The people of the Maya are known for the independence and the developed tenor of life. Their tribes built the great cities, based awful and surprising rituals and also invented the calendar which in 2012 frightened nearly a half of mankind of the chronology promising doomsday. Where did these mysterious people and where they are today live?
Who such Maya
The main childbirth of tribes of the Maya formed the independent city-states having adjacent towns and lands. So-called "great people" who were elected for life ruled these states and used an absolute power. The most ancient cities of the Maya – Quirigua, Itsa and Tikal, after occupation of breeding lands by Toltec Kukulkan and his soldiers, were complemented with such new states as Chichen Itza, Mayapan and Ulimal.
The sizes and beauty of the cities of the Maya struck the travelers who for the first time saw similar magnificence at people whom they considered barbarians.
Also luxurious palaces and temples which richness of architecture a hundred times surpassed the Incan and Aztec constructions became creations of the Maya. Erudite Maya managed to outstrip the time on hundreds of years, having made amazing discoveries in the field of astronomy, astrologies and mathematicians who surpassed all achievements of the Europeans living in those days. Many of these opening were understood and deciphered only in our century. Besides, authorship of the Maya possesses the system of numbering and figure zero.
Maya life
In ancient times the tribe of the Maya inhabited Central America, a part of modern Mexico, El Salvador, Honduras and Guatemala. Today Maya represent tribes of the Indians living in the territory of South America. At the time of blossoming of the civilization they managed to subdue all ancient people, dominating over them about twelve centuries. However after the 900th year of our era the culture of the Maya for the unknown reason began to die slowly.
Scientists still are surprised how the primitive tribe which is engaged in agriculture could create unique pyramids, temples, the cities and tombs.
The colonialists of the Old World who arrived in South America found the civilization which fell into full decay. Having considered works of art and architectural monuments pagan idols, they destroyed all cultural heritage of mysterious Maya. However colonialists did not manage to destroy their knowledge astronomies which accuracy modern scientists do not cease to admire. Also they left to descendants ruins of once great and regal cities of the people of the Maya where today many tourists and admirers of the disappeared civilization aspire. There is an opinion that gods who went down from the sky – aliens gave to tribes of the Maya knowledge, but, unfortunately, this theory remains unproven, despite the obvious facts testifying in its advantage so far.