The Features of Mayan Architecture

The following paper is made for the purpose of publicizing an issue as important and historic as it is "Maya Architecture",the characteristics of the Mayan architecture. Mayan architectural elements, ceremonial platforms, pyramids, Temple, cresting, Orientation, Maya Vault, Stele, Glyph, Urban Design, Building Materials, Construction Process, Regional Architectural Styles. The Mayan architecture is the richest in the New World, because of the complexity and variety of means of expression. Structures gigantic limestone stucco covered were his hallmark.

The buildings were decorated with masks and crests carved in stone and stucco and generally painted red, by the large amount of limestone available in Peten Maya lands , lime and mixing was easily produced impressive allowing the construction of pyramids and palaces , usually in the Preclassic pyramids were crowned with three wooden temples and thatch , known as " triadic complexes " , during the classic had one or two rooms with the Maya vault feature . To make walls , they used blocks in two rows , then topped with small stones , and other materials, in Tikal , El Naranjo , Wala ' , and many other sites , found pieces of steles and obsidian as filler , as previous structures . Imperfections in the path layers were offset stucco decorations . What we see now , is the last stage of construction, but in reality it is not uncommon to find more than 5 construction phases . The Stucco Limestone was made with cooked, and mixed with an organic glue extracted from a tree known locally endemic Holol Petén, mixed with lime and sascab, a natural mineral like limestone. The building known of the Maya is the Temple I or the Great Jaguar in Tikal, which served at the famous Tomb Hasaw K'a...

... middle of paper ...

...ries about Mayan architecture and the results of these findings have been beautiful pieces representing the Mayan culture. The Mayan culture is one of many cultures that are represented by works of art with only natural elements such as wood , stone , paintings , ceramics, among others.

Works Cited

Ranney, Edward. Stonework of the Maya. 1st ed. universityf new mexio press alburquerque: the meriden gravure company, 1974. 1-76. Print.

Andrews, George. Maya Cities placemaking and urbanization. 1st ed. oklahoma: universit o oklahoma, 1975. 1-435. Print.

Stuart, David, and George Stuart. Palenque Eternal City of the Maya. 1st ed. W W norton & CO Inc, 2008. 1-272. Print.

Herderson, John. World of the Ancient Maya. 2nd ed. cornell University press, 1-352. Print.

Thompson, john. The Rise and Fall of Maya Civilization. 2 edition . Univ of Oklahoma, 1973. 335. Print.