Jakarta Globe, December 18, 2012
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| Students learn about the Maya at the Museum of National Identity in Tegucigalpa on Dec. 14, 2012. (AFP Photo) |
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The most
precise and sophisticated calendar ever created is only one of the legacies of
the ancient Maya, who also left their mark on the arts, architecture and
cooking, experts say.
The Mayan
"Long Count" calendar says an era of more than 5,000 years ends on
Dec. 21 — doomsday for some but a reason to rejoice for many others in Mexico
and central America, where the civilization once flourished.
Millions of
tourists are expected in the region on Friday to celebrate with fireworks,
concerts and other spectacles held at more than three dozen archeological
sites.
"The
Mayan calendar is not just a matter of counting seconds, minutes and
hours," Guatemalan anthropologist Alvaro Pop, a member of the United
Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, told AFP.
The
calendar also represents a model showing "the movements of celestial
bodies and the way it affects human life in a cyclical manner," Pop
explained.
That
expertise enabled the ancient civilization to detect the influence of celestial
bodies on tides, births and plants, he noted.
But the
contributions of the ancient civilization — which reached its peak between the
years 250 and 900 — far transcend their understanding of the stars, touching on
everything from architecture to textiles to food.
The Mayas
were the first to grow corn, some 3,000 years ago. Today, it remains the main
staple in cuisines across the region.
The Mayas
were also among the first to use and grow cocoa and, according to some, they
came up with the idea of chewing chicle, a natural gum from a regional tropical
evergreen tree and the precursor to chewing gum.
The Mayas
and their descendants, notably in Guatemala, are also known for their
multi-colored fabrics, which "represent the most beautiful and explosive
expression of life on the continent and in the world," according to Pop.
Their civilization
is also noted for the only known fully developed written language of the
pre-Columbian Americas.
In total,
the Mayas spoke 36 languages throughout their history and in different regions.
Many of these, which feature very elaborate grammatical structures, are still
spoken in indigenous communities.
The Popol
Vuh, the Mayan holy book, is the most concrete example of that rich linguistic
heritage. The mythological book explains the creation of the world,
particularly of the Quiche people, one of the many Mayan ethnic groups.
According
to Costa Rican anthropologist Ana Cecilia Arias, Mayan architects, who built
imposing pyramids, and their descendants also made significant contributions,
notably by helping design churches in the region.
Today the
ruins of major urban and religious centers such as Chichen Itza in Mexico's
Yucatan peninsula, Tikal in Guatemala, Copan in Honduras and Tazumal in El
Salvador stand as shining examples of Mayan architectural knowhow.
Perhaps the
more important legacy of the Mayas is human — millions of ethnic Mayan
descendants today live in central America, mainly in Guatemala and Mexico.
Most try to
maintain the customs and traditions inherited from their illustrious ancestors
even though they are often mired in poverty and face social exclusion.
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