When the Mayans disappeared. The secret of the disappearance of the Mayan civilization

Long before the Europeans, before many other scientists in the world, the Mayans predicted solar and lunar eclipses and began to use the concept of zero in mathematics. They were brilliant astronomers - the path of Venus's movement in its orbit was calculated with an error of 14 seconds per year. The Mayans were also excellent architects and sculptors. However, they did not use metal and had no idea about the wheel. However, their elegant and huge temples, palaces and pyramids grew throughout the Yucatan Peninsula. But this was before the 9th century AD.

In the 9th century, some strange, terrible and mysterious catastrophe occurred. After this, all construction stopped and people left their habitable places, and the jungle absorbed all the Mayan cities with its vegetation. By the arrival of the conquistadors, only small scattered tribes remained from the great Mayans.

What happened to the Mayan Empire when, according to some researchers, at least one million people died within just a hundred years? According to one version, this is due to a major drought, as well as strong earthquakes and even epidemics of malaria and fever.

According to another version, which was popular at one time, all this was attributed to social upheavals. Thus, during excavations in Tikal, archaeologists found many intentionally damaged stone sculptures. At the same time, in the entire 600-year history of Tikal there have never been foreign conquerors here. Some researchers immediately concluded that something like a revolutionary situation was brewing in the Mayan kingdom, which then developed into mass unrest. During the unrest, the rioters, as scientists suggest, destroyed many stone statues, and at the same time massacred all the royal family.

There is also a version about external influence. Moreover, the first among foreigners to visit here were Teotihuacans. Traces of their culture are visible in some Mayan city-states. The next foreigners are considered to be the warriors of the Mexican Pipil tribe, who defeated the warlike Maya-Kiche tribe. However, the pipils appeared here after the end of the Mayan golden age.

Another version of scientists is associated with periods of changes in solar activity, the impact of which on the rise and decline of civilizations was discovered by American scientists in the 90s. XX century. The fact is that the process of formation of sunspots changes every 3744 and another decline in solar activity will be on December 21, 2012, the date that the Indians consider the end of the modern fifth era of the life of the universe. Research has established that the decline of Indian civilization occurred during the peak of the least solar activity. This affected the hormonal activity of women and their fertility, as a result of which the Mayan population began to decline sharply, and infant mortality reached unprecedented levels in the entire history of civilization.

But is it? Are all these hypotheses and guesses of scientists true? There are no reliable facts. Perhaps the collapse of the Mayan empire was influenced by the combined circumstances of all of the above versions. In such a short period of time (about 100 years), many Mayan cities were destroyed and abandoned, and no one knows the reasons for what happened.

The ancient Mayan civilization arose in the first millennium BC and reached its peak around 600 AD. The ruins of thousands of settlements have been found throughout South America. But why did civilization decline? Scientists agree that the reason for this was some kind of large-scale catastrophe, possibly related to climate.

Sweet Mayan Pyramid

The Rise and Decline of the Maya

Numerous archaeological finds indicate that they mastered various crafts, including architectural skills. They were also familiar with mathematics and astronomy, which they used in the construction of temples and pyramids. In addition, they had writing in the form of hieroglyphs.

However, around 850, the Mayans began to abandon their cities. In less than two centuries, only a few isolated settlements remained, which were discovered by the Spanish in 1517. It was not difficult for the colonists to destroy the remnants of the ancient culture at the roots.

"Drought" curse

What happened to the Maya, since the decline occurred in the pre-Columbian era? Many versions have been put forward, among them - civil war, invasion of hostile tribes, loss of trade routes... Only in the early 90s of the last century, after studying the chronicles, it was suggested that the cause was... a banal drought!

It turned out that from about 250 to 800, Mayan cities flourished, their inhabitants reaped rich harvests thanks to abundant rains... But somewhere from 820 onwards, droughts hit the region, lasting for decades. This period just coincided with the beginning of the Mayan collapse.

True, not all cities were abandoned immediately. In the 9th century, people left mainly from settlements located in the southern part of the country, in the territory of modern Guatemala and Belize. But the population of the Yucatan Peninsula, on the contrary, was flourishing. The famous Chichen Itza and some other northern Mayan centers continued to flourish in the 10th century.

Unfortunately, scientists have been forced to struggle with this riddle for quite a long time. Most of the manuscripts were destroyed by Spanish colonialists on the orders of the Catholic Inquisition. Information could only be obtained from calendar records on the sites, analysis of ceramics, and radiocarbon dating of organic materials.

Last December, archaeologists from Britain and the USA were finally able to bring together all the available data and analyze the situation. It turned out that the northern territories also suffered due to droughts, but not immediately. So, at first construction from wood decreased. Rainfall increased briefly in the 10th century and there was a brief flourishing again. However, then droughts returned, and between 1000 and 1075 there was another sharp decline in production - in particular in construction and stone carving.

The 11th century brought even more severe droughts. Researchers believe that this was the driest period in the 2,000 years since the birth of Christ, and even dubbed it a “megadrought.” Precipitation fell steadily from 1020 to 1100. If the north, unlike the south, was somehow able to survive the first wave of droughts, then the Mayans never recovered from the second wave.

True, several settlements still continued to exist - for example, Mayapan in the north flourished in the 13th-15th centuries. But the classic Mayan “megacities” turned into ruins.

Ecological catastrophy

Obviously, the aridity of the climate led to a drop in yields. But the Mayan economy was directly dependent on agriculture. Economic problems led, in turn, to social cataclysms. Food supplies decreased, a struggle for resources began, which fragmented the state.

"We know that Maya territory experienced increasing military and sociopolitical instability as a result of droughts in the 9th century," says Julie Hoggart of Baylor University in Waco, Texas.

One way or another, after 1050 the Mayans left the lands of their ancestors and headed to the Caribbean coast and other places where there could be sources of water and fertile lands.

By the way, some experts believe that the Mayans themselves unwittingly became the culprits of disastrous droughts. They actively intervened in the natural environment, in particular, they built a gigantic canal system hundreds of kilometers wide, which allowed them to drain wetlands and turn them into arable land. In addition, they cut down huge tracts of forest to build cities and cultivate arable land. This could lead to local droughts, which, combined with natural climate changes, turned into a real disaster...

The history of the Mayan civilization is full of mysteries. One of them is the reason for the sudden disappearance of this ancient people, who had reached an amazingly high level of cultural development.

Origin and habitat

The Maya, one of the civilizations of Mesoamerica, began to form around 2000 BC. e. It developed in the Mexican states of Yucatan and Tabasco, the countries of Guatemala and Belize, Honduras and El Salvador. The area where these ancient tribes lived is divided into three climatic zones: rocky and arid mountainous territory, tropical jungle and areas with rich fauna.

There are several theories about the origin of the people, as well as where the Mayans disappeared to. There is a version that they came from Asia, and even a fantastic assumption that they are the descendants of the inhabitants of the mythical Atlantis. Another theory claims that they came from Palestine. As evidence, they cite the fact that many elements are similar to Christian ones (the idea of ​​the coming of the Messiah, the symbol of the cross). In addition, the people are very similar to the Egyptian ones, and this suggests that they are somehow connected with Ancient Egypt.

Mayan Indians: the history of a great civilization

Researchers are lucky - many sources have been preserved from which they can draw a picture of the life of this ancient people. Its history is divided into several large periods.

In the pre-classical era, the Indians were small tribes that obtained food by hunting and gathering. Around 1000 BC e. Many small settlements of farmers appear. El Mirador is one of the first Mayan cities, now famous for its huge pyramidal complex 72 meters high. It was the largest metropolis of the pre-classical period.

The next era (400 BC - 250 AD) is characterized by great changes in the life of the Indians. Cities are growing rapidly and monumental architectural complexes are being built.

250-600 n. e. - the time of the classical era of the development of the people of Mesoamerica. During this period, rival city-states emerged. Their architecture was represented by magnificent architectural structures. Typically, buildings were located around a rectangular central square and were decorated with masks of gods and mythological figures carved in stone. The history of the Mayan tribe says that a feature of their settlements was the presence of pyramids up to 15 meters high in the center of the cities.

By the end of the Classic period, the population of the lowlands of Guatemala had reached an impressive 3 million people.

The late classical period is the time of the highest flowering of the culture of the ancient people of Mesoamerica. Then the great cities were founded - Uxmal, Chichen Itza and Coba. The population of each of them ranged from 10 to 25 thousand people. The history of the Mayan tribe cannot but surprise - at the same time, there were no such large settlements in medieval Europe.

Mayan occupations and crafts

The main occupations of the Indians were agriculture (slash-and-burn and irrigation), beekeeping and crafts. They grew maize (the main crop), beans, tomatoes, pumpkins, various types of peppers, tobacco, cotton, sweet potatoes and a variety of seasonings. An important crop was cocoa.

The Mayans were also involved in fruit cultivation. Now it is difficult to say which of the fruit trees were cultivated. Residents used papaya, avocado, ramon, chicosapote, nance, and marañon for food.

Despite their high level of development, the Mayans never stopped collecting. Palm leaves were used as roofing material and raw material for weaving baskets, the collected resin was used as incense, and coroso was used to make flour.

Hunting and fishing were also among the main activities of the Indians.

From archaeological research it is clear that skilled artisans lived in Yucatan and Guatemala: gunsmiths, weavers, jewelers, sculptors and architects.

Architecture

The Mayans are known for their majestic buildings: pyramidal complexes and palaces of rulers. In addition, they created beautiful sculptures and bas-reliefs, the main motifs of which were anthropomorphic deities.

Sacrifices

Among the buildings that have survived to this day, the main part is occupied by buildings of a religious nature. This fact and other sources allow us to conclude that religion occupied a central place in Mayan life. They are known for their bloodletting rituals and human sacrifices offered to the gods. The most cruel of the rituals was burying the victim alive, as well as ripping open the stomach and tearing out the heart from the body of a still living person. Not only prisoners, but also fellow tribesmen were sacrificed.

The mystery of the disappearance of the people

The question of where the Mayans disappeared continues to interest many researchers. It is known that by the 9th century the southern territories of the Indians began to empty out. For some reason, residents began to leave the cities. This process soon spread to central Yucatan. Where did the Mayans go and for what reason did they leave their homes? There is no answer to this question yet. There are hypotheses that try to explain the sudden disappearance of one of the peoples of Mesoamerica. Researchers name the following reasons: enemy invasions, bloody uprisings, epidemics and environmental disaster. Perhaps the Mayans upset the balance between nature and man. The rapidly growing population has completely exhausted natural resources and began to experience serious problems with a lack of fertile soil and drinking water.

The latest hypothesis about the decline of the Mayan civilization suggests that this was due to severe drought, which led to the devastation of the cities.

None of these theories has received serious confirmation, and the question of where the Mayans disappeared is still open.

Modern Maya

The ancient people of Mesoamerica did not disappear without a trace. It was preserved in its descendants - the modern Mayans. They continue to live in the homeland of their famous ancestors - in Guatemala and Mexico, preserving the language, customs and way of life.

The majestic Mayan civilization, formed before our era, left behind many mysteries. It is known for its developed writing and architecture, mathematics, art, and astronomy. The well-known Mayan calendar was incredibly accurate. And this is not all the legacy that the Indians left behind, who became famous as one of the most developed and most brutal peoples in the world.

Who are the Mayans?

The ancient Mayans were an Indian people who lived at the turn of the 1st millennium BC. - II millennium AD Researchers claim that they numbered more than three million people. They settled in tropical forests, built cities of stone and limestone, and cultivated unsuitable lands for agriculture, where they grew maize, pumpkin, beans, cocoa, cotton and fruits. The descendants of the Mayans are the Indians of Central America and part of the Spanish-speaking population of the southern states of Mexico.

Where did the ancient Mayans live?

A large Mayan tribe settled in the vast territory of what is now Mexico, Belize and Guatemala, western Honduras and El Salvador (Central America). The center of civilization development was in the North. Since the soils were quickly depleted, people were forced to move and change settlements. The occupied lands were distinguished by a variety of natural landscapes:

• in the north - the limestone Petén plateau, where a hot, humid climate reigned, and the Alta Verapaz mountains;
• in the south – a chain of volcanoes and coniferous forests;
• the rivers flowing through the Mayan lands carried their waters to the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea;
• on the Yucatan Peninsula, where salt was mined, the climate is arid.

Mayan civilization - achievements

Mayan culture surpassed its time in many ways. Already in 400-250. BC. people began to build monumental structures and architectural complexes, and reached unique heights in the sciences (astronomy, mathematics), and agriculture. During the so-called Classic Period (from 300 to 900 AD), the ancient Mayan civilization reached its peak. People improved the art of jade carving, sculpture and artistic painting, observed the heavenly bodies, and developed writing. The achievements of the Mayans are still amazing.

Ancient Mayan architecture

At the dawn of time, without modern technology at hand, the ancient people built amazing structures. The main material for construction was limestone, from which powder was made and a solution resembling cement was prepared. With its help, stone blocks were fastened, and the limestone walls were reliably protected from moisture and wind. An important part of all buildings was the so-called “Mayan vault”, a false arch - a kind of narrowing of the roof. The architecture differed depending on the period:

1. The first buildings were huts placed on low platforms to protect against flooding.
2. The first ones were assembled from several platforms installed one on top of the other.
3. During the Golden Age of cultural development, acropolises were built everywhere - ceremonial complexes consisting of pyramids, palaces, even playgrounds.
4. The ancient Mayan pyramids reached 60 meters in height and were shaped like a mountain. Temples were erected on their tops - cramped, windowless, square houses.
5. Some cities had observatories - round towers with a room for observing the Moon, Sun and stars.

Mayan calendar

Space played a big role in the life of ancient tribes, and the main achievements of the Mayans are closely connected with it. Based on two annual cycles, a chronology system was created. For long-term observations of time, the Long Count calendar was used. For short periods, the Mayan civilization had several Solar calendars:

• religious (in which the year lasted 260 days) had ritual significance;
• practical (365 days) used in everyday life;
• chronological (360 days).

Weapons of the ancient Mayans

When it comes to weapons and armor, the ancient Mayan civilization was unable to reach significant heights. Over the long centuries of existence, they did not change much, because the Mayans devoted much more time and effort to improving the art of war. The following types of weapons were used in wars and hunting:

• spears (long, taller than a person, with a stone tip);
• spear thrower - a stick with a stop;
• dart;
• bows and arrows;
• blowgun;
• axes;
• knives;
• clubs;
• slings;
• networks.

Ancient Mayan figures

The ancient Mayan number system was based on a base-20 system, which is unusual for modern people. Its origins are a method of counting in which all fingers and toes were used. The Indians had a structure of four blocks with five numbers in each. Zero was schematically represented as an empty oyster shell. This sign also denotes infinity. To record the remaining numbers, cocoa beans, small pebbles, and sticks were used, since the numbers were a mixture of dots and dashes. Using three elements, any number could be written:

• a point is a unit,
• line - then five;
• sink - zero.

Ancient Mayan medicine

It is known that the ancient Mayans created a highly developed civilization and tried to take care of every fellow tribesman. Knowledge of maintaining hygiene and health, applied in practice, elevated the Indians above other peoples of that time. Specially trained people dealt with medical issues. Doctors very accurately identified many diseases (including tuberculosis, ulcers, asthma, etc.) and fought them with the help of drugs, baths, and inhalations. The ingredients of the medicines were:

• herbs;
• meat, skin, tails, horns of animals;
• bird feathers;
• available means - dirt, soot.

Dentistry and surgery reached a high level among the Maya people. Thanks to the sacrifices carried out, the Indians knew human anatomy, and doctors could perform operations on the face and body. The affected areas or those where there was a suspicion of a tumor were removed with a knife, the wounds were sutured with a needle with hair instead of thread, and narcotic substances were used as anesthesia. Knowledge in medicine is a kind of ancient Mayan treasure that is worth admiring.

Ancient Mayan art

The diverse Mayan culture was formed under the influence of the geographical environment and other peoples: the Olmecs and Toltecs. But she is amazing, unlike any other. What is unique about the Mayan civilization and its art? All subspecies were aimed at the ruling elite, that is, they were created to please the kings in order to make an impression. To a greater extent this concerns architecture. Another feature: an attempt to create an image of the Universe, a smaller copy of it. This is how the Mayans declared their harmony with the world. Features of the subtypes of art were expressed as follows:

1. Music was closely associated with religion. There were even special gods responsible for music.
2. Dramatic art reached its peak, the actors were professionals in their field.
3. Painting was mainly wall painting. The paintings were of a religious or historical nature.
4. The main theme of the sculpture is deities, priests, rulers. While the common people were portrayed in a pointedly humiliating manner.
5. Weaving was developed in the Mayan Empire. Clothing varied greatly depending on gender and status. The people traded their best fabrics with other tribes.

Where did the Mayan civilization disappear to?

One of the main questions that interests historians and researchers is: how and for what reasons did a prosperous empire decline? The destruction of the Mayan civilization began in the 9th century AD. In the southern regions, the population began to rapidly decline, and the water supply system became unusable. People left their homes, and the construction of new cities stopped. This led to the fact that the once great empire turned into scattered settlements fighting among themselves. In 1528, the Spanish began their conquest of Yucatan and by the 17th century had completely subjugated the region.

Why did the Mayan civilization disappear?

Researchers are still arguing about what caused the death of the great culture. Two hypotheses are put forward:

1. Ecological, based on the balance of man and nature. Long-term exploitation of soils has led to their depletion, which has caused a shortage of food and drinking water.
2. Non-ecological. According to this theory, the empire could decline due to climate change, epidemic, conquest or some kind of catastrophe. For example, some researchers believe that the Mayans could have died even due to minor climate change (droughts, floods).

Mayan civilization - interesting facts

Not only the disappearance, but also many other mysteries of the Mayan civilization still haunt historians. The last place where the life of the tribe was recorded: northern Guatemala. Now only archaeological excavations tell about history and culture, and according to them you can collect interesting facts about ancient civilization:

1. People from the Mayan tribe loved to take a steam bath and play ball. The games were a mixture of basketball and rugby, but with more serious consequences - the losers were sacrificed.
2. The Mayans had strange ideas about beauty, for example, slanting eyes, pointed fangs and elongated heads were “in fashion”. To do this, mothers from childhood placed the child's skull in a wooden vice and hung objects in front of the eyes to achieve strabismus.
3. Research has shown that the ancestors of the highly developed Mayan civilization are still alive, and there are at least 7 million of them around the world.

Books about the Mayan civilization

Many works by contemporary authors from Russia and abroad tell about the rise and fall of the empire and unsolved mysteries. To learn more about the disappeared people, you can study the following books about the Mayan civilization:

1. "The Mayan people." Alberto Rus.
2. "Mysteries of lost civilizations." IN AND. Gulyaev.
3. "Mayan. Life, religion, culture." Ralph Whitlock.
4. "Mayan. Vanished civilization. Legends and facts." Michael Ko.
5. Encyclopedia "The Lost World of the Maya."

The Mayan civilization left behind many cultural achievements and even more unsolved mysteries. So far, the question of its emergence and decline remains unanswered. We can only make assumptions. In an attempt to solve many mysteries, researchers stumble upon even more secrets. One of the most majestic ancient civilizations remains the most mysterious and attractive.

Apparently, the Mayans were very interesting people: they built giant pyramids, knew mathematics, astronomy and writing. But modern people do not know much about them.

For example:

1. The Mayans considered human sacrifice a great honor.

Archaeological excavations indicate that the Mayans did practice human sacrifice, but for the victim it was considered a mercy.

The Mayans believed that one still had to reach heaven: first one would have to go through 13 circles of the underworld, and only then a person would receive eternal bliss. And the journey is so difficult that not all souls make it. But there was also a direct “ticket to heaven”: it was received by women who died during childbirth, victims of wars, suicides, those who died while playing ball and ritual victims.

So becoming a victim was considered a high honor among the Mayans - this person was a messenger to the gods. Astronomers and mathematicians used calendars to know exactly when sacrifices should be made and who was best suited for the role. For this reason, the victims were almost always the Mayans, and not the inhabitants of neighboring tribes.

2. The Mayans preferred to invent their own technologies

The Mayans did not have two things that almost all advanced civilizations had - wheels and metal tools.

But their architecture had arches and hydraulic irrigation systems, for which you needed to know the geometry. The Mayans also knew how to make cement. But since they did not have livestock to pull the cart, they may not have needed the wheel. And instead of metal tools they used stone ones. Carefully sharpened stone tools were used for stone carving, sawing wood, and more.

The Mayans also had surgeons who, at that time, performed the most complex operations in the world using instruments made of volcanic glass. In fact, some Mayan stone tools were even more advanced than modern metal tools.

3. The Mayans were probably seafarers

The Mayan Codex contains indirect evidence that they were seafarers - underwater cities. Perhaps the Mayans even sailed to America from Asia.

When the Mayans first emerged as a civilization, there was a developed Olmec civilization on the continent in approximately the same places, and the Mayans apparently took a lot from them - chocolate drinks, ball games, stone sculpting and the worship of animal gods.

Where the Olmecs came from on the continent is also unclear. But what's more puzzling is where they went: the civilization left behind the Mesoamerican pyramids, colossal stone heads that led to the idea that the Olmecs themselves might have been giants.

They were depicted as people with heavy eyelids, wide noses and full lips. Proponents of the biblical migration theory consider this a sign that the Olmecs came from Africa. They lived in America for about 13 centuries and then disappeared. Some of the earliest Mayan remains date back seven millennia.

4. The Mayans did not have spaceships, but they did have working observatories.

There is no evidence that the Mayans had aircraft or cars, but they certainly did have a complex system of paved roads. The Mayans also possessed advanced astronomical knowledge about the movement of celestial bodies. Perhaps the most striking evidence of this is the domed building called El Caracol on the Yucatan Peninsula.

El Caracol is better known as the Observatory. This is a tower about 15 meters high with numerous windows allowing you to observe the equinoxes and the summer solstice. The building is oriented towards the orbit of Venus - the bright planet was of great importance to the Mayans, and it is believed that their sacred Tzolkin calendar was also based on the movement of Venus across the sky. The Mayan calendar determined the time of celebrations, sowings, sacrifices and wars.

5. Were the Mayans familiar with aliens?

Nowadays, a conspiracy theory that says that in ancient times aliens visited Earth and shared their knowledge with people is quite popular. Erich von Däniken made millions of dollars in the 1960s from a book about how people from outer space control humanity and how in ancient times they exalted man from base animal instincts to a sublime sphere of consciousness.

Scientists really cannot explain how the Nazca paintings in Peru could appear, so huge that they can only be seen from a bird's eye view. Däniken wrote that the ancient Mayans had flying machines, and kind aliens even revealed to them the technology of space flight. He justifies his conclusions with drawings on Mayan pyramids, which depict men in “round helmets” soaring above the ground, with “oxygen tubes” hanging down.

True, all this “evidence” cannot be called such - it is very far-fetched.

6. “Apocalypse” by Mel Gibson is a fiction from beginning to end and has nothing to do with the real Mayans

In Apocalypse we see savages dressed in colorful feathers as they hunt fierce game and each other. Gibson assured us that this was exactly what the Mayans were like. Well, he made a beautiful, interesting film, but he clearly skipped history at school.

Gibson's Mayan barbarians sell women into slavery and sacrifice male captives. But there is no evidence that the Mayans practiced slavery at all or even took prisoners (wartime does not count, of course). The poor innocent Indians from the very heart of Gibson's jungle did not know about the great Mayan city where they eventually ended up. But during the heyday of the Mayan civilization, all the inhabitants of the surrounding forests were under the control of the city-state, although they retained their independence.

However, Gibson was right about one thing: when the Spanish conquistadors arrived in Mexico, the Mayans lived there, but no longer wanted to wage war or build cities - civilization was in decline.

7. The Mayans could have come from Atlantis

Understanding the history and origins of the Mayans is difficult. Thanks to the superstitious Spanish conquistadors - they burned almost all written history, mistaking the library for strange witchcraft symbols.

Only three documents survived: Madrid, Dresden and Paris, which are named after the cities where they eventually ended up. The pages of these codes describe ancient cities that fell from earthquakes, floods and fires. These cities are not located on the North American mainland - there are vague hints that they were somewhere in the ocean. One interpretation of the codes says that the Mayans came from a place that is now (and during their heyday) hidden under water, they were even mistaken for the children of Atlantis.

Atlantis is, of course, a strong word. But scientists have recently discovered what may be the remains of ancient Mayan cities on the ocean floor. The age of the cities and the cause of the cataclysm cannot be determined.

8. The Mayans were the first to know that time has neither beginning nor end.

We have our own calendar which we use to measure time. This gives us a sense of linearity of time.

The Mayans used as many as three calendars. The civil calendar, or Haab, consisted of 18 months of 20 days each, for a total of 360 days. For ceremonial purposes, the Tzolkin was used, which had 20 months of 13 days each, and the entire cycle was thus 260 days. Together they made up a single complex and long calendar, which contained information about the movement of planets and constellations.

There was no beginning or end in the calendars - time for the Mayans went in a circle, everything was repeated over and over again. There was no such thing as “the end of the year” for them - only the rhythm of planetary cycles.

9. The Mayans invented sports

One thing is certain: the Mayans loved playing ball. Long before the Europeans thought of dressing in skins, the Mayans had already made a ball court at home and came up with the rules of the game. Their game appears to have been a hard-hitting combination of football, basketball and rugby.

The “sports uniform” consisted of a helmet, knee pads and elbow pads. You had to throw a rubber ball into a hoop, sometimes suspended more than six meters above the ground. To do this, you could use your shoulders, legs or hips. Losing penalty - losers were sacrificed. Although, as we have already said, sacrifice was a ticket to heaven, so there were no losers as such.

10. The Mayans still exist

Usually people are firmly convinced that all the Mayans as a people disappeared - as if all the representatives of a multimillion-dollar civilization simply just died overnight. In fact, the modern Maya number about six million people, making them the largest indigenous tribe in North America.

The independent National Anti-Doping Organization RUSADA, after the sad events associated with the discreditation of Russian athletes during the Olympic Games in Rio, was removed from organizing testing of domestic athletes.