May 21st, 2013

It is known that all the great civilizations of antiquity developed in a warm climate, in river valleys, whose annual floods increased soil fertility and created favorable opportunities for agriculture. So it was everywhere - in Mesopotamia, India, Egypt, China, but not in northern Guatemala. The ancient Maya, defying fate, built their white-stone cities in the impenetrable jungle.
Fifteen centuries before Columbus, before the Hindus and Arabs, the Maya used the concept of zero in mathematics, predicted solar and lunar eclipses, and calculated the paths of Venus with an error of only 14 seconds per year. The Maya achieved amazing perfection in architecture, painting, and sculpture. At the same time, the ancient builders did not know metals, had no idea about the wheel and the potter's wheel. The Maya, in fact, lived in the Stone Age.

The entire culture of the ancient people was created by the muscular strength of man. Graceful temples, palaces and pyramids grew like mushrooms. This continued until the 10th century AD. After a sudden catastrophe, all construction stopped, people left their habitable places and cities plunged into the green abyss of tropical vegetation. By the time the conquistadors arrived, only a vague legend remained from the golden age of the Maya civilization in the memory of its Indian descendants. However, life in these places has not completely died out.

A 30-minute drive from Tikal, the most significant ancient Maya monument in Guatemala, is Lake Petén Itza. There is a funny story associated with it. In 1525, the punitive expedition of Hernan Cortes passed through these places. The conquistadors were heading to Honduras to put down the rebellion of the rebel lieutenant Cristobal de Olida, who refused to obey the governor Cortes. Exhausted by the march through the jungle, the governor did not conquer the Indians. Before moving on to Honduras, the conquistador asked the local chief Kanek to look after his horse Morsillo, who had injured his leg while making his way through the green hell of the jungle.

On the way back, the conqueror promised to take the horse. However, he did not get to do this. After the departure of Cortes, the leader placed the horse in the temple and began to feed meat, revering the animal as a god, for the Indians believed that the roar of Spanish cannons comes from the neighing of horses. Morcillo's horse did not eat meat and soon died. Frightened by the wrath of Cortes, the leader ordered to make a life-size statue of a horse. He named the new god Tsiminchak, or Thunder Tapir. The statue was broken by the Franciscan monks, who came here in 1618 to convert the Indians from the lake to Christianity. Lake dwellers say that the wreckage of the horse god still rests at the bottom of Lake Peten Itza.

But back to one of the 18 capitals of the ancient Mayan kingdom. The discoverers of the ruins of the city in the 19th century gave it the romantic name Tikal, which means “The place where the voices of spirits are heard,” according to local Indians. At least 10 thousand people lived here. The total area of ​​the complex is about 160 square meters. km.

What explains the unprecedented rise of the greatest of all pre-Columbian civilizations in America? Many scientists attribute this phenomenon to the advanced Maya farming system. In ancient times, the life of the population, especially farmers, was strictly regulated. The order of all affairs, including agricultural work, was provided for by their calendar up to the day. The priests made prescriptions for the inhabitants in accordance with the occupations of the gods in one or another period of time.

Ordinary Indians could only follow the example of their gods. Any violation of the order was regarded as blasphemy. The violator without much talk was laid on the sacrificial altar. The most revered of the deities was the lord of rain and wind Kashesh. He was portrayed as a character, with a long hooked nose and crooked fangs. In his hands he held an ax, a torch and a digging stick - for conducting slash-and-burn agriculture. Later, Kashesh became known as Chak. He was the lord of the sixth of the 13 heavens of the upper world.

Oddly enough, but the marshy jungle of Guatemala could feed 2-3 million people. Soil fertility quickly recovered after harvesting. In the 80s. using aerospace surveys, scientists discovered that the territory of the Indian settlement was covered with a huge network of channels that removed moisture from marshy soils. As a result, the wild jungle turned into blooming gardens. The Maya from Guatemala were active in trade with the Mexican Indian tribes, which influenced the culture of the inhabitants of Central America. Some of the architectural structures of Tikal are similar to the buildings in Teotihuacan.

Under the stairs and floors of temples, under the foundations of stone altars and stelae, caches are still found in which the Indians hid objects that were dear to them: jade jewelry, vessels, shells, objects made of obsidian. In the temples, not only magnificent religious ceremonies were held. Under the pyramidal foundation of religious buildings were the burial places of rulers and the most prominent members of society. The tombs were usually connected to the vaulted temple above by a special conduit for the soul of the deceased ruler, a psychedelic. The main element of the entire complex was precisely the tomb under the floor of the temple, and not the temple. The temple itself served as a place for the priests to communicate with the spirit of the deceased ruler. I must say that mere mortals, following the example of the nobility, buried their dead under the floors of ordinary dwellings.

An indispensable attribute of the city-state was the presence of palace premises in it. Researchers do not have a common opinion about the purpose of these buildings. Some believe that there were priestly rooms for religious worship, others consider these buildings as purely administrative buildings. Still others are convinced that representatives of the ruling dynasty and their numerous retinue lived in stone chambers.

By the 9th century AD, city-state life in northern Guatemala is either ending or reduced to a minimum. The builders stopped erecting temples, stelae and altars. Crowded markets froze, luxurious palaces were empty. The cities remained untouched, as if their inhabitants were about to return soon. But they didn't return. Silence enveloped the city. Yards are overgrown with grass. According to some scientists, at least one million people died in the northern territories of Guatemala in just one hundred years. Many associate this with strong earthquakes, drought, even epidemics of fever and malaria. But such hypotheses do not stand up to scrutiny.

At one time, the version about social upheavals was popular. During excavations in Tikal, archaeologists were surprised to find that many stone sculptures were deliberately damaged, although it was believed that in the entire 600-year history of Tikal there had never been foreign conquerors. This allowed scientists to conclude that something like a revolutionary situation was brewing in the Mayan kingdom, which escalated into riots. When the success of the uprising became obvious, the rebels, as archaeologists suggest, attacked the stone sculptures, and at the same time cut all the members of the royal family. But this version did not find its confirmation either, since it is unlikely that several dozen large city-states were empty only because of the indignation of the lower classes.

Recently, researchers are still inclined to think that aliens still reached the Mayan kingdom. And the Teotihuacans were the first to visit here. Following them, the jungles of Guatemala were visited by the bloodthirsty Mexican Pipil tribe. It was to him that the laurels of the winners of the warlike Maya-Kiche were attributed. However, this version of the death of a great culture also turned out to be not indisputable, since the pipil appeared in Guatemala after the sunset of the golden age of the Maya.

In the 90s. American scientists have found a connection between the cycles of changes in solar activity and the periods of rise and fall of civilizations. It turned out that the sunspot activity of the sun changes after 3744 years. This number was known to Mayan astronomers. It is curious that the next decline in solar activity will coincide with the date of the end of the last era, the collapse of which the Mayan priests predicted, that is, from December 23, 2012. Modern researchers have found that the peak of the lowest solar activity coincided with the period of decline of the Indian civilization. The reduction in sun activity affected the hormonal activity of Indian women, and consequently, their fertility.

As a result, the population of city-states began to decline rapidly, and infant mortality reached unprecedented proportions in the entire history of the existence of city-states. The Maya began to leave from the north of Guatemala to the south, to the mountainous regions, to where they, in fact, came from.
Be that as it may, but scientists continue to speculate and hypothesize about the death of the once powerful kingdom. However, until today, none of the versions of the researchers is perfect.

Today, the ancient city of Tikal is part of one of the national parks of Guatemala, which are included in the Mayan Biosphere Reserve. Tikal National Park, which occupies a significant part of the Peten province located in the north of the country, was created in 1979, but was opened only in 1990. The city itself covers an area of ​​16 thousand square meters. km, on which about three thousand various structures were discovered.

The most famous of the palace buildings is the Jaguar Great Claw Palace. The building was built in 360 AD. e. ruler, whose name translates as "Claw of the Jaguar". Apparently, this building was the residence for the ruling dynasty ("Claw of the Jaguar" and its descendants). The palace was so sacred and important for the Indians that in the future no one dared to rebuild it.
To the north, where, according to Maya legends, their ancestral home was located, the souls of the dead were sent.
Therefore, "stadiums" for ball games were often located to the north of the administrative and ritual center. In Tikal, between the Central Acropolis and the Temple of the Giant Jaguar, archaeologists have cleared a ball court from centuries-old sediment, as it turned out - one of several arranged in the ancient city. The site was a long and narrow alley, framed on both sides by low stone structures.

Findings corresponding to the nature of the game were made by archaeologists on the so-called Northern Acropolis. Here, various structures were erected over the course of eleven centuries. As a result, a complex complex of buildings appeared, in which 12 temple buildings stand out, located at different levels, but based on one artificial platform. The earliest buildings appeared in the 3rd century. Later in the neighborhood there were many buildings for various purposes. The northern acropolis is often compared to a layer cake. True, it has a peculiar “stuffing”: for 500 years, the rulers of the city were buried here. In front of the acropolis, along the edge of the square, there are many stelae resembling tombstones.

As a result of excavations in Tikal, seven more administrative and ritual complexes were discovered (in the scientific literature they are denoted by the Latin letters N, O, P, R, Q, etc.), which are squares with pyramid temples standing opposite each other, but they are all much smaller than the complex around the Great Square. Built in the 8th century small complexes are distinguished by one curious feature. All of them were built at intervals of 20 years, i.e. the construction of each group of structures marked the end of the Katun, a special 20-year period in the life of the Maya. The Maya used a vigesimal system of calculation (perhaps based on the number of fingers and toes). Apparently, each new dynasty erected its own complex in order to worship in it one of the deified ancestors, from whom power passed to the respective rulers.

Among the many pyramids, experts distinguish, in addition to the Temple of the Giant Jaguar and the Temple of Masks, the sanctuary of the Lost World complex, pyramid IV with the Temple of the Two-Headed Serpent and the Temple of Inscriptions (Temple VI). The Lost World complex is one of the oldest in Tikal. His pyramid, more precisely, the first version of the pyramid, later completed, was erected in the 7th century. The height of the structure is 32 m, and the length of the side of the base is 80 m. Four stairs lead to the top of the pyramid.

Presumably, the building served for astronomical observations. Pyramid IV, also known as the Temple of the Two-Headed Serpent, is the tallest building in Tikal (64 m). The temple was built in the middle of the 8th century near the so-called Palace of the Bat. The “Temple of Inscriptions” attracts attention by the fact that traces of an inscription made in antiquity have been preserved on its crest.

In addition, the ruins of the so-called "small palaces" were found in Tikal - one-story houses with stuccoed and smartly decorated rooms, and many relatively nondescript simple houses in which ordinary citizens lived. Like many other Maya architectural structures, the houses were built on a platform, possibly to protect against floods and floods during the rainy season.

On the inner walls of buildings, on door frames, on lintels and ceiling beams, graffiti are often found - drawings drawn or less often painted with black paint. Many of them are made unprofessionally, although sometimes the hand of the master is guessed. According to the researchers, Tikal, depicted in graffiti, exactly corresponds to the real city of its heyday. Based on the drawings, you can tell a lot about social organization, about holidays and rituals, about the deities that the townspeople revered. The most "popular" plots of images were rituals dedicated to the celebration of the new year or associated with the confirmation of the power of the ruler, ritual ball games, sacrifices and dances.

The classical period of the Mayan civilization in the lowland forests of Central America is marked by the emergence of such innovations in Mayan culture as: hieroglyphic writing, which includes inscriptions on reliefs, steles, ceramics and frescoes, lintels; the Mayan calendar, the so-called Long Count calendar, running from 3113 BC; monumental architecture with a stepped vault; specific style in ceramics and terracotta products; original wall painting; steles and altars.

special Mayan culture, its maturity, is manifested in architecture and fine arts. The Maya erected majestic structures from rough-hewn stone cemented with limestone mortar, or from a special mixture of concrete lined with stone. The facades of buildings have always been framed by rich relief. A distinctive feature of Maya architecture is a developed sense of proportion and strict simplicity. The architecture of the Indians skillfully emphasized the monumentality of the buildings with the free space around them, roads, the location of squares, streets and right angles.

Art of the Maya, Indians of Central America.

Based on these principles, many great cities, temples and palace complexes were built. The architecture of the ancient Mayan cities had a square layout, cramped interior space. Some, even large cities, served as sanctuaries. Maya urban architecture in Central America until the 9th century AD was represented by pyramidal structures and platforms of various sizes and heights. Some of them are amazing even today. They are usually built from a mixture of earth and rubble and lined with processed stone slabs. Buildings were often located on the stone tops of the temples: small buildings consisting of several rooms for ceremonial purposes.

An example of such architecture is the pyramid tower at Tikal, reaching a height of 60 meters. The residences of the nobility, palaces, are represented by multi-room ensembles on low platforms framing open courtyards. The palace architecture of the Maya is based on ceilings in the form of a stepped vault, so their walls are always massive, and the interior is narrow and incapable. The only source of light in the palace premises is the narrow doorways. Inside the surviving temples, twilight and coolness usually reign.

If architecture gives us enough information about the structure of the society in which it originated and developed, then the plastic arts, especially sculpture, allow us to understand more clearly and penetrate deeper into various areas of Mayan society. The plastic arts give us a series of authentic images through which a panorama of the life of that society is revealed.

Technics

The Maya knew and applied to a greater or lesser extent all sculptural techniques: carving, bas-relief and high relief, round and modeled volume. Obsidian, flint, jade and other hard or fine-grained stones, as well as shell and bone, were used to make small items. In large sculptures, mainly limestone and sometimes wood were used. Their tools were made of hard rocks of stone; with their help, they cut, sculpted, drilled; polishing was achieved by means of stone dust, sand and water. Many, if not all, of the sculptures were painted in various colors; traces of such painting are sometimes found to this day.

Sculpture could decorate the details of buildings (panels, slabs, lintels, jambs, columns, stairs), could be an element functionally associated with the building (altars, sanctuaries, thrones), or be part of such architectural complexes as squares, platforms and temples.

Themes

Sculpture, like art in general, had to embody themes that contributed to the strengthening of the existing system: the life of the deities who created this system and monitored its correct functioning, and the power of those who were considered representatives of these deities on earth.

Gods - abstract beings - were depicted symbolically: in the form of a person, animal, plant, as well as geometrically, hieroglyphically, or by combining elements of different forms. One of the most common forms of representation was the mask, which merged the features of man and animal. Masks were made of stone or more often of pieces. They were part of the ornamentation of temples and were placed in those places where they were most noticeable: on the crests, friezes, corners of the facades, above the entrances. But they are also found on altars, on the bases of steles, on inscriptions, and also decorate the clothes and attributes of the depicted persons.

If only one character was depicted on the monument, then usually the features of his face were idealized and he was always magnificently dressed. If several characters participated in the scene, then the ruler was located above the others; often he stood or sat on one of his subjects or captives, and his posture showed his superiority.

Engaged in the glorification of the ruling class as a whole, the ancient sculptors usually did not seek to individualize the depicted persons. However, we believe that many characters have a portrait resemblance to really existing rulers and priests. As for the common people, slaves and captives, the poverty and simplicity of their clothes, as well as the pose given to them by the sculptor, no doubt indicate their low position.

classic styles

The dual nature of Maya art, reflecting the socio-political structure of a society ruled by a theocracy that combined civil and religious powers, as well as the specifics of geographical, historical and political factors, in particular the territorial division into autonomous states, explain the difference in styles that developed in the Maya area. In these styles, depending on regional traditions, static or dynamic, symbolic or realistic, divine or human principles prevailed.

In the study of sculpture, we will adhere to a division similar to that used for architecture: for the classical era in the central and northern zones, the styles of Peten, Motagua, Usumacinta, Palenque, Rio Bec, Chenes and Puuc; then we will consider the post-classical styles of the northern zone and separately, due to its specific conditions, the southern zone.

Peten

From the end of the preclassic period, we know in the Petén building E-VII at Washaktun, the stair blocks of which were decorated with stucco masks symbolizing, in the form of snake and jaguar heads, certain deities. Throughout the classical period, the plots of ornaments of friezes and stucco combs always had a religious character.

From the beginning of this latter period, the rulers of the Petén were depicted in a solemn pose, lavishly dressed, and with elaborate details of their dress and paraphernalia of high rank. On the most ancient stelae, the whole body was depicted in profile, later only the legs and face, and, finally, only the face. The plots of the carved wooden lintels of the main temples reflect the same theme of the glorification of the rulers. The figures are accompanied by hieroglyphic inscriptions, which probably indicate the name, title, date of birth and the most important events that occurred during the reign of these individuals. Some Teotihuacan motifs, such as the face of the god Tlaloc and the "sign of the year", appear in V or VI in . as decorations. We mentioned the names of the main centers of Peten when it came to architecture.

Motagua

Among the various styles of the Maya of the classical period, the style of the Motagua Valley is especially different from the rest. The most numerous sculptural monuments, almost entirely belonging to the late classical period, have been preserved in Copan.

Analyzing the Copan monuments, many of which are dated by calendar inscriptions, Tatyana Proskuryakova traced the evolution of art styles at various stages. But despite this evolution, the sculpture of Copan shows a strong influence of traditions that have been maintained over the centuries. The evolution affected only the technique of performance, but did not change the theme and did not violate the main characteristics of the style.

The characters depicted on the steles probably represented the highest-ranking group in society. On their monotonously repeated faces, an expression of solemnity and calm indifference froze. Nevertheless, many of them, apparently, have a portrait resemblance to real people. Their static poses probably correspond to the existing canons, as well as the image of the body presented in front, in magnificent clothes, leaving only the legs and face open.

The most significant change is the transition from bas-relief to high relief. On later stelae, the characters look like they are leaning against a stone block, so they can be seen both in profile and full face. Even attempts were made to depict the legs in an inclined position. The arms are folded on the chest, while in the older sculptures the forearms are given in an almost vertical position, and later in a horizontal position. In his hands the character always holds a hierarchical attribute in the form of a "ritual band" (symbol of the sky), ending at both ends with a snake's head. On the most ancient steles, this attribute was located vertically; later he began to occupy a horizontal position.

The clothes are extraordinarily rich, and the sculptor accurately reproduces their smallest details. Huge headdresses are striking, decorated with a mask of some animal from the cat family or several masks superimposed on one another. All kinds of additional elements of this attire are made with incredible care, with some kind of fear of empty space. Often the stelae are covered with images on all four sides - characters on large surfaces and hieroglyphic texts on the side faces of the stones.

Numerous zoomorphic altars (snakes, feline predators, turtles, heads of mythical animals) and motifs that are part of the architecture complement the rich Copan sculpture. The Teotihuacan element of the mask of the god Tlaloc may, in some cases, decorate a headdress or hang from a loincloth.

Quirigua, a city probably dependent on Copan, developed a style reminiscent of Copan, at least in subject matter and composition, but not in technique, as it was limited to bas-relief (except for the faces of important characters). In Quirigua, there were no attempts to obtain a round volume, with the exception of zoomorphic altars. The "ritual band" has been completely replaced with the scepter of the rain god and the solar shield. Noteworthy are the zoomorphic images and some of the altars associated with them, the rich decoration of which is notable for its noticeable dynamism.

Usumacinta

In the Usumacinta Valley, a new element of the battle character appears in sculpture.

Apparently, this region, located on the western border of the Maya region, was most often subjected to invasions of strangers. But wars could also be the result of civil strife or internal unrest. These various alternatives seem equally likely. In any case, there are often scenes of war in sculpture, made in a realistic and dynamic manner.

The depicted characters, despite their rich clothes, show the silhouette of bodies. They talk animatedly with their peers or give orders to subordinates, threaten, fight, capture prisoners on the battlefield, judge them or kill them, show the attributes of their high rank to vassals who show them their humility, preside over councils, receive some objects from their hands. their wives, perform ritual bloodletting, that is, they appear before us as living people, endowed with high powers.

The technique used is always a bas-relief. The drawing is done confidently and energetically, the bodies are well drawn, their proportions are more or less natural, the compositions of the groups are very successful, the movement is sometimes only outlined, but often expressed with all the realism available to them.

Piedras Negras, Yaxchilan, Bonampak, Honuta, Balancan, Morales, El Caribe, La Amelia, La Florida, La Mar, Altar de Sacrifices, Ceibal are the main monuments belonging to the area. In some of them, the Teotihuacan elements (masks of Tlaloc and the "sign of the year"), indicated by us for Peten and Motagua, are also presented as decorations for headdresses, shields, and loincloths. In Seibal, an alien presence appears on some late stelae, on which the physical type of the characters is no longer Mayan, although their clothes retain their former character; the Mexican calendar character Cipactli, associated with one of the characters, suggests the name of the Sipaque family, who, according to historical sources, ruled in the Chontal region, from which mixed Maya-Mexican culture groups emerged that flooded much of the Maya region at the end of the classical period.

Palenque

As we said in the section on Palenque architecture, this center, despite being located in the Usumacinta basin, created a very distinctive art, different in many respects from what has developed in the rest of the area - both in sculpture and architecture. Therefore, we consider it separately. The artists of Palenque worked the limestone in a flat, shallow relief and, in addition, had a special interest in molding a piece, a very plastic material, especially corresponding to their refined taste. They did not perceive the round volume at all, which we know about only from rare fragments of objects, both in stone and in pieces.

Nor did they care about erecting stelae and other monuments such as altars, other than a small number of rectangular or rounded tables. Their stone bas-reliefs form panels, strips, slabs built into structures, mainly into the internal walls of buildings. Pieces are also part of buildings, decorating their bases, columns, friezes, ridges on the outside, and walls inside. Small slabs, beautifully engraved with a sharp chisel, probably made of obsidian, bear images of deities and hieroglyphic inscriptions, finely drawn with light lines. The body of the thing was modeled naked, clothes barely covering it, and decorations were applied later; finally, they were painted in different colors, traces of which are still preserved in some places: red for the body and face, black for hair, and blue for jewelry and attributes.

The main themes developed were compositional groups, although there are also individual characters on columns and heads inside medallions. The scenes depict the ascension of the ruler to the throne, the veneration of important characters or religious symbols, a whole hierarchy of vassals, ritual dances, human sacrifices, symbolic compositions implying death and rebirth, religious and astronomical motifs, hieroglyphic texts of calendar and historical content. The stucco heads that adorn the friezes, ridges and walls reflected, no doubt, with amazing realism, the features of those people who dominated the political and religious life of Palenque.

Palenque sculptors were distinguished by high technical skill, subtlety of perception, rigor and elegance of style. Their art differs significantly from that of Copan, Peten, and even the rest of the Usumacinta area. The human body was depicted almost naked, in various positions (in height, sitting, kneeling, squatting); the whole body or only the face was given in profile. The decoration of the characters usually consisted of a simple loincloth, an elegant headdress (in the form of a plume or a crown of flowers), loosely worked necklaces, ear ornaments and bracelets. Some rulers were dressed in cloaks of feathers or jade plates, in skirts decorated with barely outlined diamond-shaped motifs, but the body was always visible almost entirely, which gave naturalness to the characters and scenes in which they participated.

When depicting facial features, one can notice the desire to convey portrait resemblance, but at the same time one can also see the following of certain canons, which manifests itself, say, in the deformation of the head and in the transformation of the fold from frowning eyebrows into an artificial line of the nasal arch, continuing on part of the forehead. The figures of people are graceful, proportional, and even in the most static scenes, the position of the hands, some flexibility, a slight tilt of the head create a feeling of naturalness.

In general, we can say that the art of Palenque is distinguished by balance, naturalness, realism, restrained dynamism, rigor and refinement.

Rio Bec - Chenes

In the chapter on architecture, we considered these areas separately. However, as far as sculpture is concerned, it can be said that they belong to the same stylistic region.

Both areas are characterized by an almost complete absence of free-standing sculptures. We find only references to five or six stelae from Río Bec, Pasion del Cristo and Sorrow, badly destroyed and apparently influenced by the Pétain tradition in style.

On the other hand, sculpture was functionally related to architecture. In the excessively overloaded decoration of the facades of the temples, a combination of stone and piece was used. At the same time, a thick layer of shtuk not only covered the stone frame of the building, but also added details that gave it its final shape.

The main motif is the mask of the god of rain, the presence of which on the facades is closely related to the lack of surface water and the scarcity of rainfall. The mask may take up most of the façade vertically, with its wide-open mouth corresponding to the entrance. Big eyes, a nose hanging over the lintel, fangs descending vertically, parallel to the jambs of the doorway, make an intimidating impression.

The decor consists of masks made full face or in profile and located on columns in the corners, as well as stylized snakes, volutes, lattices, columns, images of peasant huts and sometimes figures of people.

The element of the mask that covers the entire facade, the mouth of which serves as an entrance to the temple, is known to us especially in the style of Puuk (Uxmal and Chichen Itza) and in Copan.

Puuc

The area bearing this name occupies the western half of the state of Yucatan and the northern half of the state of Campeche. It includes numerous centers, of which the most important are Etsna, Ushmal, Kabakh, Sayil, Labna, Shlabpak, Shkalumkin, Shkulok, Oshkintok, Chakmultun.

In Puuc the tradition of erecting steles continued to exist, while in Rio Beque and Chenes, as we have already said, it was rejected. On these monuments, mainly in the middle and the end of the late classical period, some noble, magnificently dressed characters were depicted. T. Proskuryakova suggested the possible existence of a poorly studied regional style. Many items were found in poor condition, destroyed by natural disasters or the use of slash-and-burn agriculture.

In addition to stelae, columns, supporting pillars, jambs and lintels were covered with sculptural carvings, mainly with bas-reliefs, the plots of which glorified the rulers. The latest monuments reveal a style already in decline - the figures on them are roughly drawn, disproportionate and anatomically distorted; the composition is rigid or roughly executed in cases where the sculptors intended to show movement. The pattern is uncertain, and many of the fine details of the garment are indicated by cut lines rather than relief, with straight lines predominating over curves. In Uxmal and Kabakh, Toltec features are evidence of the first invasions of foreigners in the 9th century.

The tradition of free-standing sculpture is not characteristic of the Puuk style; A special imprint on the style of this area is given by architectural sculpture and, specifically, by the ornamentation of the frieze of the facade. If in other areas (Peten, Usumacinta, Palenque) the frieze usually had only a few masks from a piece, then in Puuk it turns into the richest stone ornament, contrasting with smooth walls. It was possible to do such work only with the help of numerous masons. It was a collective creative work done for the entire community, since its purpose was not to glorify individuals from the ruling class, but to glorify the rain god Chaak, especially revered in these waterless places.

The image of Chaak in the form of a mask, repeated many times with minimal variations, reaches its apogee in one Kabah building, the facade of which is entirely covered with hundreds of his images from the base to the cornice.

Ornamentation is complemented only by geometric motifs: a lattice, a simple or stepped meander, drums, columns smooth or with bands, broken and jagged stripes, sometimes forming rhombuses, serpentine wavy stripes. These elements, harmoniously combined, serve as a background against which the image of the god of rain stands out effectively. Images of people are rare, with the exception of those that appeared in a later period under foreign influence.

The Puuk style is also found outside this area, in the north of the Yucatan Peninsula (Tsibilchaltun and Chichen Itza). In the same era, in the late classical period, this style continued to exist in Mayapan.

Summing up, we can say that the sculptural art of Puuc, which is an integral part of architecture, has an abstract content and a geometric form of expression. This art is undoubtedly religious, in which the human person gives way to the deity.

Postclassical styles

We have already talked about the invasion of foreigners into the Maya region at the end of the 11th - beginning of the 12th century. This invasion was preceded by another wave, traces of which were found in Uxmal and Kabakh. The culture that the conquerors brought was undoubtedly Toltec. Its fusion with the Mayan culture led to the creation of the Maya-Toltec style, which survived until the arrival of the Spaniards, although it was dissolved over time in the local culture.

Maya-Toltec style. Temple of the Warriors, Chichen Itza

Let us briefly consider the sculpture of three monuments in the postclassic period, located in the northern part of the Yucatan. These are Chichen Itza, Mayapan and Tulum.

Chichen Itza

In sculpture, even more than in architecture, the capture of Chichen Itza in the middle of the 13th century can be traced. carriers of the Toltec culture. It cannot be argued that everything Mayan disappeared in sculptural art - it was not the replacement of some styles by others, but their merger. Some specific details were revealed by T. Proskuryakova; they are reminiscent of the details of the monuments of the classical period, especially what she refers to the "Auschkintoka school" (for example, some types of plumes). The presence on the Toltec buildings of Chaak masks, identical to those of the Puuk style, speaks of a political situation when the alien minority that seized power was forced to respect the creed of the vast majority of the enslaved people.

Regardless of the fact that the themes presented in Chichen were of Toltec origin, they show the hand of the Mayan artist who executed them, reflecting in his work an undeniable superiority over the sculptor from Tula. The same image (jaguar, eagle, chac-mool or warrior) acquires in Chichen Itza, thanks to a more perfect technique and more refined taste, a perfection that the Toltecs did not have. This is especially pronounced in some sculptures of warriors carved on the jambs of the Temple of the Jaguars in the ball game complex. Their faces are carved with a skill never achieved in Toltec Tula.

One of the characteristic features of the Maya-Toltec style, which distinguishes it from the styles of the central zone, is the replacement of the individual depiction of characters by a group one.

The main motifs of the Toltec culture brought to Chichen Itza are as follows:

• feathered snakes decorating the bases and platforms of buildings;
• columns in the form of a rattlesnake with a head on the ground, a raised body and a "rattle" of the tail, bent to support the lintel;
• figures of single warriors on supports and jambs, or whole processions on "banquets" and altars;
• processions of jaguars;
• Atlantes supporting slabs of altars;
• standard-bearers;
• eagles and jaguars devouring hearts;
• motive "man - bird - snake";
• statues of lying people, unfortunately called "chakmools";
• figures of the gods Quetzalcoatl, Tezcatlipoca, Tlaloc, Tlalchiton-tiuha;
• scenes of sacrifice by tearing out the heart;
• the use of engraving in the form of bas-relief or high relief, depending on the purpose of the monument.

The Maya-Toltec art of Chichen Itza reproduces many of the new concepts imposed by the conquerors. It is religious in nature and reflects an alien culture forcibly grafted onto the trunk of the Mayan culture. Nevertheless, this art bears an indelible trace of the artistic genius of the Maya.

Mayapan

Although all the buildings, the remains of which have been preserved in Mayapan, belong to the late post-classical period (XIII-XIV centuries), earlier art can be traced there, modern to the Puuk style (VIII-IX centuries) - by the presence of several Chaak masks. They originally decorated buildings of the same style, but after these buildings were demolished, the masks were clumsily restored to postclassical buildings; Numerous fragments of masks and other motifs from the Puuk style friezes were used as a simple building material for backfilling the walls.

Some of the stelae correspond in their inscriptions or style to the end of the late classical period and show kinship with the Puuk stelae or with those that T. Proskuryakova associates with the "Oshkintok school". They are rough in execution, and the elements of clothing and headgear are made not in relief, but in cutting. There are steles in which the square-shaped space prepared for the hieroglyphic text has not been worked out; some monuments (more than 25) remained smooth. It can be assumed that they were completely or partially painted over the layer of the piece, or some important events prevented them from being completed. Some of the figures bear a resemblance to drawings from the Codex Paris.

Most of the sculptural material from Mayapan is provided by architectural ornamentation: serpentine columns, in which the smooth trunk was apparently covered with a piece and painted; rattlesnake tails, bent at right angles to support the lintels, carved in stone, like snake heads, have been found at the foot of the platforms or on the upper platforms. All these architectural details imitated the snakes of Chichen Itza.

Also typical are life-size human figures made in high relief from a piece and leaning against the columns. Some figures and human heads were equipped with spikes for fastening. There are elements made in the Mayan style of the classical period. Images of animals such as monkeys, jaguars, dogs, lizards adorned the jambs and columns. The small altars were shaped like a turtle with a human head.

The tortoise motifs, applied with paint on a layer of shtuk, complemented the decoration of the buildings. The sculptural art of Mayapan, like the entire Yucatan, was religious and symbolic. It, like architecture, bore traces of the era of decline, when they tried to copy Toltec art, while the Mayan classical basis was still preserved. The style of Mayapan clearly shows a relationship with the style of the east coast of Yucatan.

Tulum

There are numerous monuments on the east coast of the Yucatan Peninsula. Let's name some of them, listing from north to south: El Meco, Nisukte, Playa del Carmen, Palmul, Akumal, Shelha, Tankah, Tulum, Xcaret, Punta Soliman, Chakmool, Ichpaatun, in addition to those located on the islands of Mujeres, Cancun and Cozumel. They have common characteristics, and we will limit ourselves to the most famous and explored - Tulum.

Few isolated sculptural monuments are known in this area. Some of them are in Tulum. Stela 1 is dated to the 6th century. n. e., while ceramics definitely dates this monument to the late postclassical period (XIII-XV centuries); we believe that the stele was originally placed in another center, perhaps in Tanka, which was inhabited from an earlier time and is located barely 5 km north of Tulum.

In its composition, it is associated with classical Maya sculpture:

• richly dressed character, whose body is depicted in front, face - in profile;
• a long skirt similar to the skirts of some Palencan priests;
• "ritual band" of flexible material, hanging on the chest, as on the most ancient stelae of Copan.

The remaining examples of stone sculpture are probably all contemporary with Mayapan.

Characteristic of the sculpture of Tulum and of the entire coast in general is the extensive use of the stucco and its inclusion in architecture. The main forms of sculpture, all rather crudely realized in a piece, are as follows:

• serpentine columns, in which the piece lining was painted, the head was on the floor, and the "rattles" of the tail were raised and held the lintel;
• human figures standing or sitting in niches above the entrances;
• a "diving" deity with the head pointing down, the legs apart at the top, with the palms joined above the face, with arms and shoulders provided with wings (probably this is an image of the Mexican motif of the setting sun);
• masks in bas-relief, located at the corners of the friezes between two horizontal baguettes and sometimes cut by them;
• human heads in bas-relief or high relief on interior walls;
• a falling man caught in a tangled stripe;
• a statue of the "chakmool" type, found on the same monument with this name;
• balustrade snake heads found at Nisukta.

The sculpture of the east coast has a religious and symbolic character. It has features that make it possible to speak of a regional style that is quite close to the Mayapan in terms of Toltec imitations, but in terms of technique it is lower than the classical Mayan sculpture.

Southern zone

The southern zone played a very important role in the formation of the Maya civilization, since it was the link between it and the Olmec culture, from which it, like the rest of the cultures of Mesoamerica, is partly descended.

During the preclassic period, the sites of the Pacific coast, the Guatemalan highlands and Chiapas - Bilbao, Izapa, Kaminalguyu and Chiapa de Corso were inhabited. Scenes engraved on stones up to 6 m high, as well as typically Olmec figurines made of jade, were found on the coast of the modern state of Chiapas (Pihihiapan, Okosokoautla).

At the end of the same period (Late Preclassic and Protoclassic), colossal heads were carved from large blocks, cruder than those at La Venta and other Olmec sites. The so-called style of Izapa, also a coastal monument (on the border of Chiapas with Guatemala), began to develop. Numerous stelae are known, originating for the most part from Izapa itself, as well as from Santa Margarita, San Isidro Piedra Parada, Bilbao, El Baul, El Hobo, Monte Alto, Abah Takalik, Chocola and from the highlands of Chiapa de Corso and Caminalgue. This style is very similar to La Venta and Monte Alban-1, which is why its Olmec origin has been established. At the same time, it contains features that would later become classic in Maya sculpture.

The themes presented on the steles are mythological in nature and include human figures, real and mythological animals, plants, geometric and symbolic motifs, and a large number of volutes. The most widely used technique is bas-relief, but there are also altars and other monuments made in a circular volume. The connection between the stele and the altar is common. The theme is rich in variety of compositions:

• a person who, apparently, is fishing or carrying water (the motif of water is constantly depicted);
• "diving" figures;
• "tree of life" in the mythological complex;
• an anthropomorphic god accompanied by a snake;
• a jaguar hanging over a fire;
• characters around the brazier;
• a man falling headlong into the water;
• a crocodile facing a man holding a bird;
• a recumbent skeleton with an umbilical cord extending from its abdomen, supporting a winged figure;
• beheading scenes.

In some cases, two people sitting opposite each other are separated by a column with hieroglyphs. Stele No. 1 from El Baul depicts a character associated with an ancient date (36 AD), that is, this stele is more than 260 years older than the first, probably Mayan stele. Another stela in the same center depicts a ball player, suitably dressed and wearing an animal mask. Stela no. 11 from Kaminalguyu represents some high-ranking person, magnificently dressed and armed, on the basis of which we can think that already from the late preclassic period, the ruling class glorified itself with the help of sculptural monuments. Some kind of hook-nosed deity associated with water was probably the forerunner of the Mayan god of rain.

The early classical period is evident in the southern zone in the continued existence of such centers as Izapa, Chiapa de Corso and Kaminalguyu; this latter experienced strong Teotihuacan influences, mainly in architecture and ceramics. As for the late classical period, it is characterized by the peculiar style of the Santa Lucia-Cotzumalhuapa region, which flourished in Santa Lucia itself and in numerous places of the current department of Escuintla in Guatemala: Bilbao, El Baul, Palo Gordo, etc. In this style classical Mayan, Teotihuacan, Totonac and Toltec elements are visible. Sculptural monuments include stelae, huge processed stones using bas-relief and high relief, as well as a round volume. The heads of people, mythical creatures and animals (snakes, parrots, jaguars, monkeys) are made with the latest technique; all of them are equipped with protrusions-thorns for embedding in buildings.

• ball game, players dressed appropriately and with stone "yokes" as belts;
• human sacrifice by decapitation or heart ripping associated with this game;
• frequent depiction of the death motif in the form of skeletons, skulls, people with exposed ribs;
• human figures seated on a throne, probably portraits of dignitaries;
• overweight and thick-cheeked people;
• human heads in snake mouths;
• a solar disk and a "diving" god engulfed in flames, probably representing the sun;
• animals and mythological creatures - snakes, birds of prey, sopilots, cat deer, cancer man, eagle man, etc.

In combination with these themes, peculiar hieroglyphs are often found, different from the system used by the Maya of the classical period, these hieroglyphs are recognizable as signs of the twenty days of the Mexican religious calendar. Let us add that numerous items related to the Totonac culture, the so-called ritual axes and "yokes", smooth or carved, were found in this region.

The postclassical period in the southern zone is represented very poorly both quantitatively and qualitatively. Of the few examples of sculpture that we can name, several were found during excavations of premises intended for ball games:

• "marks" in the form of human heads in the mouth of a snake (Misco Viejo),
• round jaguar heads with spikes, like the mentioned "markers" (Chalchitan),
• a slab with a rough bas-relief in the central part of one of the side walls of the ball game complex (Chichen),
• anthropomorphic figure from a piece, found in another complex (Uil).

In addition, several altars and one stele from Tajumulco are known, with images of jaguars, eagles, sun disks and crude human figures, which speak of a clear degeneration of the style of Cotzumalhuapa. The "Mexican" influence in these areas of the Guatemalan highlands is quite pronounced.

The sculpture of the southern zone clearly reflects the influences that in different periods had an impact on the sphere of Mayan art: Olmec, Teotihuacan, Totonac, Toltec, Aztec; in addition, it shows that classical Mayan sculpture of the preclassic period grew up on the traditions of Olmec art.

Sculpture

The Maya knew and used to a greater or lesser extent all sculptural techniques: carving, bas-relief and high relief, round and modeled volume. Obsidian, flint, jade, and other hard or fine-grained stones, as well as shells and bones, were used to make small objects.

Sculpture could decorate the details of buildings (panels, slabs, jambs, columns), could be an element functionally related to the building (altars, sanctuaries, thrones), or be part of such architectural complexes as squares, platforms and temples.

The sculpture was supposed to embody themes contributing to the strengthening of the existing system: the life of the deities who created this system and monitored its correct functioning, and the power of those who were considered representatives of these deities on earth. Engaged in the glorification of the ruling class as a whole, the ancient sculptors usually did not seek to individualize the depicted persons. However, many characters have a portrait resemblance to really existing rulers and priests. As for the common people, slaves and captives, the poverty and simplicity of their clothes, as well as the pose given to them by the sculptor, indicate their low position.

The Copan and Quirigua schools strove to create three-dimensional sculpture. The bizarre sculptures inherent only in Copan and Kiri-gua are very peculiar, usually placed in front of the stelae in the open air. They depict some mythological monsters. One such monster from Quirigua has a seated human figure in its open mouth.

The sculptural school of Yashchilan was in many respects the opposite of the Yalenk school. Details have not been given much attention here. The themes of the reliefs are varied: scenes of triumph, duel, appearances of deities, etc. Many reliefs of Yashchilan seem to be “translations” from wood to stone.

Maya achieved high perfection in small plastic - terracotta figurines depicting deities and people, in jade products. These images by their direct truthfulness, bold individualization of images, softness and vitality of modeling often surpass monuments of large plastic art.

Painting

Painting, with its richness of color and the ability to depict scenes with numerous participants, even more than sculpture allows us to see the life of the Mayan people and penetrate deeper into it. She captured the scenes from Mayan life as if in motion: some - like cartoon tapes, others - like real color documentaries.

Until now, it has not been possible to determine exactly what technique the Maya used for wall painting: whether fresco on a layer of still wet plaster or tempera on an already dry surface. It is possible that both methods were used. When analyzing some wall paintings, one can be convinced that at first the contours of the figures and the main internal lines were outlined with some light paint; then different colors were superimposed, each in a certain area. Some parts were painted over darker, others lighter, but, apparently, differences in tonality did not seek to obtain a three-dimensional effect. Also, there are no noticeable attempts to present perspective in those scenes that have several plans. The interest of the artist is focused on the line, and indeed the drawing reveals the great skill of the painter.

Very few wall paintings have withstood the weather and the relentless time, and only a few have been found and copied. The most significant discovery was at Bonampak.

Bonampak. In the impenetrable forests of the state of Chiapas in 1946, a temple was discovered, the interior of which was painted with frescoes. He wasn't the only one. A dozen religious buildings adjoined the temple, making up an architectural complex with it - typical of the sacred cities of the ancient Maya of the classical period. It was named Bonampak, which in Maya means "walls with paintings". The murals covering the walls of a three-room church located on a hill date back to the 2nd half of the 8th century. n. e. They show that the classical period was not an era of peace; their main plot is some kind of major battle, in memory of which this temple was subsequently erected. Some of the plots depict the sacrifice of prisoners, one of which stretches out his hands to the ruler, begging for mercy. On the walls of another, dancing warriors in rich attire and headdresses of colorful birds are celebrating their victory. From the murals of Bonampak, it became known about the life of the Indians, their clothes, weapons. Among the many small and large sacred cities of the Maya, no other works of wall painting have been found that would approach them in their craftsmanship. The artist who supervised the creation of these murals was undoubtedly a great master. He freely and confidently disposes of a rich range of colors and their unique combinations. Most of the figures are painted almost life-size.

For painting the walls, paints were used, the composition of which is still unknown. They are extremely resistant and resistant to any acids. It has been established that certain paints are of plant origin, while others were made from mollusks, small insects living on certain types of cacti.

"Chilam Balam". Drawings from the ancient Mayan manuscript “Chilam-Balam” are not inferior in artistic merit to the frescoes of temples. They provide rich material for studying the culture of the ancient Maya. Some sections of the manuscripts date back to very early times and reflect traditions that had already disappeared in the classical period. In general, the manuscripts are a kind of encyclopedia covering all aspects of Indian life.

With the help of these manuscripts, the priests were guided in the rituals of numerous holidays. The manuscript is illustrated with graphic drawings that provide explanations for the text. The four colors of the background of the drawings, apparently, are related to the four gods of the cardinal points. Among the plots of the drawings is a god with raised hands (Itsamna) holding a frame with a cloth and a large needle and thread in his hands. God sitting holds a branch with a snail in his hand, the background is blue. God with the head of a dog, sitting, holds a stalk with a snail, the background is red. The vulture-headed god sits with his hand raised, palm up, and so on.

Paper for books was made from ficus bast, painted with a hair brush with various paints. The dead priests were buried with their manuscripts. The manuscripts themselves were long strips of paper folded in folds. After the conquest of the Mayan territories by the Spaniards, the ancient writing was completely lost.

The Maya civilization was one of the greatest pre-Columbian civilizations. Its scope extended to the entire northern region of Central America, including the territories of modern states - Guatemala, Belize, El Salvador, Mexico and the southwestern outskirts of Honduras.

Most of the Maya city-states reached their peak of urbanism and large-scale construction during the classical period from 250 to 900 AD. The most notable monuments from this period are the ancient temples that were built in almost every major city. For reasons still unknown, most of the Mayan centers fell into disrepair over the next few centuries. And by the time the conquistadors arrived, the Mayan civilization was already in deep decline.

There are several versions of the possible cause of the death of civilization, including soil depletion, loss of water sources and erosion, earthquakes, disease, as well as the likely military invasions of other highly developed cultures. Some Mayan cities of the highest historical and cultural value are included in. Of particular tourist interest today is ancient architecture, stone sculptures, bas-reliefs and stylized religious paintings on the walls of houses. As well as preserved massive palaces, ancient temples and pyramids.

We have already told you about the impressive ones, today you can get acquainted with the most interesting ancient cities of the Mayan civilization.

Ancient Mayan Cities - PHOTO

The ruins of Tikal are located on the territory of the national park of the same name. And this is perhaps one of the largest archaeological sites of the Mayan civilization in Central America. It was this place that became the inspiration, and then reflected in the Mel Gibson film Apocalypse. A trip to Tikal is financially quite expensive, compared to other destinations to the ruins of the Mayan civilization. But the preserved pyramids, stone royal palaces, paintings and frescoes are worth seeing. In 1979 Tikal National Park was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. By the way, be on the alert, in the dense forests surrounding the park, there are predatory jaguars.

The large pre-Columbian city of Chichen Itza is located in the Mexican state of Yucatan. This large ruined city, apparently, was one of the Tollans - a place of worship of the mythological deity Quetzalcoatl (feathered serpent). This is evidenced by the images found in the ball stadium. Chichen Itza is known for its wide variety of architectural styles. This city was attractive to residents, since there were two deep cenotes that provided the population with water all year round. One of these natural wells is the Sacred Cenote, a place of sacrifice and pilgrimage for the ancient Maya. Chichen Itza is very popular with tourists, with more than 1.2 million visitors every year.

This Mayan city flourished in southern Mexico in the 7th century BC. After the fall, the city was swallowed up by the jungle for a long time before being rediscovered and turned into a famous archaeological site. Palenque is located on the Usumacinta River, 130 km south of Ciudad del Carmen. It is much smaller than Tikal, but it boasts of its architecture, preserved sculptures and bas-reliefs of the ancient Maya. Numerous hieroglyphic inscriptions on the monuments have allowed experts to reconstruct much of Palenque's history. The same experts and archaeologists claim that only 10% of the territory of the ancient city has been excavated and studied at the moment. The rest is nearby, but hidden underground, in thickets of dense jungle.

The ancient ruins of the city of Calakmul are hidden in the jungles of the Mexican state of Campeche. It is one of the largest Mayan cities. More than 6,500 buildings have been discovered on an area of ​​about 20 square kilometers. The largest pyramids reach a height of 50 meters and a base width of 140 meters. In the classical period, the era of the dawn of Calakmul was observed. At that time, he was in fierce rivalry with Tikal, this confrontation can be compared with the clarification of the political ambitions of the two superpowers. Called the Serpent Kingdom, Calakmul spread its active influence over a radius of several hundred kilometers. This is evidenced by the characteristic stone emblems depicting a snake's head, found in small Mayan villages.

The Mayan ruins of Uxmal are located 62 kilometers from Merida, the capital of the Yucatan state. The ruins are famous for their size and decoration of buildings. But little is known about them, since significant archaeological research has not been carried out here. Uxmal was founded in 500 AD. Most of the surviving buildings date back to 800 - 900 years, pyramids and various structures can be observed in almost their original form. The puuk architectural style prevailing here is distinguished by the variety of decorations on the facades of buildings.

The ruins are located on the shores of a lagoon in the Orange Walk district in north-central Belize. Translated from the Mayan language, the name of the city, which has a history of three thousand years, means "drowned crocodile." Unlike other Mayan cities, Lamanai was still inhabited when the Spanish conquistadors invaded in the 16th century. During excavations carried out in the 1970s, three significant structures came into focus: the Temple of the Mask, the Temple of the Jaguar, and the High Temple. To be among these ruins, located deep in the jungle, you must join an organized boat trip from the city of Orange Walk. There is a small museum displaying ancient artifacts and telling about the history of the Maya.

The name of this ancient archaeological site means "Stone Woman". It is connected with the history of the Belizeans, according to which, allegedly since 1892, the ghost of a woman periodically appears in these places. A white-robed ghost with fiery red eyes climbs the stairs to the top of the main temple and dissolves through the wall. The ruins are located near the village of San Jose Succotz in the west of the country. In this village, you need to take a small ferry to cross the Mopan River. Having reached the ruins, do not deny yourself the opportunity to climb to the top of the Shunantunich Palace - a huge pyramid that offers stunning views of the river valley.

The walled city of Tulum, which served as a port for the city of Coba, is located on the east coast of the Yucatan Peninsula. It was built in the 1200s, at a time when the Mayan civilization was already in decline. Therefore, it lacks some elegance and grace in architecture, characteristic of the classical period of development. But the unique location on the Caribbean coast, the proximity of numerous beaches and Mexican resorts, made the Mayan port city of Tulum very popular among tourists.

The great city of the ancient Maya, which served as a home for 50 thousand inhabitants at the peak of its development, is located 90 kilometers east of Chichen Itza, about 40 kilometers west of the Caribbean Sea and 44 kilometers northeast of Tulum. All directions today are interconnected by modern convenient roads. Most of the objects were built between 500 and 900 years. The city has several tall pyramids. The highest pyramid of El Castillo, belonging to the Nohoch Mul group of buildings, reaches a height of 42 meters. To the top of the temple, where a small altar is located, which served as a place of sacrifice, 120 steps lead, along which those who wish can climb.

Mayan ceremonial and commercial center Altun Ha is located 50 kilometers from the city of Belize. This area, only 10 kilometers from the Caribbean coast, is known for its rich wildlife. Typical inhabitants of the local forests are armadillos, tapirs, agoutis, foxes, tairas and white-tailed deer. In addition to the impressive wildlife, Altun-Kha is famous for the artifacts found here by archaeologists from. Among them is a huge jade sculpture depicting the head of the sun god Kinich Ahau. This find is today considered a national treasure of Belize.

The large center of archaeological excavations of Caracol is located 40 kilometers south of Shunantunich in Cayo district. The ruins stretch 500 meters above sea level on the Waka Plateau. Caracol is now known as one of the most important political centers of the Mayan civilization in the classical period. At one time, Karakol stretched over an area of ​​more than 200 square kilometers. This is more than the territory of modern Belize - the largest city in the country. Even more surprising is that the current population of Belizeans is only half of its ancient predecessors.

The stunning Mayan ruins are located on the banks of the Usumacinta River in the southeastern Mexican state of Chiapas. Yaxchilan was at one time a powerful city-state, and was a kind of competition to such cities as Palenque and Tikal. Yaxchilan is known for a large number of well-preserved stone decorations decorating the door and window openings of the main temple. On them, as well as on various statues, there are hieroglyphic texts telling about the ruling dynasty and the history of the city. The names of some of the rulers sounded menacing: Moon Skull and Jaguar Bird dominated Yaxchilan in the fifth century.

In the department of Izabal in the southeast of Guatemala, there is a three-kilometer zone of archaeological excavations of Quirigua. During the classical period of the development of the Mayan civilization, this ancient city was at the crossroads of several important trade routes. An interesting attraction of this place is the Acropolis, the construction of which began in 550. The archaeological park of Quirigua is famous for its tall stone monuments. Considering that the city is located on the site of a transform geological fault and in ancient times was subject to major earthquakes and floods, it is worth a visit to see the preserved monuments and appreciate the urban planning skills of the ancient Maya.

The archaeological site of the Mayan civilization Copan is located in the western part of Honduras on the border with Guatemala. This relatively small town is known for a series of well-preserved architectural artifacts. Some of the stelae, sculptural decorations and bas-reliefs are among the best evidence of the art of ancient Mesoamerica. Some stone structures of Copan date back to the 9th century BC. The highest temple reaches a height of 30 meters. The dawn of the settlement falls on the 5th century, at that time about 20 thousand inhabitants lived here.

The ruins of Cajal Pech are located near the town of San Ignacio in the Cayo region on a strategic high ground at the confluence of the Makal and Mopan rivers. Most of the main dates of construction date back to the Classical period, but existing evidence speaks of continuous habitation at the site as early as 1200 BC. The city is a concentration in a small area of ​​34 stone structures located around the central acropolis. The highest temple is about 25 meters high. Cahal Pech, like many other cities, was abandoned in the 9th century AD for unknown reasons.

This is only a small part of the huge historical and cultural heritage that the mysterious civilization left behind. In total, in the northern region of Central America, more than 400 large archaeological sites were discovered, and over 4,000 small, but no less interesting ancient settlements belonging to the peoples and cultures of the Mayan civilization that existed for more than 2,500 years.