Guatemalteca

The Mayan were dominant in Central America for around a 1000 years, then the civilisation colapsed for an unknown reason. There were 22 different peoples and they came together at cities like Copan and Tikal to trade and worship. The social hierarchy was divided into the Senores at the top of the pyramid, the Pueblo or public, and then slaves at the bottom. Senores consisted of Kings, Priests and Fighters, the public of farmers, builders and artisans, and the slaves were losers from battles between villages or from losing at Mayan football [campo]. This social divide can still been seen today in the graveyards of Guatemala, which have three distinct sections. You have to pay a tax on your grave, so if you can't afford it you get moved to the lower class section in the yard.





There were many gods in the Mayan religion,for example Hunab Ku, the supreme god, with whom you have to ask permission to walk up volcanos and mountains. Mountains are very spiritual places for the Mayan peoples. The people climb up and perform ceremonies and exorcisms, which is quite a surprise if you get to the top and there are wailing and shouting people there.

The Mayans are known as people of the corn, as maize [corn] was one of the main crops they cultivated. The principle crops were corn, beans and cocoa (which was used as money, not gold!). It may be a tedious link but the Mayans knew the importance of corn, and it's no mistake that the entire American food industry is based on it, i.e. corn flakes, corn syrup in everything, even the cattle get fed corn. interesting film - http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1286537/

The Mayans were also great astronomers and mathematicians. They invented the number 0 for example. They created two calenders, one for the Moon and one for the Sun, and also ones for religious, civil and the long count historical one. [http://www.fourmilab.ch/documents/calendar/]




if thats not interesting heres a bubbling lava video . .