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The Mayan Empire

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The Mayan Empire was a civilization in which many today still look at their vast stone cities and monuments in awe. The center of the empire was located in the lowlands of the Yucatan Peninsula, modern day Guatemala which is an extremely tropical environment. The Mayans reached the peak of their power in the sixth century, estimated to have a population of about two million people, but by 900 A.D. the majority of their great cities had been abandoned. What caused this major decline is continuously debated but what is known is that the Mayan culture was an extremely dominant society of Mesoamerica that was extremely efficient in farming, ceramics, writing, and geometry. They have left behind complex calendars that show just how advanced and …show more content…

The reason for the large number of deities and gods that the Mayas worshiped was due to the fact that each god had different characteristics that would emerge in various circumstances. Each of their gods had both a compassionate side and a malicious side. “Some had more than one sex; others could be both young and old; and every god representing a heavenly body had a different underworld face, which appeared when the god “died” in the evening.” Itzamna is the creator god, as well as the god of fire and god of the home. He is also believed to be the inventor of the written language as well as the arts and sciences. Kukulcan, also known as the feathered serpent has been found to appear on many of their important temples. This god would be used by other Mesoamerican civilizations such as the Toltecs and the Aztecs but by the name of Quetzalcoatl. This is proof to the vast reach and influence of the Mayan culture to other Mesoamerican civilizations. Chac, as stated earlier, was the god of rain that lived in the underworld. The rulers of the Maya, considered to be semi-divine because of direct decadency, was regarded as the middle person between the gods and the general public. An important feature of the Mayan belief in gods was the fact that they put complete and unwavering trust into the hands of their gods. The gods controlled all aspects of life for the Mayan people from units of time, activities that took place during this time, and whether life was fruitful or

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Over a thousand years ago in the Mesoamerica region the culture that we know as Maya thrived. They had an amazement and intrigued fascination over the technical mastery of their intellectual studies. The Mayan’s history is rich with remarkable human achievements, as well as stories. Some of their most recognizable masterpieces are the Mayan trade network, building Cities, the Mayan number system, and the Mayan calendar.

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Although being separated from the world, they were still able to come up with some major achievements like a number system, building cities and a calendar system. One piece of evidence that shows the intelligence of the Mayans and their creation of Achievements was according to Foster in a book written in 2022 about the Mayans when it says "Nobleman, it has been estimated that at least 80 to 130 workers would have been employed full time to finish it in two to three months''(Document B). This shows how the Mayans building cities was a major achievement because it shows how productive the Mayans were at creating these massive cities. Because with a smaller portion of workers, they were still able to make these gigantic cities in a minimal amount of time. While still being able to keep all the workers happy and being able to command a massive workforce.

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Everything was perfectly planned out. As the calendar says, they have to sacrifice one of their own to please the Gods. The Mayan people would get together as a whole to practice their religious ceremony at the temple. The Mayan and Aztec civilizations are two ancient civilizations that were located near Central and South America. The Mayan civilization was more remarkable than the Aztecs because of their advanced knowledge.

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The Mayans were people with no central government, and yet individuals worked hard to complete buildings for the whole community. The citizens of Mayan cities followed orders from higher political powers, which organized the work and maintenance of these places. (Doc B) The effort put into building these cities must have been unimaginable. The Mayans worked hard to construct many places without the luxury of having a previously established government and system to command over the people.

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Around 1800 B.C. to A.D. 250, the Mayans prospered in Central America and became one of the famous empires of all time (Jarus). Because this civilization conquered so long ago, it is important to know how they were successful in doing so. Just like the Aztecs and Incas, the Mayan society learned how to grow and prosper through farming (Jarus). The Mayan empire is also known for constructing large pyramids for their gods, and also for the creation of hieroglyphics (Jarus). The Mayans were very smart and created an empire like no other in the Americas.

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The Aztecs had a polytheistic belief and used human sacrifices in their rituals. They used these sacrifices to “feed” the sun god so that it continued to move and provide warmth (Aztec source H). The Mayans also believed in many gods, making them polytheistic like the Aztecs. The Mayans were also animistic, thinking that every object had a soul. Instead of using human sacrifices, priests led festivals and rituals that honored the gods (Maya source H).

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The Mayans worshiped a broad array of deities. The exact order of their importance is not exactly clear. However, it is believed that the ancient Mayans called their supreme god Hunab Ku. Hunab Ku was the creator of the universe. He was so sacred that he took no part in everyday human affairs.

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In the Western Hemisphere, no early civilization was more remarkable than the Maya. The Maya are the best-known classical civilizations of Mesoamerica, originating in the state in southeastern Mexico, Yucatan at around 2000 B.C. They rose to importance around A.D. 250 in present-day southern Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, and northern Belize. The Maya civilization was a Mesoamerican civilization developed by the Maya peoples. As being the most remarkable civilization in the Western Hemisphere, the Maya produced an extensive range of structures, and have left a great architectural legacy that places the Maya civilization as one of the great preindustrial civilizations of the world.

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The magnificent Maya are known for some of the most important human achievements in the history of the world. The Maya were a large group of people that lived in the rainforests of Mesoamerica beginning around 3,000 years ago. In this essay I'll be discussing all of the achievements and what made them remarkable, these will be judged as scale, genius, effort, and significance. The Maya had several remarkable achievements which included their trade network, a number system, calendars, and building cities. All are noteworthy however, the way that the Maya built their cities was the most remarkable of all.

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The Shang/Zhou dynasties and the Maya civilizations were both powerful entities built around political control. The two governments power came from religion, as their leaders were viewed to be Gods by the people they ruled over. However, the contrasts between them, such as Shang/Zhou China’s monarchy and the Maya’s warring city-states, defined each cultures varied political advancements.

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Have you ever wondered what society was like in the 1960s? Society has changed drastically in the last 50 years. Technology,music,and education are just a few of the changes. Were people smarter back then? Was there more violence than nowadays?

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The Egyptians had gods for every aspect of their lives and afterlives. Although the Mayans had many gods, they also practiced Animism. Both cultures had places for rituals and ceremonies. The gods they believed in were different from each other and some were worshiped more than others. With very few differences, the religious aspects of both cultures influenced both cultures equally.

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The ancient Mayans, who lived in parts of present-day Mexico, Belize, Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras, created one of the most complex and advanced civilizations in the Western Hemisphere. The Mayans accomplished many remarkable and influential achievements, most notably, in art, astronomy, and engineering. The achievements of the Mayans influenced the cultures around them and are still influential today. The Mayans created amazingly sophisticated works of art.

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Both cultures beliefs were centred around their gods. For this reason, most of their architecture had some sort of religious background. The Egyptian, as well as the Mayan built pyramids; although their intention of use differed. The purpose behind the Egyptians pyramids were to be used as burial sites for pharaohs and the royal families. In the other hand, the Mayans constructed pyramids for sacrificial purposes, as well as for worshiping gods.

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Which meant the son would follow his father in leadership. The government was ruled by kings and priests. Their society ranged from warriors, priests, merchants, farmers, and slaves. Mayans built decorative tombs for important rulers. Warfare played an enormous role in their civilization.

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