![]() ![]() The stones were then joined with the help of a sort of cement which Mayans created and developed on their own. A large number of craftsmen would carve the stones to make them suitable before they were used. Typically, Mayans used huge stones for monumental buildings. Mayans were excellent builders and it was because of their scientific understanding of the building process and its constituent materials which enabled them to erect structures that stand to this day. Longer figures were penned down using a unique base-20 numerical system. Zero was denoted by shell symbols while dots and lines were the basic Mayan mathematical representations. Accordingly, mathematics was developed and Mayans also had a concept of zero which allowed them to undertake elaborate computations. When priests accurately traced the movement of celestial bodies, they needed a written system to pen down these calculations. It is believed that mathematics in the Mayan civilisation probably grew out of astronomy. Next to astronomy, mathematics also played a very significant role in the agrarian Mayan society. It was thanks to this brilliance in astronomy that Mayans eventually created one of the most accurate calendars in the entire human history. They even built elaborate observatories to monitor these movements. In time, Mayans were able to trace the heavenly movements with exceptional accuracy using rudimentary tools. This helped them predict the expected rainfall in a given year and other climactic conditions.Īstronomy was also an integral part of Maya mythology. Priests with knowledge of celestial bodies would predict the movements of Sun, Moon, Venus and other astral bodies. Initially, astronomy in the Mayan society was directly linked with agriculture. ![]() ![]() Mayan Observatory in Chichén Itzá Mayan AstronomyĪstronomy was among the earliest sciences that emerged in the Mayan society. This helped them make more effective use of the rainwater which was often little during periods of low rainfall. ![]() Mayans also built terraces along hillsides in order to have access to more land for cultivation. A popular method used by the Mayans was to use slash-and-burn farming methods in order to enrich the top layer of a field and then cultivate that field. Mayans resolved this by adopting different innovative agricultural techniques. Since the populations of many Mayan cities exceeded 100,000, providing food for all inhabitants was a serious and cumbersome problem. The Mayans were highly dependent on agriculture for their annual produce. Mayans were unique among the ancient civilisations to be able to trace the movements of celestial bodies with exceptional accuracy, using their own mathematics and writing system. This was necessitated by the adverse circumstances in which Mayans lived which ultimately led them to craft innovative solutions by use of indigenous scientific and technological solutions.Īmong the most notable scientific accomplishments of the Mayans were those made in the fields of astronomy, architecture and agriculture. Reflect: Do you think it’s important to study ancient civilizations? Explain.Although an ancient civilization, Mayans were able to make remarkable scientific progress in different fields. “The site would have served as an important regional center,” he said in a statement from INAH. They discovered an area of the site that was higher. This included something called airborne-laser mapping. They helped the Mexican team find many of the structures, the BBC said. Researchers at the University of Houston were also part of the project. This area spans about 1,150 square miles of jungle. They said they had been working in the Central Maya Lowlands. Archaeologists for Mexico's National Institute for Anthropology and History (INAH) Spoke to the BBC. This meant that no one had been able to explore there. The area had been completely lost to the jungle. In the Mayan language this means 'stone column'. They also found other items, including pottery. The archaeologists discovered structures that looked like pyramids. These include art, writing, mathematics, calendar, and astronomy. It was in the areas that are now Guatemala, southern Mexico, and northern Belize. Maya society existed from 1,000 BCE to 150 CE. They found it in the jungles of the Yucatán Peninsula. Researchers in Mexico recently found what is left of a huge Maya city. But archaeologists are still discovering the many amazing things the Maya people did. They are thought of as one of the greatest early civilizations. The ancient Mayans lived in the jungles of Central America more than 2,000 years ago. ![]()
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