Where the Maya went: the mystery of the vanished civilization. Origin and occupation of the ancient people of Mesoamerica

The history of Mayan civilization is full of mysteries. One of them - the reason for the sudden disappearance of this ancient people, reached a surprisingly high level of development of culture.

Origin and habitat

Maya, one of the civilizations of Mesoamerica, began to form around 2000 BC. E. It has developed on the territory of the Mexican states of Yucatán and Tabasco, the countries of Guatemala and Belize, Honduras and El Salvador. The area on which these ancient tribes lived is divided into three climatic zones: stony and arid mountainous terrain, tropical selva and areas with rich fauna.

As for the origin of the people, as well as about where the Maya disappeared, there are several theories. There is a version that they came from Asia, and even a fantastic assumption that they are descendants of the inhabitants of mythical Atlantis. Another theory claims that they come from Palestine. The proof is given by the fact that many elements of Maya religion are similar to Christian ones (the idea of the coming of the Messiah, the symbol of the cross). In addition, the architecture of this people is very much like the Egyptian one, and this suggests that it is somehow connected with Ancient Egypt.

Maya Indians: the history of the great civilization

Researchers were lucky - many sources have survived, along which it is possible to make a picture of the life of this ancient people. Its history is divided into several large periods.

In the pre-classical era, the Maya tribes were small tribes that subsisted on hunting and gathering. Around 1000 BC. E. There are many small settlements of farmers. El Mirador is one of the first Mayan cities, now famous for its huge pyramidal complex with a height of 72 meters. It was the largest metropolis of the pre-classical period.

The next epoch (400 BC - 250 AD) is characterized by great changes in the life of the Indians. There is a rapid growth of cities, erected monumental architectural complexes.

250-600 years. N. E. - the time of the classical era of the development of the civilization of the ancient people of Mesoamerica. During this period, rival city-states emerged. Their architecture was represented by magnificent architectural structures. Usually the buildings were located around a rectangular central square and were decorated with masks of gods and mythological characters carved into stone. The history of the Mayan tribe says that the peculiarity of their settlements was the presence in the city center of pyramids up to 15 meters high.

By the end of the classical period, the population of the lowlands of Guatemala reached an impressive population of 3 million.

The late classical period is the time of the highest flowering culture of the ancient people of Mesoamerica. Then the great cities of Uxmal, Chichen Itza and Koba were founded. The population of each of them was from 10 to 25 thousand people. The history of the Maya tribe can not but surprise - at the same time in medieval Europe there were no such large settlements.

Maya classes and crafts

The main occupation of Indians was agriculture (slash-and-burn and irrigation), beekeeping and craft. Cultivated maize (main culture), beans, tomatoes, pumpkin, various kinds of pepper, tobacco, cotton, sweet potato and various seasonings. An important culture was cocoa.

We were engaged in Maya and growing fruit. Now it is difficult to say which of the fruit trees were cultural. The inhabitants used to eat papaya, avocado, ramon, chicosapote, nancet, maranion.

Despite the high level of development, the Maya never ceased to engage in gathering. The palm leaves were used as a material for the roofing of roofs and raw materials for weaving baskets, the collected resin was used as an incense, and the flour was prepared from the scoop.

Hunting and fishing were also among the main occupations of the Indians.

From archaeological research it is clear that in Yucatan and Guatemala there lived skilful artisans: armourers, weavers, jewelers, sculptors and architects.

Architecture

The Mayans are known for their majestic buildings: pyramidal complexes and palaces of rulers. In addition, they created beautiful sculptures and bas-reliefs, the main motives of which were anthropomorphic deities.

Sacrifices

Among the buildings that have survived to this day, the main part is occupied by religious buildings. This fact and other sources allow us to conclude that religion occupied the central place in Maya life. They are known for their rituals of bloodletting and the human sacrifices offered to the gods. The most cruel of the rites was the burial of the victim alive, as well as ripping the stomach and pulling the heart out of the body of a still living person. Not only prisoners but also tribesmen were brought to the sacrifice.

The mystery of the disappearance of the people

The question of where the Maya went is still of interest to many researchers. It is known that by the 9th century the southern territories of the Indians' existence had become empty. For some reason, residents began to leave the city. Soon this process spread to the central Yucatan. Where did the Mayans go and why did they leave their homes? There is still no answer to this question. There are hypotheses that try to explain the sudden disappearance of one of the peoples of Mesoamerica. Researchers call the following reasons: enemy invasions, bloody uprisings, epidemics and ecological catastrophe. Perhaps Maya violated the balance between nature and man. The rapidly growing population finally exhausted natural resources and began to experience serious problems with a shortage of fertile soils and drinking water.

The last hypothesis about the decay of the Mayan civilization suggests that this was due to a severe drought, which led to the devastation of the cities.

None of these theories has received serious confirmation, and the question of where the Maya went is still open.

Modern Maya

The ancient people of Mesoamerica did not disappear without a trace. He survived in his descendants - the modern Maya Indians. They continue to live in the homeland of their famous ancestors - in Guatemala and Mexico, preserving their language, customs and way of life.