last-of-the-romans:Rise of the MayasDuring the years when Rome was lapsing into its long decline, a
last-of-the-romans:Rise of the MayasDuring the years when Rome was lapsing into its long decline, a civilization 6,000 miles to the west, on a continent unknown to the Romans, was approaching its peak. By the 4th Century A.D. the Mayas had begun to build what was to be a great, glittering chain of temple cities throughout the rain forests of southern Mexico, Guatemala, and Honduras. Stucco pyramids looming hundreds of feet above the jungle floor honored a fantastic hierarchy of of deities- sky serpents, dragons and earth monsters. Along the broad avenues and plazas which separated the pyramids and other temple buildings, pilgrims gathered to celebrate religious festivals. Maya engineers connected the cities with paved roads which, like the great Roman highways, are still in evidence today. Skilled artist glorified their rulers and represented daily life in brilliantly colored murals and masterful wood carvings. Maya astronomers recorded eclipses, solstices, equinoxes and the course of the sun and moon, and also worked out an intricate calendar far more accurate than the Europeans. It was not until the 16th Century, 600 years after the Mayas sudden and mysterious collapse, that exploring Spaniards first came upon the ruins of their cities. -- source link