Ancient Mayan Civilization: Innovations and Beliefs

Scientific and Architectural Prowess

Architectural Detail and Ingenuity

It is amazing to imagine the detail that the Mayans were able to create in their architecture with only primitive tools.

Advanced Calendar and Timekeeping

For the Mayans, science and religion were intrinsically linked. Time was extremely important, and their agriculture and religious ceremonies required a system that could accurately record time. That need for structure is probably the reason that the Mayans developed such an amazingly accurate calendar.

Mathematical and Astronomical Discoveries

Through their profound knowledge of astronomy and mathematics, they calculated the lunar cycle, predicted eclipses, and formulated a unique calendar system that was remarkably accurate. Their calendar was only one day off every 6,000 years, making it more accurate than our calendar today (Hooker, p. 6). Two fundamental ideas in mathematics that were discovered by the Mayans are the positional value and the concept of zero.

Complex Hieroglyphic Writing

They also developed a complex style of hieroglyphic writing that we have not yet fully deciphered.

Religious Philosophy and Practices

Cosmic Cycles and Human Accommodation

One important aspect of their religion is that it is based on accommodating humanity to the cycles of the universe. They believed that the universe functions in a logical, cyclical, and predictable way, and that human beings can exploit that cyclical nature by accommodating themselves to those cycles (Hooker, p. 5).

Ceremonial Rituals and Sacrifice

Religious ceremonies involved a variety of activities, including:

• Dancing
• Competitions
• Dramatic performances
• Prayer
• Sacrifice

The body parts typically pierced for ritual bloodletting were usually the tongue, ears, lips, or penis. The higher one's position in the hierarchy, the more blood they were expected to give.

Societal Structure and Development

A Complex, Farm-Based Society

The Mayans were a complex society. It is hard to imagine that they accomplished so much when they were primarily a farm-based society. The interconnectedness of their lives had a great impact on their advancements.

Urban Centers and Cultural Flourishing

They needed to create a calendar in order to:

• Plant and harvest crops
• Plan for religious ceremonies
• Keep track of important events

Their religion offered them a way to come together in the cities, which in turn provided a place to develop art and writings. This urban environment gave them a reason to record their history. The Mayans were a unique and interesting culture, a highly developed society for their time.

Works Cited

Hooker, Richard. World Civilizations. Washington State University, 1996.