Maya Collapse - 1895 Words

I. Introduction. History of human is a long and mysterious journey to contemporary people to understand fully about it. However, it can be described briefly that â€Å"historical mankind has been mesmerized by the narrative of progress and civilization as codified by the first great agrarian kingdoms† (Scott 2011, p.2). By replacing hunters-gatherers and nomadic lifestyles with society of agriculture, people witnessed the flourish of many early civilizations in Europe, Asia such as Mesopotamian civilization, Ancient Egypt, Ancient Greece, China dynasties, etc. Besides those big and famous civilizations existed in Europe and Asia, owning to the discovery of American continent of Christopher Columbus in 1492, one of the greatest civilizations†¦show more content†¦2. Maya successful achievements. Although Maya civilization shared many characteristic â€Å"with other Mesoamerican civilizations due to the high degree of interaction and cultural diffusion† (Maya civilization, n.d.), it cannot be denied that Maya was the most successful and advanced civilization with various accomplishments in art, astronomy, architecture and writing system. 2.1. Art. It is undeniable that Mayan art during the Classic era (from 250 AD to 900 AD) â€Å"is of a high level of aesthetic and artisanal sophistication† (Maya civilization, n.d.). Approximately between 600 AD and 800 AD, Mayan art witnessed an ever-seen era of Maya sculptures (Annequin 1978, p214) with many masterpieces containing greatly aesthetic sense. At this time, as Annequin (1978, p.215) notified â€Å"the Maya appear to have held the void in horror, and they often crammed surfaces until the impression was overwhelming† ; this inspired Mayans to produced much more things such as masks, ceremonial rods, earrings, armlets and mittens by inserting elaborately flamboyant feathers. Besides having talent in producing art of relief, Mayans also were experts in stucco at Palenque and Comalco. [pic] A stucco relief from Palenque depicting Upakal K’inich. (Maya civilization,n.d.) 2.2. Astronomy. The most striking feature that can be noted among successes of Mayans in Mathematics and Astronomy is the development of solar calendar which stated that there are 365 days per year. This commonShow MoreRelatedSecrets And The Collapse Of The Maya Essay926 Words   |  4 PagesSecrets Locked in Stone Maya scholars debated for decades over the fate of the Maya. 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Their civilization inhabited an area that encompasses Mexicos Yucatan peninsula and parts of the states of Chiapas and Tabasco, as well as Guatemala, Belize, Honduras, and El Salvador. From the third to the ninth century, Maya civilization produced awe-inspiring temples and pyramids, highly accurate calendars, mathematics and hieroglyphics, and a complex social and political order (Collapse