Mayan ways of life series#

It was recently taken over by the government from a private owner. There were many pyramids build in Chichen Itza, one of the largest known Mayan cities. Also, read about things to see in Chichen Itza.ДЈ. We already told you that there are around 7 million Mayans living in around the Yucatan Peninsula, however, last self-governing Mayan state submitted to Spanish rule in 1697. Also, read aboutВ the most amazing Pyramids in Mexico.Дў. It is believed that Saunas help them to relieve impurities. Saunas and sweat baths are one of the most important parts of Mayan civilization. Now, let me tell you few more unbelievable facts about the Mayans that will surprise you, Fact About The MayansДЎ. They also used painkillers from the natural environment both as religious rituals and as medicine. We told you that Mayans were much advanced in their medicines, let me give you an example, Mayans used to fill wounds of teeth with human hair and they even made the prosthesis. Mayans name their children as per the day on which they were born. Mayans mother used to press boards on the foreheads of their kids so that they can easily flatter. Also, Mayans have their own way of enhancing the physical feature of their children. We all know shark as one of the dangerous animals of the sea, however, there are many linguists who believe that вЂSharkвЂ™ is a Mayan word. It has been estimated that there are around 7 million Mayans still living in around the Yucatan Peninsula. However, the civilization has been declined but in many parts of Mexico and Guatemala Mayans language and their culture persist. History of Mayans are more interesting but at the same time it very complex. Mayans still live in the Yucatan peninsula. They also have their advancement in medicine. The incredible civilization has developed its own architecture, language, and mathematical systems. The Maya also harvested from the wild, finding tubers, roots and berries they could eat.Mayan was a pre-Columbian American civilization. Cacao and gum trees were encouraged to grow, for example.

Mayan Farming: Miscellaneous Other MethodsД«esides the three agricultural methods outlined above, the Maya also used forest gardening, planting trees that provided economic benefit for them as food or firewood. Here too, the Maya used canals to irrigate the crops. These terraces make the most productive use of mountainous or hilly land.

Mayan ways of life series#

These create a series of steps that reduce water runoff and erosion and can be planted with maize or other crops. Small fields are cut into a hillside and held with a retaining wall. In mountainous areas, the Maya made terraces on the steep hillsides. Each field provided two or three crops a year. Raised bed farming was quite labor-intensive but very productive. Water lilies grew in the water and prevented the water from drying up. In the canals between the beds were fish, turtles and other aquatic life. They created these fertile farm areas by digging up the mud from the bottom and placing it on mats made of woven reeds two feet above the water level. Like the Aztecs, the Maya also farmed field raised up from the bajos, or low, swampy areas. Mayan Farming: Raised Bed FarmingДЄerial photography provides evidence of raised beds alongside canals. These experts began to look for other methods the Maya might have used as well as shifting, swidden agriculture. Some archeologists realized that the slash and burn technique alone could not have fed the large populations of the Classic era. The Maya would then move on to a new area and repeat the process. However, after two or three years, the soil and ash was depleted and must be allowed to lie fallow for five to 15 years. The Maya would then plant in the rich ash that resulted. Mayan Farming: Shifting AgricultureДЄrcheologists thought for decades that Maya people used slash and burn agriculture, a farming method where trees and other plants are first cut down, then the entire area to be planted is burned. In order to deal with rainforest, swampy areas and mountainous hillsides, the Maya had to engineer a variety of Mayan farming methods. This discovery solves a longstanding mystery of how the Maya could produce enough nutritious food to feed everyone, considering the land they inhabited and worked with no metal tools or draft animals. Recently, archeologists also discovered that the Maya grew manioc or cassava, a root that provides a significant amount of carbohydrate in the diet. Maize was grown together with beans and squash as each of the three provide support to the others. Corn, or maize, was the main staple crop. Their sophistication can be compared to other ancient empires such as the Egyptians. Ancient Maya people were clever and hardworking farmers who used a variety of techniques to raise enough food to feed the large populations in Maya cities.