When it comes to the Aztecs, Incans, and Mayans of the past, there is a beautiful and mysterious culture that unravels when archeologists are able to piece together bits of their history. In this article, you will learn about some of the facts regarding these cultures, primarily the Mayans, who were quite advanced in certain areas in their own right.
While the pyramids in Egypt have gained such acclaim, you probably didn’t know that the largest one in the world is located in Mexico. Quetzalcoatl was built around the year 100 by the Mayans, who used sun-dried bricks and earth to construct this wonder. While it is only 177 feet into the air (which is 40% less than the Egyptian Pyramid of Cheops), it spans 45 acres. While the Pyramid of Cheops is 480 feet tall, it only covers land that measures 13 acres.
If you follow the Mayan linear calendar referred to as the “long count,” you will find that the end of the world is set to take place on June 5th, 2012.
The 7th century people known as the Toltecs used to reside in what is now known as Mexico. They were quite unique, as when they were preparing for battle, they used swords made out of wood because they did not want to harm their opponents.
In regards to Mayan culture, they underwent a classical period that went on for six centuries. For a reason that no one to this day can figure out, it collapsed. A wide-range of theories is attached to their downfall, which spanned an epidemic to poor farming choices that destroyed their environment. Some people believe a change in climate wiped them out. While the collapse took place rather quickly, history shows that Mayan cities that thrived at the beginning of the 9th century felt victim as well.
When it comes to the medical knowledge that the Mayans possess, they have been founded to possess cures that rival the conventional ways of medicine. For instance, the Mayan herb that is used to treat athlete’s foot has been known to completely eliminate the bacteria. Today, we use medicines that merely lessen the discomfort we feel or reduce the bacteria count.
The only written record attached to the Mayan culture is three codices that were penned in hieroglyphs that were scattered on bark paper. All three of these artifacts are found in cities situated in Europe.
The ruins of a past Mayan city was discovered when Americans descended upon the land in search of chickle, which is the sap of the sapodilla tree that is used to create chewing gum. Covered in vegetation , no one knows how long it would have remained hidden in the jungle.
Americans who chew gum are partly responsible for the development of Mayan studies. Workers entering the jungle to collect chickle, the sap of the sapodilla tree from which chewing gum is made, have stumbled on numerous vegitation-covered ruins and returned to alert the archaeologists.
When what is now known as Mexico City (Tenochtitlán) was invaded by Cortez in 1519, it was actually a city decorated with flowers that was five times the size that London was at that moment.
The Incas have a reputation as being experts at organization and engineering, yet they didn’t even have access to wheels, writing, or arches. When they reached the peak of their power (just before the Spanish conquest in 1532), the Incas ruled what is now known as South America , spanning the lands of Quito, Ecuador, to the Rio Maule, Chile. The empire had a center based at Cuzco, Peru.
