Page 23 - Central America

nstead, the hieroglyphics boasted of the ac-
Icomplishments of a war-like elite. Many of
the great Mayan buildings were monuments
to great military leaders. Settlements with large
structures served as centers for trade, but pri-
marily for the accumulation of riches for the elite
of Mayan society. Those who contributed to cul-
ture, artisans and astronomers among them,
were highly esteemed, but a ruling elite held
the riches and the power. The Maya reached
their peak between A.D. 200 and A.D. 900 when
they declined for reasons unknown. Many of the
major sites were abandoned, others lasted until
the 17th century. Many of the ruins were redis-
covered during the 19th century when logging
brought the ancient centers to light. Almost all
of the ancient sites had been covered and hid-
den by dense jungle overgrowth. Among the
Maya, social hierarchy played an important
role and nobility enjoyed special privileges and
exercised absolute power. Some of the Mayan
ruins still have preserved inscriptions and paint-
ings. The nobles were warriors and glorified for
their victories. Mayan art required a wide range
of specialized craftsmen to make the paintings,
carved stone and stucco sculptures. Dances
were an important part of religious events.
Musicians played the drums, wooden and clay
trumpets and flutes, rattles and scrapers. Mayan
art is impressive not only because of its size but also portrayed the works commissioned during
also because of its harmonious composition.
The common people and slaves were re-
sponsible for providing material goods.
Under the supervision of priests, activities such
as slash and burn agriculture, hunting and
building were carried out collectively. Most of
the goods obtained by the lower classes were
handed over as tribute to the noble classes
comprised of Lords and Priests. The Lord class
practiced cranial deformation and perforated
the nasal septum, lips and ear lobes to insert
nose rings, lower lip and ear rings. They filed
their teeth and inlaid then with obsidian, jade
and pyrite stones. The Maya tattooed their
skin and painted their bodies for ritual or war.
Mayan buildings were erected around large
open squares, where the people participated
in religious celebrations. Construction and the
use of blocks of limestone were covered with a
layer of stucco which served as the base for and
painting the buildings with different colors. The
buildings were decorated with sculptures mod-
eled in stucco or carved in stone; on which they
depicted their rulers ascending to power. They
the Lords rule, alternating them with mythical
beings. Maya gods represented the forces of
nature, The same God could be beneficial or
harmful, male or female, and provide energy
for life or death. The ancient Maya represented
the universe with an enormous silt cotton tree.
The branches supported the heavens (Caan),
man’s life on earth (Cab) took place within the
trunk and the roots sank into the underworld
or Xibalba. They believed the earth was square
and thought it was supported by an enormous
alligator or turtle. Heaven was divided into thir-
teen levels ruled by the same number of Gods;
while the underworld was divided into nine lev-
els. Mayan civilization thrived until around 800
when a decline began. Tikal was abandoned,
and the process of recording events stopped
there by 900. Uxmal showed more develop-
ment around 850, but it was abandoned around
925.