“This is the beginning of the ancient word…” these are the words from the Popul Vuh and its story about the emergence of light from the darkness. The Mayan civilization may have had its roots in the Olmecs, who inhabited the Gulf coast of Veracruz and Tabasco around 1200 BC. During the Early Classic period (AD 300-600) stone monuments displayed iconography and writing which has only recently been deciphered and appreciated. The Maya are known for having the only fully developed writing system in the pre-Columbian Americas and the first culture to use the concept of zero.
The ancient Maya cleared trees and drained swamps to make way for agriculture. They divided the seasons in two: the dry season and the rainy season. Like Egypt, our monuments were ancient observatories and the movements of the stars and planets allowed our ancestors to keep track of time. In fact, the Maya have the most comprehensive calendar because it was based on the movement of the sun, moon, Venus and the Saturn and Jupiter conjunctions. Our astronomical knowledge was so vast that our ancestors knew precisely when eclipses would occur and recorded the movement of the stars from a time that coincides with our knowledge of the early universe to a period of time that extends well into the future. During the Late Classic period (AD 600-900) Palenque, Tikal and Chichen Itza were founded. In the Post Classic period (AD 1200-1700) carved inscriptions gave way to mural painting on plastered walls. In sites like Tulum, Coba and Cozumel, the colorful wall art is similar in style to what is found in the Dresden Codex, one of the ancient Mayan books destroyed by missionaries or taken by the Spanish conquistadors to Europe.
Yet the stories remain on the walls of our temples. The European invasion of the Mayan world began in the sixteenth century and unlike other indigenous cultures that were easily put in bondage, both physically and spiritually, the Maya demonstrated a type of resistance to cultural assimilation. The majority of Mayan texts were burned by Christian missionaries although our ancestors used the alphabetic writing they were taught to continue with their literary tradition. Our most notable books are the Chilam Balam or “Jaguar Translator” and the Popol Vuh. “And now they began to act out their self-revelation before their grandmother and mother. First they made a garden…” (from the Popol Vuh) The Mayans act out a process of “sowing” and “dawning,” which means we recognize the cyclical flow and work in harmony with the cosmos. We sow the seeds in the earth and when they sprout – a dawning occurs. Our ancestors also sowed the sun, moon and stars which sometimes pass beneath the earth, portraying their own type of dawning. A child is sown into the womb and comes to birth into the light; we are sown into the earth at death and become sparks of light in the darkness. Today, we still maintain a respect for the land and eco system of which we remain connected.
The Maya civilization extends throughout the southern Mexican states of Chiapas, Tabasco, and the Yucatán Peninsula states of Quintana Roo, Campeche and Yucatán. Our archeological achievements are artistic masterpieces and Chichen Itza is now one of the new 7 wonders of the world.
Contrary to popular belief, the Mayan culture did not die out and there are numerous Mayan cities thriving in Meso America. We are eager to show you the heart of our people. Our excursion include trips to Vallodolid, Tizimin, Tulum, Chichen Itza and Rio Lagartos, which is known for its flamingo eco park.