Classic Mayan Architecture
Mayan culture existed a thousand years ago, in what is now part of Central America. Its ruins were almost entirely abandoned by 600 A.D, and were not rediscovered until the early 1500’s, by Spanish settlers. Mayan architecture astounded the early conquistadors, and continues to be of great interest to modern archeologists as well. These scientists have labeled a certain period of Mayan architectural history as the “Classic” period.
This refers to a period when the Mayan civilization flourished, and extended from 300 to roughly 900 A.D (Miller 52). Because of our image of classical antiquity, the word “Classic” implies the heights of cultured accomplishment. In the classic period, we envision musicians filling the streets with celestial harmonies, poets praising the universe under arches designed by the greatest architects who ever lived. And this is the image Mayanists had in mind when they adopted the term “Classic” in the 1950s. At around A.D. 300 in our calendar, the first inscriptions appeared in Maya sites. There were no awkward preliminary attempts. Even the earliest were beautiful--it was as though the gods had delivered them complete. Then, after 600 years, they ceased. The sites in this period indeed seemed “Classic”—the Maya had been at their best. It truly seems possible that all the wonders thought to mark the Classic period had similarly appeared completely and suddenly, like a rabbit from a magician’s hat (Culbert 162). In this paper I will try to analyze Mayan architecture by relating some of its major components to the reader. “Temples, pyramids, and ball courts seem to be major themes in Classic Mayan architecture. The actual physical location of these buildings in relation to one another, and the elements of their construction are also a major part of understanding Classic Mayan architecture.” (Liz 1-6).
Maya Temples were ceremonial and sacred places where the kings, who were also the religious leaders, could talk to the gods and preform{sic} ceremonies. At the temple the king would use trances and other rituals to “open a doorway” into the world of the gods in order to talk with them. Every time a ritual was preformed it made the temple more sacred. The temples were designed to look like the land when the gods first created the world. The stepped “truncated” pyramids represent mountains; the temples on ...
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...he Classic period of Mayan Architecture lasted approximately 600 years (Culbert 160).
Within this relatively short time, the Mayans created a civilization that can only be paralleled with that of the ancient Egyptians and Romans. “ The architecture of this extremely productive period reflected the Mayans culture immensely.” (Miller, 51) The layouts of their settlements are comparable to no other civilization on earth. Mayan Temples, pyramids, and ball courts still persevere today, revealing an entire culture’s genius at architecture and construction. Classic Mayan architecture influences modern day art, construction, and design. Their building techniques were primitive, yet the beauty of their work can still be seen, almost as majestic as the day it was created, nearly one thousand years after their completion.” (Culbert 169).’./
Works Cited
Culbert, Patrick. Maya Civilization. Ed. Jeremy A. Sabloff. Washington D.C: ST Remy, 1993.
Liz, Rachel. “Mayan Cities and Architecture.” 17 May. 1998
*http://www.afs.pvt.K12.pa.us/classroom/9%20History/level%201V/Group%E/page/
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Miller, Mary. “Maya Masterpiece Revealed at Bonampak.” National Geographic Feb. 1995: 50-69
A few examples of the Mayan’s achievements were their trade routes, understanding of numbers and their architecture. In the article it was said the, “ Everything was carried by hand or boat.” (Document A, Box 1) The Manyan trade routes were remarkable because they were so genius. They had
In Europe, there were several advances being made that would affect our society today. However, simultaneously, societies across the world in the Americas would too be making these types of advances as well. One society in particular were the Maya. These people made technological strides that the Europeans themselves could not even fathom. But, what was their most remarkable achievement? One will find that their achievements of their trade network, a convenient method of transporting goods and messages; architecture, intricate buildings built in large cities on a massive scale; and number system, which takes into consideration some of our key principles in today’s math, have a momentous buildup to the Maya’s most remarkable achievement—their complex calendar, an astonishing nearly accurate calendar that governed Mayan society and is still seen in our own society today.
Miller, Mary Ellen, and Karl A. Taube. The Gods and Symbols of Ancient Mexico and the Maya: an Illustrated Dictionary of Mesoamerican Religion. New York: Thames and Hudson, 1993.
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In the Central America, most notably the Yucatan Peninsula, are the Maya, a group of people whose polytheistic religion and advanced civilization once flourished (Houston, 43). The Maya reached their peak during the Classic Period from around CE 250 to the ninth century CE when the civilization fell and dispersed (Sharer, 1). Although much has been lost, the gods and goddesses and the religious practices of the Classic Maya give insight into their lives and reveal what was important to this society.
They first began developing cultural characteristics associated with the Maya civilization around 1800 B.C. The Late Preclassic Period: 300 B.C. to 300 A.D. Great temples were built and decorated with beautiful “stucco sculptures and paints” long distance trades involving jade and obsidian. Royal tombs with more elaborate designs containing offerings and treasures.
The Mayans were known for their engineering, one structure they were famous for is their pyramid temple
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Laura Chatham Professor Hannah Jackson 24 November 2015 HIS1163 Fall 2015 A few of the indigenous tribes of present day Central and South America were really unique and made great advancements in fields such as: agriculture, architecture, and astronomy. Many things were learned and can be learned from these early civilizations. There are some common themes found throughout some of the major civilizations such as the use of agriculture and the defeat by the Spanish. Although we have learned much of these civilizations, some things have been left to speculation, but there is no denying the fact that if these civilizations never existed, the world would not be the same today.
The Maya culture has a long history that started in about 1000 BC. The history of the Maya is divided up into four different time periods: The Middle Preclassic Period, Late Preclassic Period, Classic Period, and Postclassic Period. The Middle Preclassic Period was when the small areas started to become city-like in the way that they started to build larger temples. The Late Preclassic Period was when the cities began to expand with paved roads and massive pyramids. The Classic Period was the time the Maya civilization hit it’s peak. Populations were growing rapidly and the structure of politics was formed. The Postclassic Period was when warfare was on the rise and cities were being abandoned(Coe 2005). This paper will focus on the Classic Period due to the fact that that is the greatest time period in Maya history.