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The Mayans |
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The area around Playa del Carmen is full of Mayan ruins,
small and big. They are truly fascinating and anyone visiting
the area should explore at least one of them. Some of the most
famous archaeological sites, like Tulum and Coba
are only a short drive from Playa del Carmen.
A little further from Playa, about 3 hours, lies the magnificent
ruin of Chichen Itza, which was the most important capital
of the Mayan world around 900 AD. The monumental Kukulkan pyramid
(photo) can be climbed both on the inside and the outside.
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Even in downtown Playa you can see some
old ruins of small temples and from your dive boat you'll see some
coastal outposts, protecting the sea for over a thousand
years now. The Mayan civilization was highly evolved and they
showed proof of great knowledge in engineering and architecture.
Monumental pyramids, a complicated calendar, an
intricate system of roads crossing the country - the feats of
the Mayans never cease to amaze modern man. |
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Each city-state was harshly ruled by a few members of the royal
family and the priesthood, leaving the vast majority of the population
without power over their own lives. This area of the Mayan world
had its height in the post-classic period (900-1500 AD)
just before the total downfall of the Mayan society. This was
a violent time in Mayan history and warfare was an important part
of their lives. By the time of the arrival of the Spaniards
almost all the big sites had already been abandoned, and the ruler
class had lost its grip on the masses.
This stone carving shows the tradition of blood letting, one
way of human sacrifice for the Maya, practiced by the ruling
classes - the emperors and the priests. The full human sacrifice
was primarily employed on slaves and captured warriors from other
tribes.
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Many theories have been presented during the years
to explain what went wrong, but most probably it was a combination
several things - a social uproar, hunger and wars.
The society collapsed, but the Mayans themselves are still very
much alive and kicking. The Mayan culture has survived, its fate
is still to be determined.
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