Human figure sculptures from the Maya city of Guatemala
Human figure sculptures from the Maya
city of Guatemala
Many traditions are closely linked to the Mayan ancestors and the cultural beliefs of Guatemala's advanced writing and the important calendars of Guatemala a major city-state This period known as the Classic Mayan Decline saw over 6 million Maya living in Guatemala speaking the Mayan language Theories about the Mayan civilization's decline arose when many Mayan settlements were long abandoned However sites like Tikal are testament to the success of Itzamna The god of creation ruler of the heavens of day and night harbinger of wisdom and protector of the arts and sciences was revered as the supreme Mayan deity Itzamna was also revered as the supreme Mayan deity
Mayan architecture and culture remain providing invaluable insights into the civilization's past Numerous Mayan ruins including the remnants of structural discoveries remain a part of Guatemala's identity such as the Temple of the Great Jaguar at Tikal The Maya had a profoundly transformed relationship with neighboring cultures including the Olmec Mixtec Teotihuacan and Aztec The ancient Maya culture and civilization spread throughout southeastern Mexico This includes the mysterious missing Maya king Yax Cux whose spirit still haunts the deep valleys of the Honduran rainforest He is the legendary founder of Copán a Mayan city mysteriously abandoned over 1,000 years ago After invading the highlands of Guatemala in 1524 the Spanish claimed to have destroyed
the Kaqchikel and K'iche Mayan empires and established a new colony led by their leader Pedro de Alvarado who conquered Guatemala over five centuries earlier The conquest which had a devastating impact on the Maya and their cultural heritage was marked by the Guatemalan Civil War These three sites form a triangle a previously unknown city Nearby a 108-foot pyramid with murals from the Preclassic period and a "unique canal system" were discovered by Guatemalan and Slovakian archaeologists in the unexplored Uaxactun National Park. The city which covers approximately six square miles includes a moving image of the artifacts Officials show archaeologists excavating the site and uncovering several artifacts
The discovery is interpreted as evidence of a connection between two pre-Hispanic cultures located approximately 800 miles apart In April scientists discovered a 1,000-year-old altar from Mexico's ancient Teotihuacan culture at Tikal in Petén province Tikal Guatemala's main archaeological site and one of its largest tourist attractions is said to be used for sacrifice "particularly child sacrifice" The altar dating from 500 to 300 BC features remarkable architectural design including pyramids and monuments carved with symbols that may be linked to ancestor worship rituals in ancient Maya cities in Guatemala
