The Maya Essay Research Paper Noor AlKuwari — страница 2

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surface, and above a piercing beam of light streams in from the ceiling, illuminating the pool and entire chamber. Once a year, in April, the beam of light touches the tip of the stalagmite. There are many instances of ancient people building moment to take advantage of events like these but this is something that is totally natural and unplanned. There is a darker side to this and other Cenote, however. In the wells around Chichen Itza have been found scores of skeletons. Mayan petroglyphs depict human sacrifices at these sites. What lies under this Cenote is not Known, no one has ever been able to reach it’s depth. Finally, one of the most pure Mexican culture was found in the Ballcourt Temple. Two parallel walls 27ft high, and an overall length of about 490ft. This is the

largest court in Mesoamerica. The rings set high on either wall were used in scoring the game. At either end of the I-shaped playing field, is a small temple, the one on the north containing extensive bas-relief of Toltec life. Above the east wall of the court is placed the important temple of Jaguars. It is not hard to imagine a Mayan King siting here presiding over the games. And it is said that the winning captain would present his head to the losing cpitan, who then decapitates him. While this may seem a strange reward, the Mayans believed this to be the ultimate honor. The winning captain getting a direct ticket to heaven instead of going through the 13 steps that the Mayan’s believed they had to go through in order to reach heaven.. In conclusion, Chichen iItza is just

one of so many good examples of the high techniques and mathematical skills that they developed and used. They were great in building on the inherited inventions and ideas of earlier civilization. They developed some other amazing things like, astronomy, calendrical system and hieroglyphic writing. The Maya were noted as well for elaborate and highly decorated ceremonial architecture.