7816vn+civ+report


 * Mayan Science and Superstition **

** Vance Naftal  **

** Ancient Civilization Project  ** ** June 7, 2012  ** ** Mr.Schoch  ** ** Class 7-8  **


 * __Mayan Science and Superstition__ **


 * Picture a land of great pyramids, advanced knowledge, and an unforgettable empire. No, this is not Egypt, but Maya. Maya literally means “ supernatural power wielded by gods and demons to produce illusions.” Maya was located in Southern Mexico and Northern Central America. The Mayan culture lasted from 1500 BCE to about 900 CE(nobody is sure how the Mayans disappeared). Today Maya’s legacy is their calendar, but i’m about to give you three other fascinating facts about Ancient Maya’s science and superstition. **


 * The Maya were one of the three actual empires of the Americas, alongside with the Aztecs and the Incas. During this essay I will show you three different aspects of Mayan science and superstition. The Mayans were important because of their advanced knowledge that has been proven to be real science today! This reliable source could be helpful to astronomers looking to fill in missing links. The sections of Mayan science and superstition i will be discussing are cosmology, afterlife, and the calendar. **


 * Perhaps the most amazing feature of the Mayans was their advanced cosmology, astronomy. Using only wooden posts, the Maya were able to accurately predict solar and lunar eclipses (The Maya). Also, without telescopes, Mayan people accurately found out planet cycles. For Mayans, an Earth year was 360 days, for us it is 365 ¼ (The Maya). Last for astronomy, Mayans were able to use the planet Venus to see when the solar system was born, and when it will die (HistoryChannel.com). **


 * The wonder that keeps historians thinking is the Mayan view of death ( [|http://tinyurl.com/buk6jny] [|)] . The most discussed form of Mayan death is sacrifice ( [] . There were two main forms of sacrifice. The most common form was to throw people off of a cliff. The Mayans believed that these deep cliffs lead to Xibalba, Mayan hell. The second sacrifice was a flint knife to the heart. This was the religious form of sacrifice ( [] . The two places that the Mayans believed you could go when you died were Purgatory, Mayan heaven, and Xibalba, Mayan hell. If you were to die at birth, sacrificed, murdered, or king you would go to Purgatory. Everyone else roamed in Xibalba for eternity. . Mayan death beliefs are still being studied today, many people still study it today. **


 * My last subject is the Mayan calendar. The Mayan calendar was dated from 3000 BCE to 2012 CE, it predicted hundreds of cosmic events from solar flares to eclipses. The Maya believed that the humans darkest hour would be on December 21, 2012. This will be the time when humans will be tested. The calendar never explained what would happen on this date, but astronomers search daily for dangerous asteroids, solar flares, and spikes in UV rays, but other Mayan scriptures suggest that people will live past the year 4000 ( [|http://tinyurl.com/6tqafhv] [|)] . The only tools Mayans used to predict these events were wooden poles and Venus. The Maya were able to use Venus by following its orbit and watching precise differences in speed, distance, and orbit. These changes would be so small that unless you tracked every movement precisely, you could not tell a difference ( [|http://tinyurl.com/6tqafhv] [|)] . **


 * Out of every ancient civilization, the mayans had it right. They were precise with astronomy, had similar beliefs about death, and predicted most events correctly. There is simply no flaw in the Mayan empire. Except one tiny detail, they mysteriously disappeared at about 900 CE, so there are no ancestors to pass on their great culture. Until Dec. 21 2012 we will all be speculating if the Mayans were crazy or just plain correct! **

** Glossary  **
 * Xibalba- Mayan word for Hell **


 * Maya- Power to produce illusions **


 * cosmology- The study of the universe **
 * Cosm= universe **
 * Ology= study of **


 * CREDITS **
 * Solar Eclipse **


 * [] **


 * Xibalba **
 * [] **
 * Calendar **
 * [] **


 * Works Cited **


 * "Armageddon." History.com. A&E Television Networks. Web. 06 June 2012. < http://www.history.com/shows/armageddon/videos/mayan-galactic-alignment>. **
 * Gilbert, Adrian. 2012: Mayan Year of Destiny. Virginia Beach, VA: A.R.E., 2006. **


 * "The Rise and Fall of the Maya Empire." History.com. A&E Television Networks.. 06 **
 * June 2012. [] **


 * "The Rise and Fall of the Mayan Empire - NASA Science." The Rise and Fall of the Mayan Empire - NASA Science. Web. 14 May 2012. [] **


 * Trout, Lawana, and Frank W. Porter. The Maya. New York: Chelsea House, 1991. **