Mayan Kids

Introduction to Mayan Kids

mayankid — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 05:35:20 +0000

Today the Maya homeland is being studied by archaeologists. They unearth buildings to reconstruct local cultures. They date and compare artifacts to determine where the Maya traded and what their daily lives were like.

They work with botanists, who study ancient pollen to detect changes in the climate and environment, and art historians who examine art and architecture.

Epigraphers decipher hieroglyphs to recover the history and stories from the Mayas. Just 30 years ago, a team of scientists figured out that the Maya clearly used complex sentence structure. Before then scientists thought the glyphs (the pictures that stand for words) were lists of dates and heroic feats. The Maya wrote stories that used plays on words and other language techniques. Led by expert scientists, hundreds of students continue to solve the mysteries. They work in thatched huts and work under the direction of Maya archaeologists.

Popular Maya Weaving Pattern

realfairies — Sun, 01 Jun 2008 15:48:32 +0000

Temple V — Tikal

realfairies — Tue, 13 May 2008 01:17:31 +0000

Juego de Pelota

realfairies — Mon, 12 May 2008 23:55:45 +0000

Juego de Pelota, originally uploaded by Aleksu.

Ball Court in Chichen Itza.

Palenque

realfairies — Mon, 12 May 2008 23:48:01 +0000

Palenque, originally uploaded by Mexicanwave.

Pyramid of the Magician - Uxmal

realfairies — Mon, 12 May 2008 23:46:30 +0000

The temple at the top section has a doorway in the form of a Chac mask. This pyramid is the tallest in Uxmal, but it is also known as the House of the Dwarf (Casa del Enano) because of an ancient legend stating that it was built overnight by an enchanted dwarf who then became the city’s ruler.

At the tourist entrance to the central area is the Pyramid of the Magician, (shown at right) The pyramid is 90 feet tall and built in three sections. Also on the terrace near the Governor’s Palace, is the House of the Turtles, a smaller building taking its name from its wall sculptures of turtles. The Great Pyramid measures 260 feet on each side.

The site of Uxmal is a dry grass area, but the surrounding region is heavily forested. Water was furnished by cenotes (wells formed by sinkholes in limestone) within the city or by rain-collecting pools nearby.
Rainfall and the supply of water were a constant activity for the people who lived there. They often asked Chac (the rain God) to help them. They honored Chac with hieroglyphs and with human sacrifices. Hieroglyphs reveal that an Uxmal ruler took the name “Lord Chac” about 900.

pyramid of the magician, originally uploaded by shapeshift.

Palenque, Chiapas

realfairies — Mon, 12 May 2008 23:42:10 +0000

In a dense rain forest, Palenque covers 15 square miles. The buildings are against a hill. The city was visible from a great distance so that the Maya could find their way back after a journey in the dense forest.

Palenque features many decorative designs not found anywhere else. Some of them seem almost Chinese, which makes one wonder if there was contact with East Asia. This is very unlikely, but the similarity is strange.

So far, only 34 out of 500 ruins have been excavated. But the studies have revealed a lot about ancient Mayan culture.

The Temple of Inscriptions is perhaps the most interesting pyramid. It is the tallest, and has the crypt (coffin) of Pa Kal, a Mayan priest.

Archeologists took out many fine objects which have been taken to other museums for display and study. The most famous piece, Pa Kal’s jade mosaic death mask, has been stolen from the National Museum of Anthropology in Mexico City.

Palenque, Chiapas, originally uploaded by carloco2007.

Louvre - A Modern Pyramid

realfairies — Sat, 03 May 2008 23:15:54 +0000

Louvre, originally uploaded by J.Salmoral.

Modern Pyramid

Wall of Skulls (Tzompantli), Chichen Itza

mayankid — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 05:00:34 +0000

A tzompantli is a type of wooden rack or palisade documented in several Mesoamerican civilizations, which was used for the public display of human skulls, typically those of war captives or other sacrificial victims.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

originally uploaded by jimg944.

The Nunnery, Chichen Itza

mayankid — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 04:59:16 +0000

The Nunnery, Chichen Itza, Maya Ruins,

Yucatan uploaded by jimg944.

Great Ball Court and Temple of the Jaguars, Chichen Itza

mayankid — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 04:58:22 +0000

Their castle looks like a pyramid, is called El Castillo. It’s 75 feet tall. The large steps end in two big serpent heads. The Mayans knew a lot about the calendar. On the first day of spring and the first day of fall, the sun casts shadows on the steps that look like a snake wiggling down the pyramid.

To the Maya this was a lucky symbol. It meant the golden sun had entered the earth, meaning it was time to plant corn.

The main ball court is the largest anywhere, Called the Juego de Pelota, it is one of nine ball courts built in this city. Carved on both walls of the court are scenes showing Mayan figures dressed as ball players wearing heavy protective padding. Link to Chichen Itza on Mayan Kids educational site.
Chichen Itza “chee-cha nee-sa” was created by people called the Itzles in 445 BC. About 800 years later, the city was empty. Why the people left is still a mystery. The people made many pictures of feathered serpents, eagles and jaguars.

Cenote Sagrado

Archeologists have found a fortune in gold and jade at the Cenote Sagrado sacred cenote “say no-tay” in Chichen Itza. A cenote is a deep sinkhole with water at the bottom,

This well was used strictly for ceremonies, not for drinking. According to legend, people were sacrificed here to honor the rain god Chaac. They also tossed copper, gold, and jade offerings into the cenote

he Great Ball Court and Temple of the Jaguars, originally uploaded by jimg944.

Colonnade at Temple of the Warriors, Chichen Itza

mayankid — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 04:57:27 +0000

Chichen Itza “chee-cha nee-sa” was created by people called the Itzles in 445 BC. About 800 years later, the city was empty. Why the people left is still a mystery. The people made many pictures of feathered serpents, eagles and jaguars.

Cenote Sagrado
Archaeologists have found a fortune in gold and jade at the Cenote Sagrado sacred cenote “say no-tay” in Chichen Itza. A cenote is a deep sinkhole with water at the bottom,
This well was used strictly for ceremonies, not for drinking. According to legend, people were sacrificed here to honor the rain god Chaac. They also tossed copper, gold, and jade offerings into the cenote

Temple of the Warriors, Chichen Itza, , originally uploaded by jimg944.

Caracol

mayankid — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 04:54:15 +0000

Caracol, originally uploaded by Beemans.

Coba

mayankid — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 04:07:10 +0000

More Information: mayankids.com

This early Mayan site covers a very large area, 42 square miles. Coba is a favorite site for the adventurous.

The jungle has not been cleared away and that makes it easier to feel like one is stepping back in time. It’s that Indiana Jones kind of feeling.

Coba is famous for a missing king, Chac Balam (Red Jaguar) who disappeared after age 30, with no stone records marking his death–very unusual for a Mayan ruler. It is assumed he was probably captured by enemies.

White Roads:
Mayan for “water stirred by the wind”, Coba is next to a group of shallow lakes. The archaeological remains are of a city begun in AD 600.

These structures were scattered along a system of sacbe, which means “white roads”. Each sacbe was built to exact rules. There was to be a base of stones three to 6 feet high, about 15 feet side, covered with white mortar. The remains of more than 50 sacbe have been found crossing the Peninsula There are more in Coba than in any other location.

Coba was the largest city of its time with many outlying villages, and an important trade link between the Yucatán Caribbean coast and inland cities.

The Pyramids
The second highest pyramid on the site is called La Iglesia (the church). From the top there is a view of the surrounding jungle and one of Lake Macanxoc. Nohoch Mul, the tallest pyramid here is 138 feet tall. At the top there is a small temple with a carving of the Descending God.
Stelae
There is a collection of carved stone pillars, or stelae, arranged in an area called the Grupo Macanxoc. 32 more Classic period stelae scattered throughout the Coba area.

Cunjunto Las Pinturas
Conjunto Las Pinturas was named because of the stucco paintings that once lined the walls. Here, clues of the paintings, in layers of yellow, red and blue — can still be seen on the top corner of the temple.

121, originally uploaded by photos.juliechen.

Coba 2

mayankid — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 04:06:12 +0000

This early Mayan site covers a very large area, 42 square miles. It is a favorite site for the adventurous. At Coba, the jungle has not been cleared away and that makes it easier to feel like one is stepping back in time. It’s that Indiana Jones kind of feeling.

White Roads:

Mayan for “water stirred by the wind”, Coba is next to a group of shallow lakes. The archaeological remains are of a city begun in AD 600.

The Pyramids

The second highest pyramid on the site is called La Iglesia (the church). From the top there is a view of the surrounding jungle and one of Lake Macanxoc. Nohoch Mul, the tallest pyramid here is 138 feet tall. At the top there is a small temple with a carving of the Descending God.

Stelae
There is a collection of carved stone pillars, or stelae, arranged in an area called the Grupo Macanxoc. 32 more Classic period stelae scattered throughout the Coba area.
Cunjunto Las Pinturas
Conjunto Las Pinturas was named because of the stucco paintings that once lined the walls. Here, clues of the paintings, in layers of yellow, red and blue — can still be seen on the top corner of the temple.

159, originally uploaded by photos.juliechen.

El Castillo in Tulum

mayankid — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 04:04:58 +0000

El Castillo in Tulum, originally uploaded by Alaskan Dude.

Palenque

realfairies — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 04:03:01 +0000

Palenque is a Maya archeological site in the Mexican state of Chiapas, located about 130 km south of Ciudad del Carmen. It is a medium-sized site, much smaller than such huge sites as Tikal or Copán, but it contains some of the finest architecture, sculpture, roof comb and bas-relief carvings the Maya produced.

More Information on Mayan Kids:Palenque

DSCF1000.JPG, originally uploaded by Jo Simon.

Palenque

mayankid — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 04:02:31 +0000

uploaded by procsilas.

Uxmal - Palacio del Gobernador

mayankid — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 04:01:15 +0000

Uxmal is a large pre-Columbian ruined city of the Maya civilization in the state of Yucatán, Mexico. It is 78 km south of Mérida, Yucatán

Uxmal is pronounced “Oosh-mahl”. The place name is Pre-Columbian and it is usually assumed to be a Maya language phrase meaning “Built Three Times”

When discovered, Uxmal was in better condition than many other Maya sites thanks to being very well built.

Much was built with well cut stones set into concrete to hold the building together. The Maya architecture here is considered matched only by that of Palenque in elegance and beauty. The architecture is the Puuc style.

Some of the more noteworthy buildings include:

The Governor’s Palace, a long low building atop a huge platform, with the longest façades in Pre-Columbian Mesoamerica.

The Adivino or Pyramid of the Magician, a fine pyramid temple unusual. The layers of the step pyramid are oval, rather than the usual rectangular shape. It was a common to build new pyramids over older ones, but here a newer pyramid was built slightly east of the older pyramid,. On the west side the old temple is preserved, with the newer temple above it.

The Nunnery Quadrangle is the finest of Uxmal’s several fine long buildings with elaborately carved façades

A large Ballcourt for playing the Mesoamerican ballgame, which an inscription indicating it was dedicated in 901 by the ruler Chan Chak K’ak’nal Ajaw, also known as Lord Chac.

Oother temple-pyramids include House of the Birds, House of the Turtles, Grand Pyramid, House of the Doves,

The majority of hieroglyphic inscriptions are on a series of stone stelae unusually grouped together on one platform. The stelae carvings show the ancient rulers of the city.

Uxmal - Palacio del Gobernador, originally uploaded by Jahmarcos.

Uxmal

mayankid — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 04:00:41 +0000

DSC_0019, originally uploaded by Adam_d_.

Uxmal Yucatan, Mexico

mayankid — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 03:59:36 +0000

Uxmal Yucatan, Mexico, originally uploaded by Esparta.

Uxmal Yucatan, Mexico

mayankid — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 03:58:45 +0000

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Uxmal Yucatan, Mexico, originally uploaded by Esparta.