The Longevity Of Mayan Culture

When western based explorers discovered Mayan ruins in the late 19th century (*and early 20th century as well), they likely had no idea that their findings would lead to a cultural fascination that exists to this day. The present day interest and fascination with Mayan culture is not without reason. This was a society that possessed no discernible metals, nor did they possess wheels, and yet they were clearly an advanced society in many other areas as evidenced by their building construction and architecture.

Mayan Hieroglyphs are also another indicator of their intelligence as a society; today with the understanding we have of the various eras of our planet's past inhabitants, we can still not entirely understand what the hieroglyphs mean or signify. Many elements of Mayan society and hierarchy have been pieced together by today's scholars and scientists, and still we view them as a mystery. According to some, Mayans were a peaceful people, living in complete harmony with the land. To others, they were savages who relied on bloody sacrifices and ceremonies to appease their superstitious beliefs.

Today, in the early 21st century Mayan culture has, for most of us not in the fields of science or exploration, been reduced to a series of myths and legends; cultural significance has been supplanted for commerce in most instances and as a result, even those who have a keen interest, are only able to access the remnants of the culture from a chartered tour bus. There is no sense of mystery there, and worse yet, no relevance.

However, it would be unfair to completely place the responsibility or blame on the industry of mass tourism for obscuring or diluting appreciation and understanding of Mayan culture. In 1519, when Cortes arrived on the shores of the Yucatan, Mayan culture was already close to 4000 years old; many of their great buildings and cites were already lost to nature, having been reduced to what we classify as ruins today. Temples were left to nature and along with them many customs of their culture also disappeared. The Spanish conquistadors eradicated much of what was left by building their own churches and destroying many of the temples and buildings that were still intact. Cultural eradication has been a regular occurrence well before the implementation of tourism. However, it was not only limited to the destruction of cities and the buildings within them; many elements of culture and history were destroyed in Mani-Merida, by a Spanish Bishop (*Diego deLanda) who conducted ruthless ceremonies of public penance (*called 'auto-da-fe') against locals for their differing religious beliefs. Local populations were accused of being heretics and were subsequently tortured and killed. Part of these 'ceremonies' involved the burning of books that contained non-Spanish beliefs; Bishop Diego burned down a treasury of Mayan history books during one such rampage and in one single instance, a major portion of Mayan culture was gone forever. Today, only a few books remain intact.

The remnants of Mayan culture are generally concentrated into three areas of the Yucatan - Tulum and Chichen Itza in Mexico and Tikal in Guatemala. Tulum and Chichen Itza are quite popular as they are easily accessible from nearby Cancun; day trips from the resort are plentiful and are the method by which many visitors are able to experience Mayan culture in person. Because the Tikal site is not close to a major tourist destination like Cancun, the experience of visiting it is different than the Cancun-based tours - Tikal will be much quieter and less crowded.

For those seeking a singular, non-tourist experience, by wading through a steamy jungle, with only a local tour guide and a handful of others, as you hope to come upon a clearing or valley with a new heretofore undiscovered civilization - you may be out of luck. But this is no reason to pass on the chance to see the remains of the Mayan culture; sure, some of the larger tour groups may in fact be selling a romanticized, drive-by version of Mayan culture, but there are many tour services that operate as a means of supporting what remains of the culture, and provide an encounter that is based more on fact than myth.

Globalization has perhaps made Mayan culture more relevant than ever; cultures of our past, now regarded as 'primitive', are becoming more important, and as more and more of the world becomes homogenized and streamlined, cultural exclusions like the Mayan civilization, only gain importance and stature. While tourism may not be the preferred platform by which to experience our past, it does not decrease the enigmatic nature of any of it, nor does it diminish our fascination.

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Source: http://articles.submityourarticle.com/the-longevity-of-mayan-culture-293452

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