The Mayan Civilization: Building The Great Pyramids

Many years ago, thousands of people were toiling away in the blazing heat of the Yucatan, precisely placing adobe bricks on what would later be some of the most remarkable and grand structures in the world. The Mayan civilization was one of the most refined and sophisticated cultures in the world, and their impressive architecture shows the world today of the power that they had. About more than 2,000 miles away, the Egyptians were building the Great Pyramids in Giza, the greatest masterpieces of Egypt. Despite the facts that the pyramids for each civilization had slight differences, such as purpose and structure, this is just an example of how although both of their empires were surprisingly similar, they were also very different from each

For example, the Egyptians believed that the Pharaoh was a god, and so they constructed many pyramids , which acted as tombs, filled with everything the pharaoh could possibly need in the afterlife. They were square-based pyramids that were secured and built in such a way so that tomb-raiders were not able to get in, or if they did manage to get in, would get lost in the intricate series of mazes. The Mayans, however, built pyramids that were flat topped and had steps leading up to the top, upon which you would sacrifice to the gods. The Mayans also put in a lot of time for stone-carvings, which beautified the structures they constructed. They stone carved calendars onto the ceilings of temples, the calendars were to know which god was in charge of which day, so that they could plan accordingly. Both of these empires had structures so advanced that most of them still stand today and are still considered some of the tallest formations to this very day, and Mayan calendar was only off by about five days! This goes to show how complex and steadfast these empires