencias vinculadas a la naturaleza y la importancia de sus dioses como Itzamná y Hunab Ku. Practicaban ceremonias religiosas que incluían sacrificios y danzas, lideradas por sacerdotes en pirámides-templlos. Sus creencias y mitologías se recogen en el Popol Vuh y el Chilam Balam. En términos de guerra, los guerreros tenían un alto estatus social y la economía se basaba en la agricultura, con la propiedad de la tierra en manos del gobernante y un sistema de tributos que incluía trabajo personal.

20:17

📚 La Ciencia y la Cultura Maya

Los mayas realizaron avances en astronomía y aritmética, creando un sistema numérico base 20 y un calendario complejo que incluía el tzolkin y el haab. Su escritura, compuesta de más de 700 símbolos, combinaba elementos fonéticos e ideográficos. En el ámbito político, los mayas se organizaron en ciudades-estado independientes, cada una con su propio gobierno y un monarca considerado divino. La sociedad maya estaba altamente estratificada, con una clara división entre la élite y la clase baja de comuneros, que incluía granjeros y artesanos.

25:23

🍲 Gastronomía, Tradiciones y Arquitectura Maya

La gastronomía maya estaba basada en el maíz y frijoles, y más tarde en frutas y verduras. El 'xocolatl', una bebida de chile, miel y cacao, era una de sus bebidas emblemáticas. En cuanto a las tradiciones, destacaba el juego de pelota 'pok a pok' y las ceremonias en cenotes, considerados sagrados. La arquitectura maya, una de sus manifestaciones artísticas más sofisticadas, incluía palacios, templos, observatorios y pirámides, decoradas con pinturas y esculturas, aunque las viviendas de los comuneros carecían de estas características.

Keywords

💡Mesoamérica

Mesoamérica es una región geográfica que comprende siete países de América Central y el sureste de México, donde se desarrolló la civilización maya. Es fundamental para entender el contexto geográfico y cultural en el que florecieron los mayas, como se menciona en el guion al describir el territorio que ocupó la civilización maya.

💡Período Clásico

El Período Clásico es una época clave en la historia de la civilización maya, que abarca aproximadamente de 250 a 900 d.C. Este período es central para el video, ya que fue cuando la civilización experimentó su apogeo, con avances significativos en escritura, arquitectura y matemáticas, como se describe en el guion.

💡Escritura maya

La creación de una completa escritura es uno de los logros más destacados de los mayas, permitiendo la transmisión de su conocimiento y cultura a través del tiempo. El guion menciona esta escritura como una de las contribuciones fundamentales de la civilización maya a la arquitectura y el arte.

💡Astronomía

Los mayas fueron pioneros en el estudio de las estrellas y el cosmos, desarrollando un sistema astronómico sofisticado que les permitía crear calendarios precisos y predecir eventos celestes. Esto se relaciona directamente con su agricultura y rituales religiosos, como se destaca en el guion.

💡Ciudades-estado

A diferencia de otras culturas mesoamericanas, los mayas no formaron un estado unificado, sino que se organizaron en ciudades-estado con una notable independencia. Este concepto es crucial para entender la estructura política maya, como se describe en el guion.

💡Declive maya

El declive de la civilización maya es un tema recurrente en el guion, refiriéndose al colapso que afectó a la mayoría de las ciudades mayas entre los siglos IX y X. Este evento es significativo para comprender el final de la civilización maya y las teorías sobre sus causas.

💡Yucatán

La Península de Yucatán es mencionada en el guion como la región que mantuvo la esencia de la cultura maya después del declive generalizado. Esta área se convirtió en el escenario final de la resistencia maya ante la llegada de los españoles.

💡Religión maya

La religión maya, con sus dioses y rituales, estaba intrínsecamente ligada a la naturaleza y a la vida diaria de los mayas. Los rituales y creencias religiosas, como se describe en el guion, eran esenciales para la legitimidad de los gobernantes y la estructura social.

💡Arquitectura maya

La arquitectura maya, caracterizada por sus pirámides, palacios y observatorios, es una de las manifestaciones artísticas más importantes de su文明. El guion destaca la sofisticación de sus construcciones y su función en la vida religiosa y social de los mayas.

💡Guerra y guerreros

La guerra y los guerreros desempeñaron un papel crucial en la cultura maya, donde las conflictos entre ciudades-estado eran frecuentes. Los guerreros, como se menciona en el guion, tenían un alto estatus social y formaban parte de la clase alta.

💡Economía maya

La economía maya se basaba principalmente en la agricultura, con el maíz como producto principal. El guion describe cómo la propiedad de la tierra y la distribución de los excedentes de cultivo reflejaban la organización política y religiosa maya.

Highlights

La cultura maya fue una civilización que se desarrolló en Mesoamérica y ocupó territorios de lo que hoy es México sureño y Centroamérica norte, llegando a Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras y Belice.

Su apogeo ocurrió durante el período Clásico, entre 250 y 900 d.C.

La civilización maya experimentó un largo declive, con excepción de las ciudades ubicadas en la Península de Yucatán.

La llegada de los españoles puso fin a los últimos vestigios de esta civilización.

Se considera una de las más avanzadas de todas aquellas que desarrollaron en Mesoamérica.

Entre sus logros se encuentra la creación de un lenguaje escrito completo y contribuciones a la arquitectura y el arte.

Fueron inventores de sofisticados sistemas astronómicos y matemáticos.

A diferencia de otras culturas mesoamericanas, los mayas no crearon un estado unificado, sino que formaron ciudades-estado con considerable independencia.

La legitimidad de los reyes provenía de la religión, ya que eran considerados figuras divinas en una sociedad con un marcado carácter de clase.

El origen de la cultura maya se sitúa en el Período Preclásico, que abarcó entre 2000 a.C. y 250 d.C.

El Período Clásico marcó el tiempo de máxima esplendor de esta civilización.

Durante el Período Preclásico, los asentamientos mayas comenzaron a crecer y se convirtieron en ciudades.

En el Período Clásico, las ciudades mayas recuperaron y experimentaron su máximo esplendor.

El Período Postclásico se caracterizó por la continuación de la cultura maya en la Península de Yucatán, con Chichén Itzá como la ciudad más importante.

La civilización maya se extendió por aproximadamente 280,000 kilómetros cuadrados durante su período Clásico.

La religión maya era politeísta y sus creencias estaban estrechamente vinculadas a la naturaleza.

La guerra y los guerreros tenían gran importancia en la cultura maya, con frecuentes conflictos militares entre las diferentes ciudades-estado.

La actividad económica principal de los mayas era la agricultura, con gran rendimiento.

El comercio estaba bajo el control del rey, y los comerciantes formaban una casta heredada.

La escritura maya era compleja, compuesta por más de 700 símbolos, muchos de ellos aún no descifrados.

La organización política maya estaba compuesta de ciudades-estado independientes, con un gobierno centralizado en cada ciudad.

La sociedad maya era altamente jerárquica, con una gran división social entre la élite y la clase baja.

La gastronomía maya estaba basada en productos de la tierra, especialmente el maíz.

Las tradiciones mayas incluían el juego de pelota y las ceremonias religiosas en cenotes.

La arquitectura maya alcanzó un alto nivel de sofisticación, especialmente en la construcción de palacios, templos, observatorios y pirámides.

Transcripts

The Mayan culture was a civilization that developed in Mesoamerica and occupied the territories

of what is now southern Mexico and northern Central America, reaching Guatemala, El Salvador,

Honduras and Belize. Although its beginning dates back to the Preclassic period, its apogee took place during

the Classic period, between 250 and 900 AD. C. From that moment on, the Mayan civilization

experienced a long decline, with the exception of the cities located in

the Yucatan Peninsula, where this culture maintained its splendor for a few

more centuries. The arrival of the Spanish ended with the last vestiges of this civilization.

This civilization is considered one of the most advanced among all those that developed

in Mesoamerica. Among his achievements is the creation of a complete written language,

as well as his contributions to architecture and art. Likewise, they were the inventors of

sophisticated astronomical and mathematical systems. Unlike other Mesoamerican cultures,

the Mayans did not create a unitary state, but instead formed city-states with considerable

independence of their own. The legitimacy of the kings came from religion,

since they were considered divine figures within a society with a marked class character.

Origin and history The origin of the Mayan culture is located in

the Preclassic period, a stage that comprised between 2000 before Christ and 250 after

Christ. Already in the classical period came the time of maximum splendor of this civilization.

Preclassic Period (2000 BC-250 AD) The first settlements built by

the Mayans in Belize occurred around 2600 BC Eight hundred years later, they reached the

Pacific coast, specifically in the Soconusco region. At this stage they already practiced

agriculture, although only some basic products, such as beans, chili or corn.

Already during the Middle Preclassic, Maya settlements began to grow

larger, eventually becoming cities. The oldest documented locality was Nakbé,

located in the department of Petén, in present-day Guatemala. Also during this stage,

the Mayans began to populate the north of Yucatan. The remains found have led

archaeologists to affirm that in the 3rd century BC. C. the Mayans had already created a

writing system, at least in Petén. Later, in the Late Preclassic,

the Maya cities continued to grow. Among them, El Mirador and Tikal stood out.

However, the evolution of the Mayan culture stopped in the 1st century BC. C. Many of the great

cities built were abandoned, without knowing the reason for this collapse.

Classic Period (c. 250-900 AD) The Mayan civilization recovered again

during the Classic period, a time during which it lived its maximum splendor. Experts divide

this period into two parts: the Early Classic, between 250 and 550 AD. C., and the Late Classic,

which lasted until 900 AD. C. In the Early Classic, the

Mayan cities picked up the influence of Teotihuacan, a large city located in the Valley of Mexico.

The rulers of this locality sent a military expedition to Tikal in 378

AD. C. and installed a new royal dynasty. Its relationship with Teotihuacan allowed Tikal to

progress to become the ruler of all the central lowlands. Only Calakmul,

located in Petén, could compete with the power of Tikal, so

a great rivalry developed between the two cities. Later, during the Late Classic, the

Maya experienced a great cultural explosion driven by the kings of the

most important city-states of this period: Tikal, Palenque, Copán, Piedras Negran or Yaxchilán, among others.

As in the Preclassic period, a new collapse affected the Mayan city-states

between the 9th and 10th centuries AD. C. There are various theories about the causes of this decline,

without any of them being confirmed. However, the consequences are known:

abandonment of many cities and return to the political system of the first stage of the Preclassic.

Postclassic Period (c. 950-1531 AD) The Yucatan Peninsula was the only

area that did not suffer the decline suffered by the Mayan cities. In this way, that territory

went from being one of the least important to becoming the continuation of its entire culture.

Chichen Itza was the most important city in the first part of this period. This

settlement had been built in 987 AD. C., when members of the Itzá ethnic group

arrived in the area from Tabasco. Later, the town was invaded

by groups of Toltec culture under the command of a leader who received the title of Kukulcán,

'Feathered Serpent' in Spanish. These were installed in the city of Mayapán.

In the 13th century, the Itza were defeated by a coalition made up of the Cocom from Mayapán and

mercenaries from central Mexico. The consequence was the establishment of a system of

despotic government that lasted until 1441. That year, a league of city-states destroyed the city.

The last years of the Postclassic period were characterized by the continuous wars that

pitted the city-states against each other. After the arrival of the Spanish conquerors,

the Mayans lost all their influence and, like the rest of the indigenous peoples,

were forced to adopt the religion and customs of the victors. Despite

this, some cities resisted for a time, such as Tayasal,

the last stronghold of the Mayan civilization in Petén, which resisted until 1697.

Geographic and temporal location The chronology of the

Mayan civilization spanned several millennia. Taking the first settlements in Belize as a reference,

this culture originated in 2600 BC. C. Although the main collapse occurred

about 900 d. C., his dominions in the Yucatan resisted several more centuries.

Geographic location The territory in which the Mayan culture settled

varied over time, reaching its maximum extension during the Classic period.

At that time, the Mayan civilization controlled around 280,000 square km:

the current Mexican states of Yucatán, Campeche, Quintana Roo and part of Campeche

and Chiapas; Petén and Izabal, in Guatemala; northeastern areas of Honduras; and Belize.

In this way, the country of the Mayans (called Mayab) comprised three ecological areas:

the Yucatan peninsula; the Highlands of Chiapas and Guatemala; and the central zone of the

Petén. The latter was the most complicated, since it was characterized by tropical forest and

frequent rains. However, it was there where this civilization reached its maximum splendor.

General characteristics of the Mayans The Mayan civilization is considered one

of the most important in the entire American continent. His contributions in subjects such as

mathematics, astronomy or architecture greatly influenced

later civilizations. Religion

The Mayans professed a polytheistic religion and their beliefs were closely linked to nature.

The most important gods were Itzamná and Hunab Ku, in addition to others related to rain,

sun, agriculture, death and other aspects of their daily lives.

The Mayan religion affirmed that there had been four previous historical ages,

which had been destroyed by the effect of a different natural element in each case:

air, water, earth and fire. For the Mayans it was very important to perform

various religious ceremonies. These ranged from fasting to sacrifices,

through prayer or dances. All these ceremonies were led by priests and,

in many cases, were performed in pyramids that served as temples of worship.

Much of their beliefs and mythology are collected in two different works. The first,

considered the Mayan Bible, is the Popol Vuh, or Book of the Community. The second is

the Chilam Balam, written already at the time of the conquest by a Spaniard, Diego de Landa.

War War and

warriors were of great importance in the Mayan culture. During its history

, military conflicts were very frequent that, in most cases, pitted

the different city-states against each other. All this caused the warriors to

acquire great social prestige and form part of the upper class.

Economy The main

economic activity of the Mayans was agriculture, an activity to which they obtained a great return.

Farmland ownership was a reflection of their political and

religious organization. Thus, all the land belonged to the ruler (Ahau),

who was in charge of allocating it depending on the needs of each family.

Peasants had the right to keep what was harvested, although they had to deliver

a part of what was cultivated to the government. In exchange, the rulers helped

the peasants in times of scarcity and prayed to the gods so that the harvest would be abundant.

Trade The king had under

his control all the trade that took place between the different Mayan city-states. The

merchants, for their part, formed their own caste, of a hereditary nature. Over time,

these created a vast mercantile network. Merchants brought luxury products, such

as jade or salt, to cities like Teotihuacan and others throughout Mesoamerica.

In addition, they also used to transport local agricultural products and handicrafts.

The importance that trade gained over the centuries led to the appearance of a

monetary system, albeit quite basic. Tributes

In addition to those mentioned above, the Mayan economy was based on another

important factor: the payment of tributes. These could be paid through personal work,

which provided labor for the construction of public buildings.

Clothing As in other

Mesoamerican civilizations, social class marked the type of clothing within the Mayan culture.

Thus, the men of the lower class wore a very basic pant and left their chests

uncovered. For their part, the women of the same class wore wide shirts of various colors,

made of cotton, as well as long skirts. The upper class, made up of the royal family and

high officials, wore better quality clothes. In them, the ornaments

made with feathers and stones stood out. Arithmetic and astronomy

The Mayans made great advances in astronomy and arithmetic,

something that influenced later cultures. Among his contributions is the creation

of a base 20 numbering system and, as a great novelty, he introduced a sign to reflect

the number 0. It should be noted that the zero took much longer to appear in the Arabic numerals.

The creation of this system was motivated by the astronomical studies carried out

by this culture. Mayan astronomers needed a way to

record their observations of the sky, something they used to regulate the agricultural cycle.

Calendar The two

scientific branches mentioned were used by the Mayans to create two different calendars:

the tzolkin (ritual) and the haab (solar). The first of them divided the year into 13

months of 20 days each, giving a total of 260 days. The priests used it to divine

the future of each individual. For its part, the second was made up of 18 months of 20 days,

with 360 days in total. To these we had to add another 5 days called unlucky.

When both calendars were combined, the Mayans obtained cycles of 52 years called short rope.

Apart from the above, the Mayans created another more complex calendar called the Long Count.

This was meant to count the time that had passed since the world was created, something that,

according to their beliefs, occurred in 3114 BC. C. Writing

Another great contribution of the Mayan culture was its writing system. His alphabet was made

up of more than 700 symbols, many of them still undeciphered. His spelling consisted of both

phonetic and ideographic signs. Mathematics

The Mayans excelled in their use of mathematics, inventing a

vigesimal numbering system, especially as an instrument for measuring time.

Political organization One of the great differences

between the Mayan culture and others such as the Aztec or Inca is that the former never

managed to form a unified state. Their domain area was made up of

independent city-states or chiefdoms. The relationships between all these political entities

have varied enormously throughout history. Thus, it was very common for

periods of tension to appear between them that could lead to some settlements

becoming vassals of others. Likewise, temporary alliances were also common

to defeat a common enemy. Despite the above, in some periods

cities appeared powerful enough to control an entire

region. Some of these dominators were Tikal, Mayapán or Calakmul.

Government Each city had

its own government, each with a king at the head. This ruler, called Halach Uinic, had the

status of a god and his position was hereditary. The Halach Uinic (true man in Spanish),

also called Ahau, and his family dominated all the high administrative,

religious, judicial and military positions. The absolute power of the monarch was based

on his role as intermediary between the gods, with whom he was related, and men.

From the capital of their domains, the Halach Uinic controlled all aspects of the community.

To exercise this control, the king relied on the batabood, his relatives who administered the

secondary centers of the territories. In addition, these high officials were in charge of

collecting taxes, presiding over local councils and administering justice.

Social organization Since the Preclassic, the Mayans created

a strongly hierarchical type of society. In this way, there was a great social division between

the elite and the lower class, that of the commoners. This society evolved over time,

especially when cities began to grow. With this increase

in population, new trades carried out by specialized workers appeared.

On the other hand, the Late Classic saw a considerable increase in the membership

of the wealthiest and most powerful classes. According to experts, these changes

could have led to the development of a kind of middle class. It would include

low-ranking officials and priests, merchants, craftsmen, and soldiers.

Royal family At the top of the

social pyramid were the king and the rest of his family. The monarch, as has been pointed out,

assumed all the powers of the kingdom, including the religious ones. The king was

practically considered a god and had the role of mediating between divinities and men.

The position of king was hereditary, from father to son. Women could only access the throne

if there was no other possibility, although it was considered a lesser evil against the

disappearance of the dynasty. State

servants Below the royal family were the state officials. This class was

made up of the directors of the ceremonies, the military and the

tax collectors. In this same social class were also the priests, who,

in addition to their religious tasks, were engaged in the study of astronomy and other sciences.

Another sector that was in this second social step were the nobles. Their titles

were hereditary and, together with the priests, they advised the kings when they had to

decide on some matter. Lower class

Without counting the slaves, who had no rights of any kind, the lower class of society

was made up of all those who did not belong to the previous classes. It was, therefore,

the vast majority of the population. Most of these commoners were farmers, although

artisans were also included in this class. Being an eminently agricultural society,

peasants formed the largest group within the lower class. Aside from their work

in the fields, they were required to enlist in the army in case of war. This activity was

one of the few options that the commoners had to improve their position, since the most

outstanding warriors were recognized by the government. Culture (gastronomy, traditions, art)

The Mayan civilization was one of the most important in pre-Columbian Mesoamerica.

Among the most important cultural contributions are those made in architecture and the

creation of its calendars. Gastronomy

As appears in the Popol Vuh, one of the sacred books of the Mayans, this civilization

always had a very close relationship with the products of the land, especially

corn. In fact, according to their beliefs, the human being was created from that cereal.

Corn was precisely the basis of the Mayan diet,

along with other essential foods such as beans. The latter was used to

make a kind of purée that was consumed spread on tortillas.

Later, according to experts, the Mayans began to introduce fruits and vegetables

into their diet. Among the most common were pumpkin, guava, papaya and avocado.

One of the best known recipes of the Mayans was the so-called "drink of the gods". This consisted

of a mixture of chili, honey and cocoa and was eaten hot. The name of this drink was “xocolatl”.

Finally, specialists affirm that the Mayans also consumed meat, although it is not

abundant. Evidence has been found that they domesticated animals intended for their consumption,

such as the turkey or the dog. Likewise, he also ate wild animals and fish.

Traditions

Among the best known Mayan traditions is the "pok a pok" or

ball game. In many cities, such as Chichén Itzá, Tulum or Cobá, stadiums were built

where the Mayans practiced this sport. Apart from the above, the Mayans also

performed religious ceremonies in the cenotes. According to experts, the adoration of these

natural places was due to their sacred character, since they were considered as the door to the underworld.

For this reason, their priests celebrated rituals, in addition to performing sacrifices.

Precisely, those human sacrifices were another of the main characteristics of the

Mayans. The main reason for performing them was to feed and thank the gods. In addition,

they thought that the sacrificed enjoyed eternal life in the afterlife.

Other reasons for the sacrifices was to make sure that the universe would continue to function

properly. This included everything from the passing of the seasons to the growth of the crops,

as well as the weather being favorable. Art

In the Mayan culture, art was something reserved for the upper class,

who thought that artistic works had the function of connecting them with their ancestors.

Among his most relevant creations are carvings and reliefs, such as those that

appeared in Palenque, as well as anthropomorphic statues. Likewise, they also achieved

great mastery in the paintings that adorned ceramics, both funerary and otherwise.

A novel aspect compared to the rest of the Mesoamerican cultures is the fact that

the artists signed their works, something that was discovered when some

traces of writing were deciphered. Architecture

Mayan architecture is considered to be its most

important artistic manifestation. However, the style of their constructions varied depending on the city,

in addition to the available materials, the topography and the taste of the upper class.

Historians affirm that Mayan architecture reached a high level of sophistication,

especially in the construction of palaces, temples, observatories and pyramids. Their

architects began to use arches and vaults in these buildings and, in addition, they

decorated them with paintings and sculptures. However, the houses of the commoners

did not present any of these characteristics. In his case,

the materials were weak and perishable, so no example has been preserved.