The ancient Maya patterned their lives according to precedents set by their first ancestors. Nearly all aspects of Maya faith begin with their view of the creation, when the gods and divine forebears established the world at the beginning of time.
From their hieroglyphic texts and art carved on stone monuments and buildings, or painted on pottery, we can now piece together much of the Maya view of the creation, even down to the precise date of the beginning of creation.
Ancient Mayan Art
The ancient Maya culture was the more advanced in the American continent, moreover, the World of the Maya has many faces: some of them ancient, as found carved on Sculptures, paintings and towering temples, others as modern as those of the people who live in Guatemala today. They are the descendants of the ancient Maya people.
The problem with the Ancient Mayan culture is that like after a plane crash, the bits and pieces lie scattered around. In the event of a plane crash, though, technicians can use the blueprints of the original airplane to restructure what's left.
Ancient Mayan Guatemala
Most archaeologists Archaeology agree that ancient Guatemala was the cultural and commerce center of the Americas, and that the Mayan civilization, is the jewel of all ancient American cultures, and one of the greatest civilizations the world has ever known.
Once centered in what is now Guatemala, extending through-out the nation and into neighboring Chiapas, Yucatán, Campeche, Belize, El Salvador and Honduras a region known as Mesoamérica.
Facts about Mayan Culture
It is believed the first humans reached Central America about 15,000 years ago. The first identifiable culture, Clovis, existed around 10,000 BC.
Some stone tools dating back to 9,000 BC have been found in Guatemala. Around this time, the Fourth Ice Age was drawing to a close and the climate was gradually warming up enabling humans to begin eating more plants and less meat. This change was underway around 8,000 BC.
Ancient Mayan Language
Language is another important reason why the ancient Mayan culture qualifies as a civilization in its own right. Today, 28 Mayan languages coming from the same Proto-Mayan root are still spoken in Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Belize and the Southeastern states of Mexico. This more or less defines the area where they built their ceremonial centers with temples and palaces.
Between 250 and 900 AD Mayan culture reached its maximum splendor. This period is known as the Classic Period. The Classic is when the socio-economical development and stratification permits small groups to gain control over a multitude of communities for the benefit of a few specialized minorities in the city-centers. In other words: there is a small elite that parasites on a large mass of people.
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