Piramide din intreaga lume

Piramidele, de fiecare data cand sunt mentionate, ne duc cu gandul la faraoni si la Egipt. Despre motivul pentru care au fost construite aceste piramide s-au scris si inca se mai scriu multe carti. In timp ce aceste mistere raman nerezolvate, in intreaga lume exista piramide antice si moderne care ne atrag datorita misticului care le inconjoara. Structura piramidelor ce nu se afla in Egipt nu imita in totalitate pe cea a piramidelor ridicate de egipteni, deoarece forma si stilul difera de la un loc la altul.

Piramidele din Egipt

Cu exceptia Marii Piramide din Egipt, mai exista peste 100 alte piramide de diferite marimi. Piramida lui Djoser a fost construita in timpul faraonului cu acelasi nume, intre anii 2630 si 2611 I Hr. ca un mare mausoleum pentru conducator. Mormintele fostilor faraoni erau plate, pline de namol, dar arhitectul lui Djoser, Imhotep, a venit cu idea pentru ceva mult mai atractiv si mai durabil: o piramida din trepte, alcatuite din calcar, de mai bine de 60m inaltime. Imhotep, un cunoscut vindecator, a fost venerat mai tarziu ca zeu al medicinei in cultura greco-romana.

Hernán(do) Cortés, Marqués del Valle de Oaxaca

Hernán(do) Cortés, Marqués del Valle de Oaxaca (1485 – December 2, 1547) was a Spanish explorer, military commander, and colonizer whose daring conquest of the Aztec Empire in Mexico for Spain in 1521 led to the eventual subjugation and effective elimination of native American culture in Mesoamerica.

Cortés adopted methods in the conquest of Mexico like those of other Conquistadors, including torture, the capture of indigenous leaders, and large-scale destruction of lives and property in the quest for gold and other riches. Nevertheless, many argue that he dealt with the natives more humanely than did his successors. Cortes was an efficient soldier and administrator who demonstrated relative restraint during the conquest, sought to make peace with Indian tribes, resisted slavery, issued edicts against human sacrifice, and sought peaceful conversion of Indians to the Christian faith. Cortés hoped to acquire a productive province informed by Christian principles, not a slave state administered by rapacious overlords.

Fenomenul care le-a venit de hac mayasilor

O pestera din Belize a oferit istoricilor explicatia neindoielnica privind motivul pentru care civilizatia mayasa, extrem de avansata, a disparut, aparent brusc si nu si-a mai revenit niciodata.

Specialistii au aflat dintr-o pestera din Belize detalii nestiute pana acum despre clima din perioada in care a inflorit civilizatia mayasa.

Ei au inteles ca o serie de perioade secetoase a dus incet dar sigur la prabusirea acestei incredibile civilizatii, care se baza pe agricultura, scrie Business Insider.

A fost descoperit mormantul regelui care a pus bazele Civilizatiei Maya

Cercetatorii nu pierd timpul si de asta ne convingem in fiecare zi. O echipa de oameni de stiinta din Guatemala a descoperit mormantul unui fost rege, despre care se crede ca a fost acela care a pus bazele civilizatiei MAYA, in urma cu peste 2.000 de ani.

Arheologii au descoperit mormantul regelui K'utz Chman, un preot despre care se crede ca a domnit in jurul anului 700 i.e.n., la Tak'alik Ab'aj, in regiunea Retalhuleu din vestul Guatemalei. Decorat cu multe bijuterii din jad si alte artefacte, acest sit este cel mai vechi mormant regal maya descoperit pana in prezent.

The wonders of Chichen Itza

Buenos diaz,

Acum cateva zile am inceput aventura spre zona arheologica Chichen Itza pt a vedea cea de-a 2 a minune a lumii reprezentata prin Templu Kukulcan. In drumul nostru am facut cateva opriri pt a cunoaste mai bine civilizatia maya si cultura mexicana.

In momentul in care am ajuns in Chichen Itza soferul autocarului ne-a strans pt a ne inmana biletele de intrare si pt a ne repartiza, in functie de limba conversationala aleasa, unui ghid.

Revisiting Doomsday at the LHC

We are currently holed up in Boston,  bracing ourselves for the wrath of Hurricane Sandy along with the rest of the Northeast, and kicking ourselves for not having the good sense to stay home in sunny Los Angeles. (But the Moving Naturalism Forward conference we attended was fantastic, whereby we learned a great deal about the nature of reality, emergence, morality, consciousness and free will from some very smart people — and were chuffed to discover that philosopher Daniel Dennett looks like an amiable intellectual Kris Kringle.)

В Гватемале найдено древнейшее захоронение правителя майя

Жрец, могилу которого нашли гватемальские археологи, был родоначальником цивилизации майя.

Археологи при раскопках археологического комплекса Такалик-Абах близ города Реталхулеу на западе Гватемалы обнаружили могилу верховного жреца майя по имени Кутц Чман, правление которого пришлось на 7 век до нашей эры.

«Кутц Чман был великим правителем, при нем начался переход от культуры ольмеков к культуре майя», -- пояснил Мигель Оррего, один из руководителей раскопок. Вытеснение ольмеков произошло не сразу, они продолжали доминировать в регионе примерно до 4 века до нашей эры, когда майя окончательно захватили ключевые торговые пути.

Chichen Itza - O incursiune in istoria Mayasa

Desi nu este USA, poate fi considerata inca "Aventura Americana", de data asta tot pe continent, dar in Mexic unde mi-am petrecut o parte din scurta vacanta. Voi incepe seria povestilor in ordine inversa, asadar e randul uneia din cele 7 noi minuni ale lumii, Piramida de la Chichen Itza.

Inca o zi in care trezitul de dimineata m-a facut sa cred ca nu ma aflu in concediu...trebuia sa prind feryboat-ul de la ora 7 spre Playa del Carmen. Ziua avea sa ma poarte in istoria Mexicului si mai ales in cea a peninsulei Yucatan. Dupa 30 de minute pe ocean cu soarele zambind de dupa insula Cozumel pe care o lasam in urma, am poposit in Playa del Carmen.

Mayan prophecies investigated The Chilam Balam books

Though there is only the one known engraving of a prediction connected to the end of the 13th Bak’tun (monument 6 Tortuguero) it is often stated, wrongly, that there is only this one place for any possible year 2012 prophecy. There is in fact more prophetic material available from the Mayan sources known as the Chilam Balam books.

These books were made up of prophecies attached to the Short Count calendar, a count of Tun’s rather than Bak’tun’s. 

Wonders of the modern world: Chichen Itza

Some of the most incredible pyramids still in existence are not, as many people erroneously think, in Egypt, but are in South America where they continue to fascinate astronomers, archaeologists and tourists alike.

Of these awe-inspiring edifices it is perhaps Chichen Itza, on the Yucatan Peninsula, in what is modern day Mexico and which, to the delight of many, is listed as one of the ‘Wonders of the Modern World’, that is the most famous, although Machu Pitchu in Peru does compete for this honour.

Mayan astronomy, society, cosmology, & timekeeping

As December 2012 approaches -- and with it the supposed end of the fabled Mayan Long Count calendar -- popular references to a Maya predicted doomsday will reach a crescendo. Recently at SFI, a small group gathered for a quieter and far more scholarly approach to understanding the early Maya.

The three-day SFI working group in August brought together experts in Maya archaeoastronomy to pursue questions central to both to astronomy and complex civilizations.

“With the rapid increase in archaeological knowledge about early Maya cities, their architecture and urban forms, new information from hieroglyphic decipherment, and recent advances in understanding ancient Maya iconography, the opportunity for new insights into the role of astronomy in the development of ancient Maya civilization could not be better,” says SFI President Jerry Sabloff, who participated in the meeting.

Tomb of Mayan snake lord discovered in Guatamala

Archaeologists say they've discovered what could be the tomb of one of the greatest Mayan rulers, the seventh-century warrior queen Lady K'abel.

The tomb was revealed during digging at the ancient Maya city of El Perú-Waka' in the rain forest of northern Guatemala. Alongside the body, excavators found a white jar shaped like a conch shell with the head and arm of a woman carved at the opening. The artifact had four hieroglyphs that suggest it belonged to K'abel.

Maya watchtowers marked astronomical seasons

Experts in Mexico say they have determined that the ancient Maya used watchtower-style structures at the temple complex of Chichen Itza to observe the equinoxes and solstices.

The bases of the structures were found atop the walls of the long ceremonial court, where a ritual ball game was played. But to determine their use, archaeologists first had to rebuild the small, stone-roofed structures.

Mayans Watched Astronomical Markers in Chichen Itza Watchtower

Inside the temple complex of Chichen Itza, ancient Mayans would watch the equinoxes and solstices from small, stone-roofed structures in their playground, researchers have learned.

Archaeologists recreated the bases of structures that were along the walls of the ceremonial court to determine what they were used for. What they discovered: the ball court was used as a celestial marker, narrow slits would allow light in during the winter solstics, at another angle on the equinoxes.

Beyond Chichen Itza: Less traveled Maya sites

For longtime travelers to the Yucatan, the 2012 mythology that has taken hold brings a delicious irony: Worldwide attention is finally turning from the Yucatan's white-powder beaches and sequestered all-inclusives to the remnants of the "lost civilization" buried under the jungle that drew the first travelers to Mexico's mysterious southern peninsula after New York writer John Lloyd Stephens and illustrator Frederick Catherwood recounted their explorations in the mid-19th century.

Drought Lessons From Chichén Itzá

SANTA FE — With drought draped across all of New Mexico and much of the United States to our east and west, it’s an interesting time to think about the prehistoric Mayan city of Chichén Itzá.

Its fate is a reminder that drought isn’t simply something climate does to us. Drought’s effects are defined in large part by how resilient we are in response.

Ancient Cities: Chichen Itza

Of the three Mayan cities we were to visit over the next two weeks, Chichen Itza was the most desirable. For us the iconic temple was a figurehead for Mayan civilisation. Based in Mexico’s Yucatan province, the UNESCO World Heritage site is one of the more popular ancient ruins, with over a million people visiting the thousand-year old city every year.

However, despite our high-expectations, standing in-front of El Castillo at Chichen Itza had us surprisingly unfulfilled. A few feet away was part of an ancient major city, a famous landmark of the Mayan empire and an overrated tourist attraction.

Zapotec Digs in Mexico Show Clues to Rise and Fall

When it comes to pre-Columbian civilizations, the Aztec and Maya—known for their spectacular pyramids and temples, hieroglyphic writing systems, and elaborate, violent rituals—often overshadow the Zapotec, their less familiar counterparts centered in southern Mexico.

But the Zapotec also played a vital role in ancient Mesoamerica, and archaeologists are seeking new clues to the rise and fall of their culture and civilization, which flourished and declined in the Valley of Oaxaca at roughly the same time as the ancient Maya.

Civilizatii care au disparut misterios in istorie

Numeroase civilizatii din istorie au disparut in circumstante misterioase, pe care oamenii de stiinta nu le-au putut descifra nici pana astazi. Astfel, dintre societatile pierdute in negura vremii enumeram: civilizatiile Maya, a Vaii Indusului sau cea din Insula Pastelui.

Exista dovezi istorice din urma cu sute de ani ale exploratorilor, care au descoperit temple uriase in jungle sau locuri pline de comori, unde altadata se inaltau mari palate, potrivit io9.

El Zotz masks yield insights into Maya beliefs

A team of archaeologists led by Stephen Houston has made a new discovery at the Maya archaeological site in El Zotz, Guatemala, uncovering a pyramid believed to celebrate the Maya sun god. The structure's outer walls depict the god in an unprecedented set of images done in painted stucco. In 2010, the team uncovered a royal tomb filled with artifacts and human remains at the same site. Researchers believe the pyramid was built to link the deceased lord to the eternal sun.