Mayan Civilization

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Similar to Silicon Valley today, the Mayan civilization was the most advanced of its time. At its height, the ancient society had a population of around eight million. Only remnants of the civilization stand today since they had been invaded by the Spaniards. Nevertheless, the abandoned places serve as portals to the past. Chichen Itza and Palenque are the most renowned cities. The current ruinous conditions of these two places are in contrast to the fact that both were once magnificent cities of the ancient society.

Thousands of years ago, the Maya were among the world's most advanced civilizations. They studied astronomy and mathematics and are credited with developing the calendar. Mesoamerica is the term used to describe the area …show more content…

It was founded in the late Pre-classic period, and around A.D. 500, it gained traction as the most powerful capital in the region. It spans about 1780 hectares, but about only 10% has been explored (“Pre-Hispanic City and National Park of Palenque”). Exploring Palenque is difficult because after the Maya left the city, dense forestry grew around it. This is lamentable since most of the place presently remains intact due to the high craftsmanship in its construction. The name Palenque stems from the Spanish explorer Pedro Lorenzo de la Nada, who named Palenque for its beautiful red-blue stucco that adorned the temples. The city is remembered for its architecture, sculptures, and paintings (Hearn). The style of architecture is refined, having vaulted roofs and modeled stucco scenes. UNESCO, an agency of the United Nations, states that Palenque contained “habitation units, funery[s] and ritual and productive activity areas.” The city was so advanced for that it contained aqueduct channels, which they used for fountains and filling water canteens. Palenque had a blueprint of its urban layout and contained some of the largest clearings of any other Mayan city. Paintings portray that Palenque was commonly under attack from around A.D. 599 to A.D. 711. The population declined, and by the time the Spanish arrived, the city was already abandoned (Hearn). It can be assumed that the Maya left Palenque to avoid more conflict with the

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