1. Where are they located, both in location and the type of geography.
The Mayan civilization covered a third of Central America, mostly on the Yucatan Peninsula. They lived in what is now Yucatan, Guatemala, Belize, and southern Mexico. The area is south of the tropic of Cancer and north of the equator. It is around 900 kilometers from north to south and 550 kilometers from west to east. The land is covered with rainforests, savannas, and swamps. The highlands had volcanic mountains.
The lowlands were a limestone shelf bordered by the Gulf of Mexico and Carribean Sea. The northern climate is hot, with rain May through October. Rivers and lakes would go dry and only sinkholes filled with rainwater provided water. The south consisted of rainforests and savannahs. Rivers and lakes were fed by the Usamacinta River. The highlands were made of mountains and valleys. It was prone to tsunamis, volcanoes, and earthquakes, but had fertile soil. It had rain during May through November.
2. What is their cosmological view of the world?
The Mayan viewed earth as a flat four-cornered world. Each corner had a color associated with it: Red - East, White – North, Black – West, Yellow – South, and Center – Bluegreen. Each corner was held up by four Powahtuns (old deities). The sky was held up by four Bakabs (Human/Atlantean figures) of the correct color for each direction.
Mayan civilization had a very sophisticated understanding of celestial motion. The Sun, Moon, and Venus were particularly important to their cosmology. The Mayans attached a great deal of importance to the Zenial passage when the sun would be directly overhead. Since most Mayan cities lie south of 23 degrees North, the sun would be directly overhead twice a year near to the solstices. The Mayans also worshipped the Milky Way and had a sophisticated understanding of the ecliptic. The Mayans, like all ancient civilizations, had a geocentric view of the universe. The Earth was the fixed location from which to watch the moving objects in the sky.
3. Explain and describe some of their sacred symbols (at least 3).
The earliest known writing discovered in the Mayan script dates from about 250 BC, but the script is thought to have developed at an earlier date then that. The Mayans were known for their sophisticated culture which included many hieroglyphics.
Mayan hieroglyphics were carved into stone or bone, or even painted on pottery or written on books. The two main topics of their texts were astronomy and religious views.
Ancient Mayan Symbols:
Flower of Life
The flower of life shape contains a secret shape known as the fruit of life. It consists of 13 spheres that hold many mathematical and geometrical laws. These laws represent the whole universe.
Personal Creation
It is a depiction of the realm of God: it embodies the principle of the Three in One. It is represents the cosmic egg, a symbol of creation where the three elements: mercury, sulphur and ether which are given life God and made into matter. The central circle contains the total area of the surrounding three circles.
4. What are their sacred locations?
The Mayan civilization was one of the most advance and sophisticated cultures in the Western Hemisphere before the arrival of European explorers. It flourished between 300 and 900 AD and once consisted of over 40 cities spread across southern Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, and northern Belize. This category lists some of the most impressive ruins of these ancient cities that can be visited today. Many of these Mayan ruins have been designated World Heritage Sites. The Mayan cities, full of magnificent stone temples and pyramids, were primarily ceremonial centers. Most of the Maya lived in rural areas and were farmers who looked to the priests of the cities for direction on the best days to plant, harvest, and marry. The Maya are famed for their impressive knowledge of mathematics and astronomy, which were integral to their religious rituals. They are also known for the practice of human sacrifice, which was a means of appeasing and nourishing the gods.
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Belize
This important Mayan city flourished in the 6th century and now lies in ruins in western Belize near Guatemala. Hidden in the jungle until 1938, it contains pyramids, tombs and Mayan art.
Guatemala
A Mayan city that flourished around 700 AD in modern-day Guatemala, Tikal is best known for its towering Temple of the Two-Headed Snake.
Uxmal, Yucatan, Mexico
The late-Classic Maya site of Uxmal was built before the 10th century AD and is one of the most complex and harmonious expressions of Puuc architecture.
Chiapas, Mexico
Widely considered the most atmospheric and magical of the Mayan sites, Palenque was at its peak from 600 to 700 AD. It is famed for its unique and impressive architecture and royal history.
Yucatan, Mexico
Spectacularly located on a cliff overlooking the turquoise Caribbean Sea, Tulum is a late-Maya site that was active from around 1200 AD until the arrival of the Spanish.
Yucatan, Mexico
Chichén Itzá is the largest of the ancient Mayan ruins on the Yucatan Peninsula. A center of Mayan pilgrimage for over 1,000 years, it is now one of Mexico's most-visited tourist destinations.
Yucatan, Mexico
Much of Coba still remains to be excavated, but it is notable for its extensive system of ceremonial roads, remote jungle landscape and multiple pyramids, including the tallest in the Yucatan.
Yucatan, Mexico
Located 18 km from Uxmal, Kabah was at its peak from 800 to 900 AD. The ruins feature elaborate carvings of the rain god Chac and fine examples of the Maya vault.
5. Identify their most important gods (good, bad, and trickster). More than the name of the god is needed here.
The Maya worshipped a pantheon of nature gods, each of which had both a benevolent side and a malevolent side. The most important deity was the supreme god Itzamná, the creator god, the god of the fire and god of the hearth.
Another important Mayan god was Kukulcán, the Feathered Serpent, who appears on many temples and was later adopted by the Toltecs and Aztecs as Quetzalcoatl. Also important was Chac, a hooked-nose god of rain and lightning.
A third god that frequently appears in Mayan art is Bolon Tzacab, who is depicted with a branching nose and is often held like a sceptre in rulers' hands. He is thought to have functioned as a god of royal descent.
LINKS:
http://www.nativeweb.org/pages/pyramids/overview.html
http://www.religionfacts.com/mayan_religion/index.htm
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