Preview

The Mayan Ruins, El Castillo

Satisfactory Essays
Open Document
Open Document
95 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
The Mayan Ruins, El Castillo
I think that is so interesting that the Mayan ruins, El Castillo (137), and the phenomenon of the appearance of a snake slithering down the north side of the west staircase are connected to the spring and fall equinoxes and solstices. Architecture, astronomy and religion have always been intertwined and so much of early civilizations belief systems were based on astrological occurrences and how they interpreted the skies. The four sides of the structure have 91 steps, which, when added to the top structure equals to 365, the number of days in a calendar year.

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    The Maya was thought of to be one among the best ancient Native American civilizations within the Americas, and probably the planet. Archaeologists discovered and dug up and studied several of the civilization sites trace the Mayas to thousands of years ago. Their ancestors migrated from Asia across the Bering Sea and Alaska to the Americas and also the Yucatan Peninsula throughout the last ice age. Early Mayan settlements originate to 2400 B.C.. They engineered huge stone pyramids and temples to honor their gods and preserve their faith. They additionally accomplished advanced achievements in arithmetic and astronomy, that were recorded in hieroglyphs. Their lives rotated around their king and sacrificial blood. Their cultural achievements…

    • 706 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Document B shows and explains the Calendar stone that the Aztecs used to keep track of time. There was two ways this calendar was viewed. One way was the “counting of the days” known as the tonalpohualiu which was a 260-day cycle used to foretell future events or discover hidden knowledge. The other way was called the xiuhppohualli, which was the 365-day solar count or “ counting of the years”. This way was used to keep track of seasonal festivals. The calendar stone was also used for offering your sacrifices to the sun god.…

    • 1711 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Teotihuacan Pyramids

    • 141 Words
    • 1 Page

    In the city of Teotihuacan, there are three pyramids, The Pyramid of the Sun, The Pyramid of the Moon, and the Temple of Quetzalcoatl which is also known as the Temple of the Feathered-Serpent.…

    • 141 Words
    • 1 Page
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Machu Picchu is an absoultely stunning travel destination. Why? The stonework is some of the finest. The location was once a mystery and what it used to be is exhilarating. And last, there is just such beautiful artwork.…

    • 327 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Dbq 12

    • 420 Words
    • 2 Pages

    The Mayan civilization was the source of two great accomplishments. One of these accomplishments was the Mayan pyramid temple in Tikal. This pyramid was the tallest structure in America until the twentieth century, exceeding 200 feet in height. The Mayan calender was also an accomplishment made in this time. The calendar was developed in 3372 B.C. The calendar shows that the Mayans were civilized enough to have their own system of writing. Through writing they were able to write down and document important historical events by carving them into stelae, or stone monuments. They also inscribed their religious beliefs and mythology on pottery. These accomplishments show that the Mayans were very advanced in architecture and literature. (Docs. 1 & 2 + outside knowledge)…

    • 420 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Better Essays

    Fig. 2: The Sun Stone (or The Calendar Stone). (1502-20), 358 cm diameter x 98 cm depth. National Anthropology Museum, Mexico City, Mexico.…

    • 665 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    The Moundbuilders Essay

    • 646 Words
    • 2 Pages

    The Woodlands people became so advanced that soon their mounds began to show certain mathematical correlations. For example, there was an octagon build that was precisely double the area of the circle. Points of the Octagon lined up with the moon following an eighteen point five year cycle. Shortly after effigy mounds were discovered. Effigy means a representation or image, like a replication. In the case of the Woodlands people these were in the shape of animals. The most famous is the serpent mound near Cincinnati Ohio. This serpent was clearly as a calendar because different areas of the mound…

    • 646 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The ancient Aztecs made their home in the Valley of Mexico, a fertile area nearly 8,000 ft. above sea level. Unfortunately, other tribes already claimed the area and forced the Aztecs to Lake Texcoco. The Aztecs knew they would settle here when they saw an eagle perched upon a cactus with a long snake in its beak like the prophecy. The island provided fish and water birds for food. In addition, the island was easy to defend.…

    • 296 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The Aztecs Dbq Essay

    • 1046 Words
    • 5 Pages

    The advances made by the Aztecs are considered to be quite remarkable for an empire of that time period. They invented two divisions of time counting, used for different purposes. One of which, dubbed “tonalpohualli” or “counting of the days” was a 260-day cycle used for divination. The second, “xiuhpohualli” or “counting of the years” was a 365-day solar count used for regulating annual festivals. Together, the two larger calendar stone, rotating gears would engage, when the both were aligned at the beginning of the days, every 52 years, this would signify a Mesoamerican century. The Calendar Stone had many detailed and intricate symbols, designs, and pictures containing more information of the Aztec’s beliefs. It was measured to be more than 10 feet in diameter. (Doc B)…

    • 1046 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The first similarity between the Aztec and the Maya was their emphasis on time. We find evidence of the emphasis on time in the origin story of the Aztec and Maya. In the Nahua myth where “age is self-destructing based on a cosmic mathematical plan; the Mexica magicians will return to the place of their origin in Aztlan, only to find out about their own future demise” (114, Read & Gonzalez). Meanwhile, the Popol-Vuh tells the story of Hunahpu Posum and Hanahpu Coyote, the Maya twin heroes play the role of day keepers even though they were not born until the following age. In both origin stories, one can observe that time is a factor that occurs in an odd manner, it works in a “linear [matter] but it also doubles back on itself and springs…

    • 386 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Aztec Calendar Stone

    • 1590 Words
    • 7 Pages

    On the Aztec Calendar, the year was divided into 13-day periods. Each group of 13 days had a different deity ruling over the unit. This is because these units were thought to have a special symbolic influence and the deities were to ensure a positive outcome (Smith 256). In the middle of the Sun Stone, is the sun god Tonatuih. His tongue protruding between his teeth resembles a sacrificial flint knife. In his claw like hands he clutches human hearts (Palfrey). ‘Many scholars have debated on the stone’s meaning and purpose.…

    • 1590 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    The Mayan Calendar

    • 917 Words
    • 4 Pages

    The Mayan Calendar, which originated from ancient Maya (now Mexico and Central America) helped create the building blocks for many of the calendars used around…

    • 917 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Mayan Accomplishments

    • 605 Words
    • 3 Pages

    The Mayans are one of the most interesting and mysterious history civilizations out there. Nobody knows where they came from, how they managed to build their amazing stone cities in the rainforest without any stone tools, or why they seemed to die out at around 900 ce. Their accomplishments in astronomy and the understanding of time were great, and their cities were breathtaking.…

    • 605 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The temple has 365 steps one for each day of the year. Each of the temples four sides has 91 steps and the top platform makes the 365th. Devising a 365- day calendar as just one feat of Maya science. Incredibly, twice a year on the spring and autumn equinoxes, a shadow falls on the pyramid in the shape of a serpent. As the sun sets, this shadowy snake descends the steps to eventually join a stone serpent head at the base of the great staircase up the pyramids side.…

    • 529 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Mayan Culture

    • 1232 Words
    • 5 Pages

    The Mayan culture is known for their rituals and ceremonies. Everything done in their culture had its place and time. This allowed the priest in the Maya community to know when to plant, harvest, as well as knowing which seasons were wet and which were dry. In Mayan belief, blood sacrifice performed by Kings was important for major calendar cycle endings. The beginning or ending of a cycle was cause for ceremony in this culture. In addition, children in are named after the day they were born and each day had a specific name for boy and girl and parents are to follow that practice. Also, Mayan healers believed that there are male and female energies associated with the calendar. The male energy cycle ended on November 11, 2011 and is celebrated…

    • 1232 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays