The Lost Kingdom of the Maya PDF

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The Lost Kingdom of the Maya film notes. Notes taken in preparation for the final exam....

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Brandon Ray Santos 11/09/18 Anthropology 151 Lab Session Lost Kingdoms of the Maya 1849, western hunduras. American explorer leading an expedition in a maya kingdom. 100 kingdoms Tikal Dos Pilas Caracol Copan Clues lie where the maya bury their dead Classic maya had no interest in burial, 1992 tomb was discovered of a royal family member. Pot was found with paint and hieroglyphic writing. Today only half of the hieroglyphs can be read and understood. Predicted eclipses by reading stars. Seemed to be fascinated by their own time. Before a maya king the mayans were farmers living in peace. However, a change occurred, buildings made from stone were coming out of the jungle. Trade of shells, cacao beans and feathers were exchanged and traded. Ball game was played, believed if they played the game the right way and pleased the gods the right way there would be a bountiful harvest. Gods were believed to be the source of all life and only royal family members could communicate with them. Blood was the vehicle which carried their “souls” to activate what they believed to be the forces of nature. King would pierce his foreskin after days of fasting and let blood drip on a paper strip to start a ritual.

Believed to open a doorway to the gods, when the paper was burned they could see their gods. Maya passion for ritual was the first thing observed by the Spanish when they arrived. Catholic church banned old ways of worship and the believers went underground. Their clothes had different colors and designs which resembled which village you came from. When a maya woman wears her clothes she is aligned to the center of the earth like the tree of life. Mayans believed they went to the underworld after they died called chibalba. Caracol known for the amount of tombs discovered there. Ordinary people were buried under the houses while royals were put in tombs. Wasn’t uncommon to bury family members together. For mayans their temples had different layers each with a different level of importance. Blades were found in the tomb of Rosalila. 9 to be specific that could depict the nine mayan nights that were used in ceremonies and rituals. Caracol raided Tikal and defeated it. Royals of Tikal moved away towards the jungle. Maya were very violent people, constantly engaged in warfare. 1990, discovered evidence to support this. Hieroglyphic text that depicted battles and records the outcomes. Maya warfare was ritualized and moved towards a religious aspect where one of the kings were captured and sacrificed. Ritualized warfare pointed towards expansion and a change of warfare. It was a war for conquest to actually absorb the land that was owned by the defeated enemies....