Basic HTML Version
Do You Know
FireFlyz ~ 45
You May Or
Mayan Not
Believe This
The Mayan civilisation
developed in an area that
encompasses southeastern
Mexico, all of Guatemala
and Belize, and the western
portions of Honduras and
El Salvador. It has risen
and fallen several times
throughout the last 2
thousand years and actually
still lives on today in the
culture of the numerous
Mayans who inhabit the
Yucatan peninsula. Fireflyz
shares some facts about
these amazing people.
•
Although their civilisation has
declined and been conquered, in
many rural parts of Mexico and
GuatemalaMayan language and
culture perseveres.
•
It is believed amongst some linguists
that theword “shark”was originally a
Mayanword.
•
Objects were also often dangled in
front of a baby’s eyes until the baby
was cross-eyed, whichwas a desirable
trait found in nobility.
•
Childrenwere all named according to
the day onwhich they were born.
•
Mayanmedicinewas actually quite
advanced. They suturedwounds
using human hair, filled teeth, and
evenmade prosthesis.
•
Mayans used painkillers taken
fromtheir natural environment for
religious rituals (as hallucinogenic
drugs) and inmedicine (as anesthet-
ics).
•
Saunas and sweat baths played a
huge role inMayan culture. They
believed that the saunas helped
relieve themof the impurities in their
bodies.
•
Prisoners, slaves and those to be sacri-
ficedwere prepared by being painted
blue and sometimes tortured. They
were then led up to the top of one of
the pyramids. There they were either
shot with a volley of arrows or had
their still beating heart cut out of their
chest by a temple priest. Sometimes
the assistant priests would then skin
the victimand the head priest would
dress himself in the skin and perform
a ritual dance.
•
Contrary to popular belief, the
Mayans do not have just one calendar
and none of their calendars predicted
theworldwould end in 2012.
•
TheMayans had one of themost
advancedwriting systems of any
ancient civilisation andwrote on
almost anything they could find,
including their buildings.
•
Like the Aztecs,Mayans never used
iron or steel. Their weapons were
made of obsidian or volcanic rock.
•
Nobody knows how theMayan
Empire declined. Long before the
Spanish camemany of the great cities
had already been long abandoned
and lay in ruins. Scholars have hypoth-
esised reasons ranging fromdrought
and famine to overpopulation and
climate change.