Mel Gibson and the Maya

Who are the Maya and why did Mel Gibson make a movie about them.

Dec 9, 2006 Ginger Groves

Mel Gibson takes us into the world of the ancient Maya civilization. Their beautiful but sometimes bizzare culture is one of histories greatest mysteries.

Opening this week is Mel Gibson’s latest effort, Apocalypto. The movie centers around the Maya civilization, which is possibly one of the most mysterious and interesting cultures in world history. This civilization began around 2600 B.C. in the Yucatan area of Mexico, including Guatemala, northern Belize and western Honduras. They built elaborate architecture including temples, pyramids, palaces and observatories, all without using metal tools. They were skilled farmers, potters, weavers and road builders.

Around 900 A.D. the southern Maya mysteriously abandoned their cities. Historians have argued this point for years. There is no concrete evidence to definitively answer the question, what happened to the Maya, and why did they abandon their glorious cities. One of the more popular explanations is that war contributed to the collapse, however no one believes that is the whole story. Another factor some believe was overexploitation of the rain-forest ecosystem, on which the Maya depended for food.

Water shortages might have played a role as well. Archeologists have found evidence of reservoir systems in several landlocked Maya cities. Since those cities depended on stored rainfall during the four dry months of the year, they would have been extremely vulnerable to a prolonged drought.

Overpopulation could have been another factor in the decline of this civilization. Researchers have found undernourished skeletons of children in some Mayan ruins. This would have been the result of a disintegrating agriculture system. It has been a widely accepted fact that the Maya practiced the slash and burn method of farming.

What drove the Maya out of history? It could be any of the above, or something as trivial as two or three bad hurricane seasons in a row. Even as scientists continue to investigate the mysterious collapse of the classic Maya empire, the Maya themselves are all around them. An estimated 1.2 million Maya still live in the southern Mexican state of Chiapas, and nearly 5 million more are spread throughout the Yucatan Peninsula and the cities and rural farm communities of Belize, Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador. Ethnically, they are derived from the same people who created the most exalted culture in Mesoamerica.

The copyright of the article Mel Gibson and the Maya in Historical Travel is owned by Ginger Groves. Permission to republish Mel Gibson and the Maya in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

Comments

Dec 31, 2006 8:24 PM

Ginger Groves :

William Wallace, Jesus Christ and now the Maya.I don't see an obvious thread. Something hidden? Maybe..If there is a thread, then what's next? Anyone have any guesses? My guess....himself.

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