Maya

A Mayan jade mask pectoral or belt ornament (probably from the ancient Mayan city at Palenque in Mexico) (Museum of Mankind, London, England). Palenque flourished c. AD 600–900, in what is now Chiapas state, Mexico. In 1952, a funerary crypt was discovered beneath the ancient temple, containing the richest collection of jade ever found in a Mayan tomb. The remains of what may have been a ruler-priest were heavily adorned with jade ornament, while his face had been fitted with a mask of jade mosaic.

A terracotta vase made by the Maya people during what is now known as their late classical period, AD 600–900. The design and decoration are traditional. Maya pottery was the wonder of contemporary neighbouring peoples in Central America: one example of it was found 1,600 km/1,000 miles south of the site of manufacture.

Slate carving of a Mayan Indian. The Maya spread into Belize and other tropical lowland areas in around 2000 BC. One of the oldest known Mayan sites is at Cuello, a minor ceremonial centre. Archaeologists have uncovered temple buildings and sophisticated pottery artefacts, and nearby burials have provided evidence of the rituals and traditions that were practised.

The Mayan palace at Palenque, Chiapas state, southern Mexico. Built during the late classic period around 600 under the rule of Lady K'an Ik', the palace is approximately 90 m/295 ft long and 75 m/246 ft wide. Its walls are made of plaster, with limestone carvings, stucco, and terracotta images inside. The central tower is thought to be an observatory or watchtower.

Mayan ruins in the ancient city of Palenque, Chiapas state, southern Mexico. Palenque was one of the major cities of Mayan civilisation during the late classic period, from about 600–900. Structures such as the Temple of the Inscriptions are known not only for their distinctive architectural style, but also for their carvings, bas reliefs, and hieroglyphics.

Pre-Columbian ruins at Copán, Honduras, Central America. Occupied between around 400 and 800, Copán was one of the most important royal sites of the Mayan civilization. The extensive ruins at the site include temples, pyramids, stelae, ball courts, and the carved Hieroglyphic Stairway leading to one of the temples.

Pre-Columbian ruins at Copán, Honduras, Central America. Copán was a major centre of the Mayan civilization, reaching its peak in the 8th century. Much is known about the lives and times of the inhabitants of the site as a result of 500 years of exploration and study, beginning with Spanish explorers in the early 16th century and continuing with extensive excavations today.

Mayan temple in Belize, Central America. When the Mayans were at the height of their powers, the region was important and heavily populated; Belize has numerous Mayan temples and settlements, dating as far back as 200 BC.

Member of a prehistoric American Indian civilization originating in the Yucatán Peninsula in Central America about 2600 BC, with later sites in Mexico, Guatemala, and Belize. Their language belonged to the Totonac-Mayan family. From AD 325 to 925 (Classical Period) the Maya culture dominated the region, after which it declined under pressure from the Toltec and, from the 16th century, the Spanish. The Maya are known for their ceremonial centres, which included stepped pyramids, ball courts, and astronomical observatories. Today Maya live in Yucatán, Guatemala, Belize, and western Honduras, and number 8–9 million (1994 est). Many speak Maya along with Spanish, but they are now Roman Catholic.

The Maya were originally ruled by a theocracy supported by taxation and tribute; they traded with their neighbours to the north and south. Maya beliefs were based on land, which was held in common until the arrival of the Spanish. They celebrated a complex religion with a calendar, many deities, and ceremonies that included a kind of ball game and human sacrifice. They constructed stone buildings and stepped pyramids without metal tools; used hieroglyphic writing in manuscripts, of which only three survive; were skilled potters, weavers, and farmers; and regulated their rituals and warfare by observations of the planet Venus.

At the beginning of the Post-Classic period (AD 900–1521), Toltecs from the Valley of Mexico moved south into the area, building new ceremonial centres and dominating the local people. Nevertheless, Maya sovereignty was maintained, for the most part, until late in the Spanish conquest (1560s) in some areas. In the 1980s more than 100,000 Maya fled from Guatemala to Mexico in response to a Guatemalan military campaign of terrorizing and killing the Mayan people.

maya

In Hindu philosophy, mainly in the Vedānta, the cosmos that Isvara, the personal expression of Brahman, or the atman, has called into being. This is real, yet also an illusion, since its reality is not everlasting.