A few weeks ago in class we were discussing the region of Tikal and the Mayans. This is a very recognizable site in the Yukatan Peninsula, with several temples, palaces, plazas, and other great edifices. What I find really interesting is that Mayan culture and beliefs can be seen in many of their edifices. One interesting example is known as the Popol Vuh. In another ancient Mayan city known as El Mirador, the Popol Vuh myth can be seen in their sewage system! This water collection system shows a scene of this Mayan creation myth by the depiction of the twin heroes Hunaphu and Xbalanque swimming into the underworld to retrieve the head of their decapitated father. Not only does this depiction seen illustrate evidence on the Mayan creation myth, but it also was able to give us information on the chronology of their history. The discovery dates back to 200BC. This also was able to tell us that the myth is older than what once thought as it has been associated with Old World creation myths. Discovering the date of this inscription debunks this relation and allows the Popol Vuh to stand independently of the other myths, showing that it was not influenced by external forces and fives the myth its own right.
Another interesting thing that we talked about in class was the fact that the Mayans were not constricted in just one location; rather, they were a civilization that was present vastly throughout the Mesoamerican region. They were simply one group of many civilizations there, and over time as their influence expanded, they began to take control of the other groups. I was interested to know how the Mayans were able to travel as they journeyed to other places, and I found that not only are the buildings they make of magnificent caliber, but they also created roads of great stature. These causeways are known as sakbeob, and they are vast linkages of crushed limestone. These were important in linking cities to monuments and other cities, one of the longer ones being 39 kilometers long! These roads were obviously a means of transportation, but they are also thought to have been of importance ritually as well. I find it amazing that such architecture that the Mayans created could be used for a vast array of purposes and ultimately led them to be one of the most powerful and well known civilizations to date.
I like your point in which you talk about how Mayan architecture usually represents and involves different aspects of their culture. And a lot of the times their architecture is made to represent religious and spiritual aspects of their culture. I have been lucky enough to visit Mexico quite a few times throughout my life. I have been all over Mexico but have been to the Yucatan peninsula multiple times and have gone one many tours of ancient Mayan cities and architectural sites. One of my favorites that I have visited and that has a really interesting story behind its architecture is the ancient Mayan city of Tulum. Tulum is an ancient city with lots of interesting architecture related to religion and astrology. Also Tulum is located right on the east coast in the Gulf of Mexico. In fact right off the coast rom Tulum sits the second largest coral reef in the world right after the Great Barrier Reef in Australia. It is believed to have been one of the major sea trading ports for the Mayans. But I also bring up this site to talk about its architecture and its relation to their religion. The Mayan religion had much involvement with astrology and there was a specific building that was built here to track the sun and its movement. This was called the Temple of the Frescoes. On certain days of the year the sun would shine through hole on this building near the edge of the sea and would align with another building further inland. And supposedly this building was built as a way to connect with the deities through astronomy. This could not have been an easy task to complete considering the time period and technology available but I find it very interesting that the Mayans were able to calculate these astrological phenomenon’s and involve them in such intricate architecture.