Maya And The Ancient Civilizations - 1283 Words

To this day, historians still discuss when exactly the Maya civilizations started but the most commonly accepted date is 1800 BCE in the Soconusco Region. Unlike other Mesoamerican civilizations, Maya was not confined to one area of land but rather stretched out over Central America. To historians today, the Maya civilization reached its peak during the Classic Period between AD 250 and 900. At its peak, the Maya population was over 2,000,000 people. Excavations of Mayan cities have uncovered plazas, temples, pyramids, ball playing courts, and even art. The peak of this civilization is considered to have occurred when the Mayans started to carve and produce beautiful low relief steles. The Stele in Figure 1 from the late Classic Maya period is an example of a low relief stele that the Mayans were so known for. Steles are generally made from wood or stone and are taller than the average human. They were erected as a monumental object for either commutative or funerary purposes. In Mes oamerica, the first steles were first seen from the Olmec’s; Mesoamerican civilization that existed between 1200 to 400 BCE. Maya Steles are typically carved in low relief in stone with a base altar; a base that typically had the name or some sort of offering to the figure in the stele. It was in the peak of the Mayan civilization, the Classic period, AD 250-900, which the steles were predominantly employed. The Maya people used steles mainly in the Classic period (AD 250-900) within their peakShow MoreRelatedAncient Maya Essay868 Words   |  4 PagesAncient Maya Essay Matthew Pitcher Mrs Meligrana Ancient Civilizations June 8th, 2011 Pitcher1 The Ancient Mayan civilization stands out from other ancient civilizations and is great because of its outstanding achievements and developments. The Mayans are still known to this day for their exceptional architecture, medical discoveries, astronomy, and military tactics which were very successful. In this essay I will explain what the Mayans have achieved to make themselvesRead MoreCharacteristics Of The Mayan Civilizations733 Words   |  3 Pages There are many different types of civilizations. Three major ones are the Aztec, Maya, and Inca . These different civilizations play a very important role in history today. The Maya empire was highly skilled at building and architecture. They also were the only empire in mesoamerica to develop a complete writing system. The Maya were also highly skilled at agriculture and farming. The Maya were by far the most advanced and smart civilization. The Maya empire was very precise and exact when itRead MoreThe Aztecs And The Incas1135 Words   |  5 Pagesof other stars! This is what the Aztecs and the Mayas saw every night. Both the Aztec and the Maya were a powerful and advanced civilization that were created separately from the Western European civilizations and did an amazing job doing so. Just like many other Ancient Civilizations the night sky plays a significant role in their society. Astronomy, Religion, culture and architecture are all aligned the stars. Both the Aztecs and the Maya originated in what is now the southern part of MexicoRead MoreDisappearance of the Mayan Civilization Essay1008 Words   |  5 PagesDisappearance of the Mayan Civilization Dawn Herron- (su200126206) Dr. Caren Stayer World Cultures I online 01/13/14 The End of the Maya Empire: In 800 A.D. the Maya Empire contained of a number of powerful city-states spreading from southern Mexico to northern Honduras. These cities were home to massive populations and were ruled by a leading choice that could understand vast armies and demanded to be inclined from the stars and planets themselves. Maya culture was at itsRead MoreEconomy in Early American Civilizations: Maya, Aztecs and Inca865 Words   |  4 PagesAmerican civilization was the Aztec civilization. They were located in the Valley of Mexico around the 13th to 16th century CE, and they used slash-and-burn farming to plant crops to trade. The Inca Empire existed from the 13th to the 16th century CE along the Pacific coast of South America near the Andes Mountains. The Inca used terrace farming and irrigation to grow crops such as corn. The economies of these early American civilizations were heavily based on trade and agriculture. The Ancient MayaRead More The Ancient Maya Essay940 Words   |  4 Pages The Maya of Mesoamerica, along with the Aztecs of Mexico and the Incas of Peru, made up the high civilizations of the American Indians at the time of the Spanish conquest. Both the Aztecs and the Incas were late civilizations, between 1300-1533 AD, but the Maya of the Yucatan and Guatemala exhibited a cultural continuity spanning more than 2,000 years, 1000 BC-AD 1542. Many aspects of this culture continue yet today. The Ancient Maya in their time had actually refined writing. They hadRead MoreThe Olmecs, Aztecs And Mayans988 Words   |  4 PagesA very long time ago, there were many ancient civilizations, three of them were called the Olmecs, Aztecs and Mayans. These were ancient civilizations that, throughout history, had many accomplishments. Focusing in on some of these achievements, a lot of the advancements made by these civilizations were in religion, economy, and technology. The Olmec religion was very influential on areas like the Mesoamerican, both in the mythological world and social development. For a lot of reasons, the OlmecRead MoreHow The Maya Civilization Was A Major Social Entity From Approximately 2600 B.c1316 Words   |  6 Pages Mesoamerica Essay The Maya civilization was a major social entity from approximately 2600 B.C.E. to 1521 C.E. The Maya civilization was never a fully unified society; it was primarily made up of numerous small states, in and around what is now known as the Yucatan Peninsula. These states, each apparently centered on a city, were ruled by individual kings. Sometimes, a stronger Maya state would dominate a weaker state and be able to exact tribute and labor from it. The development of agricultureRead MoreA Brief Look at the Mayan Civilization Essay example1548 Words   |  7 PagesOlmec were the Maya people. The Maya can be analyzed in terms of their culture. This civilization came about in Mesoamerica around 250 AD with a great influence coming from that of the Olmec. The first 650 years of the Maya civilization’s existence was known as the Classic Period. They created a remarkable society of more than 40 cities in the region which is now southern Mexico, Guatemala, and northern Belize. The cit ies contained mostly ceremonial centers and majority of the Maya lived a rural agriculturalRead MoreThe Role of Religion in Shaping Civilization795 Words   |  4 PagesThe role of religion in shaping civilization From the beginning of human race or Homo sapiens, they were run by curiosity. Human were started to live together but didn’t know what was right or wrong, used to do things whatever wanted like killing each other, mass adultery with inter and intra species, eating whatever wanted. So there were many questions, curious Homo sapiens all over the world didn’t know the answers. After 10,000 BC by the invention of agriculture human race started to live together