35 Fascinating Facts About the Mayans
By Meagan Drillinger, updated on February 23, 2024
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If you've ever visited Cancun or Playa del Carmen in Mexico, then you’ve likely heard about the Mayans. They are the indigenous culture that ruled southern Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador and Belize for hundreds of years, and they are responsible for some of the region's most popular tourist sites, like Chichen Itza and Tulum in Mexico or Tikal in Guatemala.
But so much more than being the architects of these ancient cities, the Mayan people laid the foundation for all the cultures that exist in this region today. From cuisine and ceremony to legend, spiritual belief and language, what was created more than a thousand years ago still exists today.
There are roughly 6 million direct Maya descendants living in Mexico and Central America, many of whom still speak Mayan dialects, practice ancient shamanism and prepare centuries-old recipes. In fact, if you've ever had cochinita pibil tacos in Mexico, then guess what? You've had Mayan cuisine.
So, if you're curious about this colorful, mystical, ancient culture that held one of the largest empires in the ancient world from roughly 1,800 B.C. to 900 A.D., read on to discover some amazing facts about the Mayans.
There are still Mayan cities and sites being discovered.
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The Classic Maya civilization grew to about 40 cities at its peak. Today, for as much as the Mayan world has been discovered, there is still so much more that lies shrouded deep within jungles or buried beneath the Earth.
In fact, it was only a few years ago that a pyramid dating more than 1,000 years was discovered at Tonina in Chiapas, Mexico. The majority of the site of Calakmul in Campeche, Mexico, is less than 50 percent uncovered as well.
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https://www.farandwide.com/s/incredible-history-mayans-06beb40798cd4aa0
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Ancient Maya cities are some of the most incredible archeological sites in the Americas. Here are the types of ancient Maya ruins to see today.
AARON
PUBLISHED JUN 16, 2023
Mayan ruins of Uxmal, Mexico, Yucatan peninsula
The Maya are regarded as one of the great civilizations of pre-Columbian Mesoamerica. While the Aztecs and Inca formed large and powerful empires, the Maya were a series of often rivaling city-states and were never a unified country or empire. But these city-states shared much of the over-arching culture, and they built many impressive monuments - some of which are among the most impressive structures of the pre-Columbian Americas.
The Maya built a range of structures in their cities - many of which survive in the present day. That means there are many different types of Mayan ruins to see. To discern between them and inspire history-buff travelers, here are ten types of Maya ruins to see today.
The Maya ruins and pyramid at Chichen Itza, Yucatan, Mexico
When most people think of Chichen Itza and other ancient Maya archeological sites, they often think of the ancient Mayan pyramids tourist groups tend to visit the most (i.e., the most famous). These massive pyramids were constructed by hand over many years without the aid of the wheel, pack animals, or metal tools.
They were often built in layers with a new larger pyramid built overtop of the smaller older one.
Maya Walls: See Rare Maya Walls At Tulum
Mayan Ruins Of Tulum Besides Caribbean Sea
Defensive city walls protecting Maya cities are rare. But at Tulum, visitors can see a rare example of a fortified Maya city (one of the most interesting Mayan ruins to see today).
In the past, Tulum in Mexico was a coastal trading city overlooking the Caribbean. The city is protected by steep sea cliffs on the seaward side (these parts do not have walls) and by city walls on the landward side.
More:
https://www.thetravel.com/types-of-ancient-mayan-ruins-to-see/
