What kind of house did the Mayans live in? Wood or stone or something? What was the social system of the Mayans? Are they divided into tribes and races?

Characteristics of urban architectural layout; The representative building is the pyramid.

Characteristics of Mayan pyramids

Can tell the difference between Mayan pyramids and Egyptian pyramids

Scene reappearance

2. Understand and respect the cultural traditions of all countries, regions and nationalities in the world, and establish the consciousness of consciously inheriting the excellent ideological and cultural heritage of the motherland and mankind.

The mysterious Maya. The exhibition "Ancient Mexican Civilization" was held at the China Millennium Monument in early June, which has attracted countless people's interest and reverie for two months. In the third month of the exhibition, we intend to tell the development history and cultural achievements of Mayan civilization in a comprehensive, true and simple way, so as to further understand Maya. "The mysterious Maya. The preface to the Exhibition of Ancient Mexican Civilization is very real. " Maya is a region, a nation and a civilization. "Maya is a region. This region includes Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico, most of Chiapas and Tapasco, most of Belize, most of Guatemala, El Salvador and western Honduras. The total area of this area is 324,000 square kilometers. According to the characteristics of physical geography and cultural development, this area is divided into three areas from south to north, namely, the plains and hilly areas along the Pacific Ocean, plateaus (divided into southern plateaus and northern plateaus) and lowlands (divided into southern lowlands, central lowlands and northern lowlands). Maya is a nation. Maya, Mongols. Around 2000 BC, their ancestors settled in the seaside, plateau valley and plain lowland in Maya area, and they introduced corn and other crops from Mexico to engage in agricultural activities. According to the historical development process of national formation revealed by Morgan, Marx and Engels, they became a nation around 1000 BC, and a complex social, political and economic system emerged. Maya is a civilization. This civilization involves scientific knowledge, technical level, religious thoughts, world outlook, customs and etiquette, lifestyle, production activities, artistic creation and so on. , fully embodies the Maya's self-awareness and its behavior and achievements. During BC 1000-400, Mayan civilization began to enter the historical development process. Its historical development can be roughly divided into three stages: early (about 1000 BC to AD 250), middle (AD 250- 1200) and late (AD 1200 to AD 1500).

The early Mayan civilization rose at the same time in the Pacific coast, plateau and central lowlands. With the continuous development of production and the increasing abundance of materials, long-distance trade has emerged, which has increased the contact with the outside world and strengthened the internal contact. All localities have formed their own cultural characteristics in the process of development. The culture of the Pacific coast and plateau is concentrated on large stone tablets. Stone tablets are engraved with images of rulers of past dynasties, ruling time and some historical events explained in hieroglyphics. The main centers of civilization development are Isapa and Ka Minar Huyu. The cultural characteristics of the central lowlands are widely reflected in large stone buildings (such as pyramids and acropolis), squares and causeways paved with large stones, and the main civilization centers are Nakebe and Elmer Lador.

In the middle period, the development of civilization in the Pacific coast and plateau was interrupted, and the civilization in the central lowlands was transferred to Tikal, palenque, Bonampak and Copan in the southern lowlands. The cultural achievements of these centers are not only reflected in architecture, sculpture, painting and other cultural arts, but also in the political system. The supreme ruler of the polis is supreme, unifying the whole country and strengthening the monarchy system.

In the later period, new development centers appeared in the northern lowlands and southern plateaus. Around 1200 years ago, the Mayan Pan polis flourished, conquering the Ithaca polis in Chen Chi, which had been ruling the northern lowlands since the 9th century, and prospered. /kloc-in the middle of the 0/5th century, the Smal polis destroyed the Maya Pan polis and ruled the northern lowlands. /kloc-in the 4th century, three city-states appeared in the southern plateau: Quiche (centered on Uttaran), Kakker (centered on Simtzer) and Chu Tooill (centered on the south bank of Artitran Lake). These city-states reformed the political system and implemented the collective rule of parliament. They have been at odds and fighting with each other for a long time. /kloc-in the 6th century, the whole Maya region was occupied by Spanish invaders from the north, and the development of ancient Mayan civilization was interrupted.

First of all, the economic life of the Mayans.

Maya's economic life is very active, and all walks of life are thriving, and their production skills are eye-catching.

1. Agriculture

Maya mainly engaged in agricultural production activities. Agriculture is the basis of Maya's survival and development.

Corn is the main crop. Other food crops are cassava and sweet potato. Corn was introduced from present-day Mexico; Cassava and sweet potato were introduced from South America. The Mayans also planted dozens of vegetables, melons, beans, peppers, cocoa, herbs and so on.

The Mayans adopted a relatively intensive mode of production. They build water conservancy projects, open terraces on hillsides and build terraces in low-lying and swamp areas. They also set up gardens or orchards around their homes. They use fields of volcanic ash, bird droppings and human droppings, and use shovels with long wooden handles to grow corn or other crop seeds.

2. Trade

The city-states in Maya developed independently, but they were not integrated politically, but were interrelated economically and had a division of production. The main way of economic contact is trade. Trade can be divided into three categories or levels: local fair trade, intra-regional trade and inter-regional trade. There are two kinds of trade exchange goods: daily life, production goods and non-practical goods (such as amber, cocoa, cinnabar, gum, Quechar bird feathers, hematite, pyrite, jade, serpentine, American tiger skin, shells and so on. These items are used to make statues, sacrifices, and costumes and headdresses of dignitaries.

Trade accumulated wealth for the Mayans, opened their minds, laid a solid material and ideological foundation for the prosperity of the polis, and promoted the development of civilization. This is why several major cultures in the early and middle period are located on the trade channel. In the later period, the coastal trade developed day by day, and the land and inland trade declined gradually, which caused the transfer of civilization center.

Second, Mayan society and politics

Mayan society is based on the family and implements patriarchy. Several consanguineous families form the social grass-roots organization-clan society.

The center of Mayan society is the city. People of different occupations and social classes live in cities and engage in manual production and trade, administration, political rule and religious activities.

Maya society is a class society, divided into aristocratic class, ordinary class and middle class. Noble rulers and their families, priests, military leaders, senior government officials and big businessmen constitute the aristocratic class. Servants, porters, maintenance workers and farmers belong to the civilian class. Members of the middle class refer to junior officials, small businessmen, warriors, craftsmen, etc.

The Mayan city-state practiced hereditary system, and the supreme ruler came from a family, which integrated administrative, legislative and religious powers. The political ties of the polis are loose, mainly economic and trade ties. It is precisely because of this loose political connection and economic interests that the local political situation has always been difficult to stabilize for a long time, leading to the continuous transfer of power centers.

Third, the Maya's religious beliefs.

The Mayans were polytheists. They worship countless gods. Everything has a god, not only tangible things have a body, but also intangible things have a god, even people's date, number, occupation, age, sex, skin color, life and death, suicide, any state has a god, and any demand has a god ... In short, in the Mayan world, God is everywhere. The images presented by gods are usually similar to those of animals or half-human and half-animal. Maya sacrificed human blood, food, jade and other precious items, as well as the living. In addition to offering sacrifices, sacrificial ceremonies also include burning incense, drinking alcohol and dancing balls.

Fourth, the cultural achievements of the Mayans.

Maya's cultural achievements are the most outstanding and brilliant in ancient American civilization, which are embodied in architecture, sculpture, painting, mathematics, calendar, astronomy and writing.

1, building

Maya's construction industry is very developed, with strong functionality and high skills. According to the needs of religion, life and production, they built different kinds of objects: houses (including temples, mansions, folk houses, etc. ), public places (such as squares, ball games, markets and trade areas, etc. ), traffic and protective facilities (such as bridges, avenues, docks, dams, retaining walls, etc.). ) and water conservancy projects (such as canals, reservoirs, wells, pools, etc. )

The most striking thing is the "pyramid". The bases of many temples in this "pyramid" are usually square foundations, which shrink layer by layer and pile up layer by layer, ranging from two or three floors high to nine floors low, with the highest reaching 47 meters. There are steps on the front and four sides of the pedestal, and you can climb up to the temple. Temples are generally not temples dedicated to gods, but shrines dedicated to the throne of the supreme ruler. The room is very small, with no windows, and a crown ridge is built on it, which is twice or even several times higher than the niche room. People, animals, gods and inscriptions are carved on the outer walls and the top ridges. There are also some pyramids that are tombs or observatories of rulers.

Step 2 carve

According to the materials used, there are stone carving, wood carving, shell carving, jade carving and bone carving, as well as clay sculpture.

Stone carvings are divided into two categories: one is independent stone carvings, and the other is decorative carvings on buildings such as houses. The former are stone tablets, pillars and stone seats. , while the latter has carvings on lintels, side walls of doors and windows, steps, roofs and internal and external walls. The characteristic of independent stone carving is that there is little space left, which is usually discharged under the eaves. The main body of the sculpture is an idol, portrait or animal shape, and the blank part is filled with decorations and inscriptions. After engraving, it is usually painted with color, the most commonly used is dark red, followed by blue. The "hieroglyphic ladder" king statue unearthed in Copan site and the huge sarcophagus cover unearthed in palenque site have special historical and artistic value. "Elephant ladder" is10m wide, with 62 grades and 2,500 characters engraved in * *, and its meaning has not been interpreted. The eighteen rabbits statue of King Copan is three-dimensional and the only stone carving in ancient times. The lid of the huge sarcophagus is engraved with "upper bound-lower bound-underworld", which reflects people's world outlook and cosmology at that time.

Wood carving is mostly used in building construction. There is also a small independent woodcut, mostly for gods.

Clay sculptures are mostly used in buildings and tombs, and gypsum is used to make reliefs on walls, with figures, birds, animals, snakes and inscriptions on them.

Step 3 paint

Most of them are murals, which are used to decorate the walls of dignitary houses, tombs and temples, and are also found in pottery and ancient manuscripts. The applied colors are various, such as red, yellow, blue, white, black, gray and brown. Pigments come from plants and minerals. Brushes for painting are made of bird feathers and animal hair, and there are painting tools similar to Chinese writing brushes. The painting techniques are mainly realistic, with rich and colorful contents, including fairy tales, sacrificial ceremonies, war scenes, interrogating prisoners of war, welcoming guests, hieroglyphics and so on. All these reveal the customs and etiquette, physical appearance, costumes, combat weapons, housing structure, religious beliefs and labor scenes of the Maya people at that time.

4. Mathematics

The Mayans invented their own unique calculation method, using decimal system and having the concept of "zero". The Mayans were the first people in the world to know "zero". They use three symbols to count: "shell" means "zero"; "Point" (".") means "1"; "Horizontal" means "5". The combination of "dot" and "horizontal" constitutes each number from "2" to "19". Numbers above "19" are represented by shifts. "10" in the universal decimal system in the world today is composed of "1" shifted to the left and "0" added to the right. Maya's "20" consists of displacement. "Add a" shell "up and below. Second place is 20, third place is 20 times 20 = 400, fourth place is 400 times 20 = 8000, and so on.

Mayan mathematical calculations are widely used in trade, calendar, astronomy and so on.

5. astronomy

The Mayans had rich knowledge of astronomy. By observing the movement of the sun, they determined that a year is 365.242 days, which is almost exactly the same as the 365.423 days calculated by modern astronomy. By observing the movement of the moon, they determined that a month is 29.53020 days, which is almost the same as the 29.059 days calculated by modern astronomy. They also observed and recorded other planets, stars and constellations, and calculated the cycles of planets orbiting the sun. For example, Venus has a cycle of 584 days and Mars has a cycle of 780 days. Polaris is constant. When building houses and temples, Mayans usually choose their orientation according to the North Star, which is a good sign and a bad sign.

How did the Mayans observe the movement of stars? They usually use temples for observation. Most temples are built on high pyramid-shaped bases and stand in the air. There is a gap at the top of the temple, or two crossed wooden sticks are erected at the top to observe the movement of celestial bodies and record the time and orientation of the rise and fall of planets such as the sun, the moon and Venus. When they rise and fall for the second time in the same time and direction, it is a cycle.

6. Calendar

By observing and calculating the movements of celestial bodies, the Mayans made various calendars according to the needs of religion, agricultural activities and records, and there are mainly three calendars: the God calendar, the Habu calendar and the reincarnation calendar.

God has a calendar of 260 days, and more than 20 gods take turns to master these 260 days. Use these 20 gods and the number of 13 (Maya numbers range from 1 to 13) to determine the date of a god, and 260 days is exactly one round. The Roman calendar lasts 365 days, which is similar to the modern solar calendar, but it is divided into 19 months, 20 days in the previous 18 months, and 5 days in the last month. There is a sun god every day and a moon god every month. The last five days of this month are considered unlucky.

The reincarnation calendar is composed of 260 days in the divine calendar and 365 days in the divinatory calendar, which are matched and rotated, and 18980 days is a reincarnation. 365 days a year, 18980 days is exactly 52 years. The Mayans believed that 52 years was a cycle, indicating the beginning of heaven and earth.

There is also a "long calendar" that records historical ages. The Mayans believed that the world would be destroyed and resurrected. The world they live in is the world of the fifth resurrection. According to the inscription on the stone tablet, the time of this fifth resurrection is 3165438+August 1 1 BC. The world is destroyed and resurrected every 5200 years.

7. Text

Mayan hieroglyphics are the pride of ancient American civilization. The structure of characters is very complicated: pictographic characters in the middle, with additional affixes and suffix changes around them; There are ideographic symbols; A word is often a sentence. These sentences are arranged in the order of verb-content word-subject.

Most Mayan characters are written on paper (paper is made of bark) or carved on stone pillars and slabs. There are also inscriptions on murals, woodcuts, jade carvings, shell carvings, bone carvings and pottery. The content of the expression is quite rich, involving astronomy, divination, calendar, history, the life and lineage of rulers, medicine, plants, animals, maps, wars and alliances.

Most of the ancient Mayan manuscripts were burned by Spanish invaders, and now there are only three left, which are collected in Madrid, Spain, Paris, France and Dresden, Germany. Fortunately, a large number of stone carvings have not been destroyed, leaving a precious heritage of ancient civilization for mankind. Up to now, 85% of the existing Mayan characters have been interpreted and translated. With the deepening of research, the whole picture of Mayan civilization will be presented to the world. (Hao)

3. Have a sense of decision, and a certain social culture reflects and serves a certain social politics and economy.

Maya culture and art

The "ladder" of the training course; Age monument; Portrait of Bonan Parker

Mayan hieroglyphics are the highest in the United States.

Comparison of Three Pictographs —— Comparison between Bonanpak Mural and Dunhuang Mural

Scene reappearance

Historical comparison

Maya science

The spiral tower in chichen itza; Mayan calendar system; Use 0

Maya has the most accurate calendar; The Mayans first used the number 0.

The application of astronomy in architecture