The site of Iximche has a small museum displaying a number of pieces found
there, including sculptures and ceramics.
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Mesoamerica and the Mayan civilization.
Poster about Mesoamerica and the Mayan civilization.
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The Maya civilization developed within the Maya Region, a Mesoamerican
cultural area, which covers a region that spreads from northern Mexico
southwards into Central America. Mesoamerica was one of six cradles of
civilization worldwide. The Mesoamerican area gave rise to a series of
cultural developments that included complex societies, agriculture,
cities, monumental architecture, writing, and calendrical systems. The
set of traits shared by Mesoamerican cultures also included
astronomical knowledge, blood and human sacrifice, and a cosmovision
that viewed the world as divided into four divisions aligned with the
cardinal directions, each with different attributes, and a three-way
division of the world into the celestial realm, the earth, and the
underworld.
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By 6000 BC, the early inhabitants of Mesoamerica were experimenting
with the domestication of plants, a process that eventually led to the
establishment of sedentary agricultural societies. The diverse climate
allowed for wide variation in available crops, but all regions of
Mesoamerica cultivated the base crops of maize, beans, and squashes.
All Mesoamerican cultures used Stone Age technology; after c. 1000 AD
copper, silver and gold were worked. Mesoamerica lacked draft animals,
did not use the wheel, and possessed few domesticated animals; the
principal means of transport was on foot or by canoe. Mesoamericans
viewed the world as hostile and governed by unpredictable deities. The
ritual Mesoamerican ballgame was widely played. Mesoamerica is
linguistically diverse, with most languages falling within a small
number of language families — the major families are Mayan,
Mixe–Zoquean, Otomanguean, and Uto-Aztecan; there are also a number of
smaller families and isolates. The Mesoamerican language area shares a
number of important features, including widespread loanwords, and use
of a vigesimal number system.
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The territory of the Maya covered a third of Mesoamerica, and the Maya
were engaged in a dynamic relationship with neighbouring cultures that
included the Olmecs, Mixtecs, Teotihuacan, the Aztecs, and others.
During the Early Classic period, the Maya cities of Tikal and
Kaminaljuyu were key Maya foci in a network that extended beyond the
Maya area into the highlands of central Mexico. At around the same
time, there was a strong Maya presence at the Tetitla compound of
Teotihuacan. Centuries later, during the 9th century AD, murals at
Cacaxtla, another site in the central Mexican highlands, were painted
in a Maya style. This may have been either an effort to align itself
with the still-powerful Maya area after the collapse of Teotihuacan
and ensuing political fragmentation in the Mexican Highlands, or an
attempt to express a distant Maya origin of the inhabitants. The Maya
city of Chichen Itza and the distant Toltec capital of Tula had an
especially close relationship.
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See more at
Maya civilization - Wikipedia.
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Lowlands and Highlands.
Poster about the Mayan lowlands and highlands.
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The political, economic, and culturally dominant “core” Maya units of
the Classic Maya world system were located in the central lowlands,
while the corresponding peripheral Maya units were found along the
margins of the southern highland and northern lowland areas.
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The semi-peripheral (mediational) units generally took the form of
trade and commercial centers.
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But as in all world systems, the Maya core centers shifted through
time, starting out during Preclassic times in the southern highlands,
moving to the central lowlands during the Classic period, and finally
shifting to the northern peninsula during the Postclassic period.
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The Mayan peoples.
Poster about the Mayan peoples.
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The Maya peoples are an ethnolinguistic group of indigenous peoples of
Mesoamerica. The ancient Maya civilization was formed by members of
this group, and today's Maya are generally descended from people who
lived within that historical region. Today they inhabit southern
Mexico, Guatemala, Belize, El Salvador, and Honduras. "Maya" is a
modern collective term for the peoples of the region; however, the
term was not historically used by the indigenous populations
themselves. There was no common sense of identity or political unity
among the distinct populations, societies and ethnic groups because
they each had their own particular traditions, cultures and historical
identity.
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It is estimated that seven million Maya were living in this area at
the start of the 21st century.[1][2] Guatemala, southern Mexico and
the Yucatán Peninsula, Belize, El Salvador, and western Honduras have
managed to maintain numerous remnants of their ancient cultural
heritage. Some are quite integrated into the majority hispanicized
mestizo cultures of the nations in which they reside, while others
continue a more traditional, culturally distinct life, often speaking
one of the Mayan languages as a primary language.
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The largest populations of contemporary Maya inhabit Guatemala,
Belize, and the western portions of Honduras and El Salvador, as well
as large segments of population within the Mexican states of Yucatán,
Campeche, Quintana Roo, Tabasco, and Chiapas.
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See more at
Maya peoples - Wikipedia.
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Religion.
Poster about the Mayan Religion.
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The traditional Maya or Mayan religion of the extant Maya peoples of
Guatemala, Belize, western Honduras, and the Tabasco, Chiapas,
Quintana Roo, Campeche and Yucatán states of Mexico is part of the
wider frame of Mesoamerican religion. As is the case with many other
contemporary Mesoamerican religions, it results from centuries of
symbiosis with Roman Catholicism. When its pre-Hispanic antecedents
are taken into account, however, traditional Maya religion has already
existed for more than two and a half millennia as a recognizably
distinct phenomenon. Before the advent of Christianity, it was spread
over many indigenous kingdoms, all with their own local traditions.
Today, it coexists and interacts with pan-Mayan syncretism, the
're-invention of tradition' by the Pan-Maya movement, and Christianity
in its various denominations.
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Traditional Maya religion, though also representing a belief system,
is often referred to as costumbre, the 'custom' or habitual
religious practice, in contradistinction to orthodox Roman Catholic
ritual. To a large extent, Maya religion is indeed a complex of ritual
practices; and it is, therefore, fitting that the indigenous Yucatec
village priest is simply called jmen ("practitioner").
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See more at
Maya religion - Wikipedia.
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Entering the Iximche Museum.
The Museum of the Iximché Archaeological Site, a domain of the
Cakchiquels, tells the story of the Mayan ancestors in one of the main
cities of the Mayan post-classic period and which at the same time made
that transition, being the first capital of the Kingdom.
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This museum exposes the heritage and cultural elements that this city
has made known through its architecture, archaeological pieces and
discoveries linked to the ethnological and anthropological part.
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Ceramic objects, lithics and pre-Hispanic bones from the excavations
carried out in the Archaeological Park in the mid-20th century and a
model of the archaeological site are exhibited.
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Iximche model.
Model of Iximche seen from northwest to southeast.
- In the foreground is the entrance to the city.
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Iximche entrance and Square A.
Iximche model seen from southwest to northeast.
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The entrance to the city is on the left and Square A is on the right.
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Square B and Square C.
Iximche model seen from southwest to northeast.
- Square B is on the left and Square C is on the right.
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Square C and Square D.
Iximche model seen from southwest to northeast.
- Square C is on the left and Square D is on the right.
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Square D and Square E.
Iximche model seen from southwest to northeast.
- Square D is on the left and Square E is on the right.
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Typical Tecpán female costume.
The ceremonial over-huipil of Tecpan Guatemala. Note the natural brown
cotton stripes symbolizing the furrows of the earth.
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In places like Tecpan, ruwa ruk’ux (“on her/his heart” or “on
her chest”) stands for the central portion of the huipil or
over-huipil. Women from Tecpan consider that it is precisely in this
section where the oldest and most beautiful figures are woven, for
being considered the most important one. An intertextual expression of
this notion reflects in the costumbre of conducting ceremonies at the
heart of the milpa, as part of the cycle of planting and harvesting
corn, still in vigor in different places at the Altiplano. The
prehispanic antecedents are abundant, though it is worth mentioning
the allusions found in the Popol Vuh both to the “heart of
heaven, heart of the earth”, and to the construction of the temple at
the “center of the higher part” of Gumarcaaj.
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The serpent or kumatz’in is represented in individual images
that are woven in a number of Kaqchikel and K’ich’e villages. It is a
widespread symbol that echoes its significance in the prehispanic
cosmovision. For the ancient weavers of Tecpan, the
kumatz’in is one of the most important and ancient figures. It
also represents the hills (juyu) or the ups and downs of a
woman’s life.
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Modern daily use Tecpán huipiles differ wildly in design and color,
often incorporating naturalistic bird and flower motifs in the color
palette of blue, green, purple and black on a solid white base cloth.
Traditional huipiles feature geometrically stylized figures of birds
and rosettes, often combined with newer figurative representations.
The Tecpán signature motif of stylized rosettes is sometimes the only
factor that differentiates the huipil from some of the modern Comalapa
huipiles, which now share many of the same motifs. An old-style huipil
has been revived and is distinguishable by simpler figures and red,
blue and black warp stripes on a white base cloth.
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See more at
Huipil - Wikipedia.
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Typical Tecpán male costume.
The typical masculine suit is made up of shirt (camisa), sash
(faja), sling (rodillera) and pants (pantalón).
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We could also add the hat (sombrero), the jacket (saco
or chaqueta), the sandals (caites or sandalias)
and the cloth bag (morral).
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Ceremonial Material.
This poster says the following.
- «Ceremonial Material»
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«All people of other religious denominations must respect the
spiritual guides or Ajq'ijab', the sacred places and the practice of
ancestral spirituality.»
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«There is a legal norm, which is the Ministerial Agreement No.
981-2011 of the Ministry of Culture and Sports; which regulates the
activities of the Spiritual Guides and gives generalities for carrying
out these practices in sacred places in compliance with respect for
the specific law and the preservation and conservation of the Nation's
Heritage.»
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«It is important to remember that for the purposes of cleaning and
hygiene of the sacred places and altars, the participants of the
ceremonies must collect natural and artificial waste, generated after
each event; except for the ashes; and deposit them in the containers
located for this purpose.»
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«Below is a graph with the genuine ceremonial material that is used in
the ceremonies that take place in the Iximché archaeological park.»
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«Flowers, Pom [Protium copal], Sugar, Honey, Oregano, Ocote [Pinus montezumae], Myrrh, Sesame, Pericón [Tagetes lucida], Rosemary,
Cinnamon, Cocoa, Chocolate, Pan, Incense, Aromatic Natural Waters,
Candles, Cuilco, Resin, Sticks (utza'm xik'a'y), Menjuí -
Storaque (rijche'), Raxpon.»
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Mayan Altar.
Representation of a circular altar.
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The four elements are represented by the glass of water, the fire of
candles, the mound of earth and the breath of incense and the sound of
the shell. The smoke of copal will bless the Mayan Altar and all the
participants of the assembly.
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The Mayan Altar shows the spiritual connection between the Heart of
the Earth and the Heart of Heaven, whose creation appears in Popol
Vuh, the sacred book of the Maya Quiche, which describes their
cosmogony. When the assembly, as the community participating in the
ritual is called, wants to get in touch with Mother Earth and Heaven,
and with the Cosmos, to give thanks or, for example, to ask for
abundance from the earth or rain from Heaven through the prayers and
offerings that make up the altar itself, they are asked to form the
Mayan Altar, a bridge of contact between Earth and Cosmos.
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Maya cardinal directions.
The four cardinal directions provided the fundamental grid for both the
Maya communities and the surface of the earth.
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The most important direction was east which was associated with the
color red. Maya cartographers would typically place east at the top of
the page.
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North was associated with cool rains, and is represented by the color
white.
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West is the dying place of the sun, represented by the color black.
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South was associated with the color yellow and was considered the
right-hand of the sun.
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The four cardinal directions were seen in relationship to the center
which was represented by the color blue-green. Running through this
center, the Maya envisioned an axis called Wacah Chan which was
symbolized as a tree with its roots in the underworld and its branches
soaring into the heavenly area above. The world of the human beings
was connected to the Otherworld through the Wacah Chan. The Wacah Chan
did not exist at a specific geographic place, but could be
materialized through ritual at any point in the natural or human-made
landscape. Through bloodletting rituals, the Maya king would bring the
World Tree into existence to open the doorway to the Otherworld.
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See also
Source
Location
