The Maya in History

The Maya began as farmers, but grew into one of the greatest civilizations in history.  Their discoveries and advancements greatly affected the world.  A variation of their calendar is still used today, zero is an important part of mathematics, and scientists built on their astronomical discoveries.  They also developed one of the first systems of writing.  Further, their architecture is regarded as some of the most impressive in the world.  In fact, the Mayan ruins are considered one of the New Seven Wonders of the World, and Chichen Itza is considered one as well.  Their collapse is regarded as one of the biggest mysteries in history.  As a result of the Mayan civilization, people were able to expand their knowledge.  Knowledge in fields such as mathematics, science, and writing was expanded, due in part to the discoveries of the Maya.  Their architecture and culture only recently began to be appreciated because much of the great cities were buried in the rainforest.  But now, the full spectrum of the Mayan world can be appreciated.

Book Review

I thought that my book, 1491: New Revelations of the Americas Before Columbus by Charles C. Mann, was an excellent book.  I was able to learn and comprehend details about the cultures and histories of various civilizations.  It was incredibly interesting to see the journey from thriving civilizations to being conquered by various European explorers.  I also found the advancements and discoveries the civilizations made to be very interesting.  Overall, the book was very informative and fun to read.

Book Report:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1z4HvLFkuob5GjxarGv-bIP3NLUVTXB0gQsjDEgFzu_c/edit?hl=en_US#

Citations

• Hunter, Amy N.  The History of Mexico.  Philadephia: Mason Crest Publishers, 2009.  Print.
• Mann, Charles C.  1491: New Revelations of the America Before Columbus.  New York: Vintage Books,  2005.  Print.
• "The Ancient Maya: History."  digitalmeesh.com.  Digital meesh, n.d.  Web.  11 December 2011.  http://www.digitalmeesh.com/maya/history.htm
• "The Rise and Fall of the Maya Empire."  history.com.  A&E Television Networks, n.d.  Web.  11 December 2011.  <http://www.history.com/topics/maya>
• "The Maya."  learner.org.  Annenberg Foundation, n.d.  Web.  11 December 2011.  <http://www.learner.org/exhibits/collapse/mayans.html>
• "Mayan history.  Maya."  lost-civilizations.net.  Lost Civilizations, n.d.  Web.  11 December 2011.  <http://www.lost-civilizations.net/Mayan-history.html>
• "Current Mayan Date."  Sacred-texts.com.  Sacred Texts, n.d.  Web.  12 December 2011. <http://www.sacred-texts.com/time/cal/mayacal.htm> 

Interesting Facts

The Maya were a very interesting people.  They made countless advances in all areas.  They determined the use of zero and they made advances in astronomy.  They created some of the most beautiful and impressive architecture in history.  They also created the famous calendar.  The calendar was  synchronized with the solar year ("Mayan").  They had three calendars: the Long Count, the Haab, and the Tzolkin.  The Haab was the 365-day calendar.  Contrary to common belief, the Mayan calendar does not end in 2012, it actually "ends" in 8 "baktuns", which is about three thousand years.  Another part of the calendar does turn over on December 21, 2012, but this date is insignificant because the calendar is very cyclical. The discoveries made by the Maya were very, very advanced, and we still use what they learned today.

My reason for choosing this topic

My book contained information about numerous pre-Columbian civilizations, but the most interesting one to me was the Maya.  I remembered briefly learning about them in previous history classes and decided that it would be interesting to go more in depth about them and learn more.  I remembered learning about how they made tons ands tons of progress and made numerous advances in countless areas.  Obviously, their most famous discovery is their calendar, and that is another reason I wanted to research them.  I wanted to learn more about that.  I also remembered briefly learning about the mysterious collapse of the Maya and wanted to see all the different theories for that.  Throughout my research, I discovered that the Maya was truly a civilization before their time.  They were so advanced in such an early time period.  Further, they have such an effect on our lives now.  We use their discoveries every day, such as zero and their 365-day calendar.  Therefore, the Maya was a very interesting subject.

The Historical Significance of the Maya Civilization

The Maya civilization was one of the greatest civilizations in history.  They thrived for a very long time and, in the process, made significant progress in numerous areas.  They began as an agricultural people, growing corn and beans, but eventually they began to build pyramids and great cities.  During the Classic Period, a hierarchical society was developed that separated classes.  The society consisted of governments headed by kings; these were like city-states.  Also, the Maya were very religious, and their religious beliefs are well-known for being very elaborate.  Furthermore, some of the Maya's greatest accomplishments were in the fields of science and mathematics.  They determined the use of zero and developed a 365-day calendar.  They used their famous calendar to try to predict future events as well as astrological events. They also created a form of writing that was very useful and they kept records of their history.  Finally, they made advances in astronomy and had some of the most impressive architecture in history.  All of their discoveries affected the lives of modern-day people because the Maya set the basis for future discoveries and future advancements and improvements in all areas.  We even still use their 365-day calendar today. 

What is this blog about?

This blog is a general overview of the ancient civilization known as the Maya.  The civilization began around 2600 B.C. and suffered its well-known, mysterious collapse around the 9th century A.D.  Further, the civilization thrived beginning in about 250 A.D., starting a period known as the Classic Period.  The Classic Period was basically the "golden age" of the Mayan civilization.  Though they would eventually cover much of Central America and southern Mexico, the Maya originated from somewhere around the Yucatán Peninsula.  The northern Maya lowlands, the southern Maya lowlands, and the southern Maya highlands created three separate areas that each had their own characteristics.  During its glory days, cities such as Tikal, Palenque, and Copán thrived.  They and other cities boasted thousands and thousands of residents.  Eventually, the Maya of the southern lowlands began to abandon their cities, but historians do not know why.  There are countless theories, such as drought and overpopulation, but none have been proven true.  Thus, the great collapse of the Maya remains a mystery.