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AMÉRICA PRECOLOMBINA 2: La Civilización Maya - Los Mayas - El calendario maya (Documental Historia)
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AMÉRICA PRECOLOMBINA 2: La Civilización Maya - Los Mayas - El calendario maya (Documental Historia)

Introduction

The video introduces the topic of the origin of the Maya civilization.

Early Maya Civilization

  • The early Maya lived in the Guatemalan Highlands and were called Mokaya, or corn people.
  • They began to populate the Lowlands and Peten jungle during the Late Formative and Protoclassic period.
  • El Mirador was one of the first Mayan cities to build a triadic pyramid, such as Pyramid Tapir.
  • The Mayan civilization extended its rule over Mexican states and Central American countries like Guatemala, Belize, Honduras, and El Salvador.

Mayan Culture

  • During the Late Formative and Protoclassic period, Mayan culture developed trade, mathematics, astronomy, and became more hierarchical.
  • The city of El Mirador was located in thick jungle with diverse wildlife such as jaguars, armadillos, tapirs, howler monkeys, rabbits, foxes, deer toucans and parrots.
  • Slash-and-burn agriculture was widespread among Maya populations due to dense forests.
  • Wells were thought to be entrances to Xibalba (the underworld), but it is not known if they were used for water deposits.

Mayan Writing System

  • Hieroglyphic writing began developing around 300 BC in some Maya populations.
  • More than 1000 signs were used in their writing system with many phonetic signs representing a sign or syllable.
  • Four Mayan texts have survived time including Dresden Codex.

Mathematics & Astronomy

  • Mayan mathematics was advanced with a vigesimal system and the representation of zero with a shell from 30 BC.
  • The Maya obtained much of their knowledge through trade with Olmecs and Zapotecs.
  • The tzolkin or ritual calendar was 260 days, combined with the solar calendar to form the Calendar Round.
  • The Venusian Account measured 584 days fixed in the movements of this planet.
  • According to the Long Count, the last cycle began on August 11, 3114 BC.

Preclásico Collapse

  • Around 100 BC and 200 AD occurred known as Preclásico collapse, in which some cities eventually abandoned.

Mayan Civilization

This section provides an overview of the Mayan civilization, including their cities, writing system, and government.

Flourishing Cities

  • The Mayan civilization had many flourishing cities during the classical period.
  • Some of the most powerful centers were Yaxchilan, Calakmul, Palenque, Copan, Becan, Uaxactún and Tikal.

Government and Society

  • The Mayans had a variety of forms of government ranging from small chiefdoms to states covering large territories.
  • The society was organized by the government of the day called Huinic Halak.
  • There were elites who ruled over people with the help of administrative class responsible for organizing taxation and labor.

Writing System

  • The Mayans had a glyphic writing system that spread throughout their territory.
  • Many historical and cultural facts about these people are etched in stone using this writing system.

Religion

  • The Mayans had many gods including Itzamná (the creator god), Chaac (the rain deity), and Ah Puch (the god of death).
  • Priests known as Ah Kin performed human sacrifices in pyramids and cenotes.
  • They also taught history, astronomy, fortune telling or writing in priestly schools.

Social Classes in Maya Civilization

This section provides an overview of social classes in Maya civilization.

Upper Class

  • The upper class was composed of nobility and priests who had the title of Ahaw.
  • They were buried in rock-cut temples and other buildings on cameras.
  • They were also cremated and their ashes were buried under the main squares of cities.

Middle Class

  • The middle class was made up of artisans, merchants, officers, and soldiers.
  • As the Mayans did not learn virtually anything about metallurgy, these soldiers had to settle weapons such as the javelin thrower also bow in the post-classical; cotton hardened armor and wooden shields.

Lower Class

  • The social base was composed of poor rural families who kept the state.
  • Men could devote hunting, trade, to farming while women performed many different tasks including being priests, teachers, healers, cesteras.
  • Many women also engaged in the textile sector.

Trade in Maya Civilization

This section provides an overview of trade in Maya civilization.

Long-Distance Trade

  • The Mayans maintained relations with distant Teotihuacan through long-distance trade.
  • In the lowlands there were cotton, honey, wax, salt, limestone, incense, furs and exotic feathers while in highlands you could find cacao,jade obsidian and other volcanic rocks.

Currency

  • Payments were based on barter although it seems that at one time used as currency seeds cocoa pieces of jade or shells.

Mayan Civilization Overview

This section provides an overview of the Mayan civilization, including important cities and rulers.

Important Cities and Rulers

  • Tikal lost a war against the city of Caracol in Belize, achieving temporary supremacy. Another important city was Palenque, which was governed by King Janaab Kinich Pakal or Pacal the Great from 615 to 683.
  • The Temple of Inscriptions, Pakal Tomb, built by his son Kinich Kan Balám II is famous. He followed in his father's footsteps and built magnificent buildings like the group of temples of Las Cruces.
  • In around 650, Calakmul attacked Tikal's outpost of Dos Pilas and became a vassal city. With the ascent to the throne of Tikal in 682 Jasaw Chan Kawiil I regained its independence in 695.
  • Copan conquered Yikin Chan Kawiil Calakmul about 736. Two years later, an ally of Tikal in lowlands south started having problems with Quiroguá.

Rise and Fall of Mayan Centers

This section discusses how small regional centers emerged as pre-eminent centers declined.

Rise and Fall

  • Around 800 almost all Mayan centers were involved in wars with each other. Some defended themselves while others tried to destroy their neighbors for resources.
  • Small regional centers emerged as pre-eminent centers declined. Some allied themselves while others preferred to be independent.
  • Toniná had a gigantic pyramid about 74 meters high while cities that allied themselves became more powerful and ended up being self-destructed from within.

Maya Collapse and Post-Classical Period

This section discusses the reasons for the collapse of the Mayan civilization and its post-classical period.

Reasons for Collapse

  • Multiple internal wars between kingdoms, agriculture burning, food shortages, droughts, epidemics, decline of Teotihuacán and trade disruptions are some of the reasons for the collapse.
  • Many advanced knowledge was lost but the Maya did not disappear overnight nor without a trace. Many people went to live north where they prospered cities like Chichén Itzá.

Post-Classical Period

  • The post-classical centers had much influence from Toltec and other towns.
  • Uxmal had an architecture that mixed different Mayan styles and central Mexico. The Temple of Kukulcan is impressive with 365 steps while Sayil has a large palace decorated with sculptures and engravings of creatures from mythology.

Rise and Fall of Mayan Empires

This section discusses the rise and fall of Mayan empires in the Yucatan peninsula.

Chichén Itzá and Mayapán

  • Chichén Itzá collapsed around 1221, while neighboring Mayapán took control of the area.
  • The domain of Mayapán lasted for 2.5 centuries until it was destroyed and abandoned in 1448.
  • King Hunac Ceel led a confederation of lineages that helped him take control of the area, possibly with help from Toltec groups.
  • The people rose against Cocoma dynasty that ruled the city, leading to its destruction.

Fragmentation and Hiding

  • After the fall of Mayapán, Maya fragmented into 18 independent principalities engaged in fighting among themselves.
  • Many other people hid in remote areas of the jungle.
  • Some took refuge in cities like Tayasal on an island in a lake or Tulum on the coast with its famous castle that could be used as a beacon.

Kingdom of Quiché

  • Not all Maya power was concentrated in northern Yucatan; highlands between Chiapas and Guatemala were governed by the bellicose Kingdom of Quiché.
  • People lived in Qumarkaj, a city-fortress that ended up giving milk with other people as kaqchikeles.
Video description

La civilización maya fue una de las más avanzadas y duraderas del mundo precolombino, desarrollándose en un amplio territorio que abarcaba el sur de México, Guatemala, Belice, y partes de Honduras y El Salvador. En este vídeo exploramos la historia de los mayas, desde sus orígenes en el Preclásico (hacia el 2000 a.C.) hasta el colapso de sus grandes ciudades del periodo Clásico (siglos III al IX d.C.) y su resistencia final en el Posclásico, hasta la llegada de los españoles en el siglo XVI. Los mayas destacaron por su sofisticado sistema de escritura jeroglífica, su conocimiento astronómico, su arquitectura monumental y su organización política basada en ciudades-estado como Tikal, Calakmul, Palenque, Copán o Chichén Itzá. Construyeron templos, palacios, observatorios y canchas para el juego de pelota, y desarrollaron una religión compleja centrada en el maíz, los ciclos cósmicos y los dioses creadores como Itzamná, Kukulkán y Chaac. Uno de los logros más fascinantes de los mayas fue su calendario, compuesto por varios sistemas que funcionaban en paralelo. El Tzolk'in, de 260 días, y el Haab', de 365 días, formaban juntos la Rueda Calendárica, mientras que la Cuenta Larga permitía registrar fechas a lo largo de siglos. Gracias a su observación astronómica precisa, los mayas podían predecir eclipses, calcular solsticios y seguir el movimiento de Venus. Su forma de medir el tiempo no era solo técnica: tenía un profundo significado ritual y cíclico, vinculado a la cosmovisión y al orden del universo. 🚀➤Patreon → https://bit.ly/2E3zmkS 🎥➤Canal de Cine → https://bit.ly/2Q2hEmj 🐥➤Twitter → https://bit.ly/2YpvuCh 🖼➤Instagram → https://bit.ly/2JfEXIT 📮➤Facebook → https://bit.ly/2JBaMeK 🔏➤Mi Blog → https://bit.ly/2HgsRvI #Historia #Mayas #Documental CULTURAS PRECOLOMBINAS 2: Mesoamérica (2/3) - La Civilización Maya EPISODIO 59 de PERO ESO ES OTRA HISTORIA (web serie documental) HISTORIA Y MISTERIOS DE LOS MAYAS 0:00 Introducción 0:19 El Origen de los Mayas (12000-500 a.C.) 1:46 El Desarrollo Cultural Maya (500 a.C.-200d.C.) 6:25 La Cultura Maya Clásica (300-800/900 d.C.) 13:49 El Colapso Maya del Post-clásico (800/900-1697 d.C.) Este documental es un pequeño repaso por la historia de los mayas, esa gente que poblaba la península del Yucatán hace miles de años y que fueron unos cracks creando calendarios. Veremos su sociedad, escritura, cultura y desarrollo histórico, desde el auge de ciudades como Nakbé, El Mirador y Kaminaljuyú hasta enormes centros ceremoniales como Calakmul y Tikal. También conoceremos las teorías detrás de su misterioso colapso y sus últimos siglos en Chichén Itzá y Mayapán. --------------- Pero eso es otra Historia es una serie documental semanal emitida a través de Youtube que busca ser un resumen divertido de toda la historia de la humanidad, desde la creación de la Tierra hasta la actualidad. Si buscas curiosidades sobre la Historia, este es tu sitio.