Mayan Culture

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The first thing I think of or most people think of when they hear the word Mayans, is how they think the Mayans believed the world was ending December 21, 2012. From research though, you find out that this not the case at all. And the Mayans didn’t believe that at all it is just a new age theory. The Mayans are such a rich culture and have so much history behind them. The ethnic Mayans are one of the earliest developed civilizations. They are a native Mesoamerican people that were founded back in 250 A.D. The Mayans flourished until about 900 A.D., most say their fall came after the Spanish conquest. Some aspects though still are alive mostly the Mayan Indians of Mexico and Central America. The first 650 years scholars call the “Classic Period” and there were over 40 Mayan cities across Mexico, Guatemala, and Northern Belize mostly. No one is completely sure though why the decline happened after 900 A.D. but most suspect because of the destruction and scattering because of the wars. The Mayan culture is fascinating. Three aspects of it that I believe to be important and that more people should know and learn about are their spiritual beliefs, their language, and their economy.
The Mayans are an extraordinary culture but I find that their beliefs are truly what make them fascinating. The Mayans believe in polytheism which is the belief in or worship of more than one god. Their beliefs involve more than that though, their beliefs involve astronomy, divination, human sacrifice (in the past), elaborate burial services, and worship in pyramids. After 900 A.D., because of the Spanish conquering, most converted into Roman Catholicism but kept some Mayan practices such as Mayan cosmology, deities, and domestic rituals. There is not very ...

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...depth, it is amazing the facts I found out about them and how they became the culture they are. Their beliefs are the most fascinating to me just because their beliefs are so unique compared to other cultures and it made me find out the truth that how most Americans believe they thought the world was going to end isn’t true and really the Mayans didn’t believe the world was going to end. Now, I know that they are much more than that. I hope that they can survive and continue a culture that has been around for centuries making it unbelievably historic and rich in culture. I hope someday I can visit the Mayan culture because that would be fascinating to see in person this diverse and enrich myself in a different culture that I believe to be one of the most interesting ones I have learned about. The Mayans are an amazing culture that others should learn about too.

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