A brief history of Mayan temple

Tikal is one of the cultural and population centers of Mayan civilization. The earliest monument here was built in the 4th century BC. The city reached its peak in the Mayan classical period-about 200 AD to 850 AD.

The history of Tikal can be traced back to BC 1 century. At first, she was just a second-rate city-state with Mirrado as its ally. Tikal may have pursued a policy of friendship with Tiotihuacan, a powerful country in Central America at that time, since the second century, and successfully increased its national strength, thus becoming one of the most powerful city-states in the Mayan world.

In 292 AD, Balam Ajaw (traditionally translated as "decorated jaguar") inherited King Tikal, and the powerful Tikal dynasty began. On a stone tablet engraved with his image, the date of July 8, 292 is recorded. This time is usually regarded by historians as the beginning of Mayan classical civilization.

In 360 AD, when Chak became king, Calbi was stronger than ever. Tiger Claw I's younger brother, the smoking frog, conquered neighboring Wushyaktun in 65438+10/October 65438+June 378 and became the monarch of Wushyaktun.

After Tiger Claw I of America, King Tikal was known as Nujak Ain, and the King with the Curly Nose was a nobleman from Tiotihuacan. He ascended the throne in 379. Although the nose-rolling king came from Tiotihuakan, he was also an authentic Tikal king, maintaining Tikal's strength and prosperity.

From 4 1 1 to 456, Thea Chen Carver II became king. The century from Jaguars Claw I to Stormy Sky II is the first powerful period in Tikal history.

Since then, calakmul, a city-state in the north of Tikal, has been very strong, while Tikal has experienced a period of decline. It was not until the 7th century that King Hasaw Chan K'awil Akkar (February 682 -734, when the chocolate lords were in power), Tikal became powerful again and defeated calakmul, making Tikal the overlord of central Maya again. Later King Yik'in Chan Kawil (reigned from 734 to 766) and King Yax Nuun Ayiin II Chitan (reigned from 768 to 790) were the second heyday of Tikal. The magnificent ruins of Tikal were mainly built during the reign of these three kings.

After King Chitan, like other Mayan city-states in the same period, Tikal declined rapidly, and the last known king was Jaso Chen Kawail II (reigned in 869, from 869 to 889).

Since then, no large monuments have been built. Some palaces were also burned down. People gradually left the city. /kloc-at the end of 0/0, Tikal was completely abandoned in the jungle.

Tikal controls the center of the Mayan lowlands, and wars often occur. According to the inscription, Tikal often allied or fought with some Mayan city-states, including Wushyaktun, caracol, Naranjo and calakmul.

Social culture and religion

The understanding of Maya can only be understood in the temple records: the Mayan temple records many Mayan civilizations-

The Mayans made amazing achievements in culture and science. Around A.D., Maya created hieroglyphics, recording astronomy, medicine, rituals, myths and legends, poems and history with bark paper or tanned deerskin. It was the only Indian tribe on the American continent who invented and used characters. There are more than 800 written symbols with more than 30,000 words. Mayan hieroglyphics, the image is in the middle, and there are affixes and suffixes around them; There are ideographic symbols; A word is often a sentence. Words are written on paper (bark paper) and engraved on stone pillars and tablets. In addition, there are inscriptions on murals, woodcuts, jade carvings, shell carvings, bone carvings and pottery. Rich in content, it records events such as astronomy, divination, calendar, history, ruler's life, lineage, medicine, plants, animals, maps, wars and alliances. There are only three ancient manuscripts of Mayan hieroglyphics, which are called "Dresden Codex", "Madrid Codex" and "Paris Codex", and they have not been fully interpreted so far. So far, most of the contents have not been deciphered.

In addition, the Maya also had a high level in murals, sculptures and painted pottery. Paintings are mostly murals, but also found in pottery and ancient manuscripts. Use a variety of colors, colors come from plants and animals. The technique is portrait, the tools are bird hair and animal hair, and there are painting tools similar to Chinese brush. Murals in Bonanpark, Chiapas, Mexico are precious treasures of ancient mural art in the world. In terms of carving, it is divided into stone carving, wood carving, shell carving, jade carving, bone carving and clay sculpture according to the materials used. There are two kinds of stone carving: one is independent stone carving (stone pillar, stone tablet, stone pedestal, etc.). ), and the other is decorative carving on buildings such as houses. Clay sculptures are mostly used in buildings and tombs, with figures, birds, animals, reptiles and other images, as well as inscriptions. Ancient Mayan priests presided over religious ceremonies. The general name of Mayan priests is Akin, which literally means "son of the sun" and is a privileged class who holds theocracy. Mayan priests played a very important role in Mayan life. They can predict good and bad luck, guide agricultural production, preside over large and small sacrifices, and have the right to bleed the sacrifices on the altar with knives. Therefore, they are completely divorced from production activities, but directly participate in social management, and their social influence is no less than that of nobles with aristocratic blood. The achievements made by the Mayans in astronomy and mathematics are inseparable from the nature of the priests' work and the accumulated labor.

There are other roles in the priesthood Chileans are prophets who can speak oracles. They enjoy high prestige among the people. Nacombe (different from the leader of the three-year war) is a lifelong executioner, responsible for holding knives in human sacrifices and other idol worship activities. He has four assistants, chac, whose personnel are not fixed, and each sacrifice is newly chosen. Usually venerable old people. The general name of Mayan priests is Akin, which literally means the son of the sun. As a group, it is the most powerful and influential. Their knowledge of celestial bodies, their ability to predict solar eclipses and other intergalactic rendezvous cycles, and their various predictions penetrated into every stage of Mayan life. This made them revered by all Mayans.

At the beginning of 1500 BC, the Mayans entered the era of settled agricultural life. Around A.D., city-states gradually formed. Around 300-900 AD, Mayan civilization reached its peak, with more than 65,438+000 city-states. These cities are populous, well-organized, magnificent in architecture and rich in culture. Religion occupies a very important position in Mayan culture, and the temple where grand sacrificial activities are held is built on the pyramid as an altar, which is very spectacular. Sacrifice to the victims is an important form of Mayan worship, including food, decorations and even the living.

Mayan priests not only took charge of calendars, but also observed the movements of celestial bodies. There is a famous observatory at the site of Chichen Itza. On the right, you can just see the semicircle of the vernal equinox and the sunset of the autumnal equinox, and the diagonal line of the south window just represents the south pole and the north pole of the earth. The accuracy of its astronomical observation results is surprising. They can not only calculate the time of the solar eclipse, but also grasp that the period of Venus is 583.92 days, which is completely consistent with the actual measurement of modern science. Not only that, they also included all seven planets in the research scope.