Description
7 Groundbreaking Ancient Civilizations that influence us today
Around 12,000 years ago, humans hunkered down. Though they had previously traversed the planet to forage for food, people made the decision to devote themselves to agriculture and spent their days planting seeds, picking produce and amassing the world’s first food surpluses.
Ultimately, the security provided by abundant food allowed portions of the human population to concentrate on converting small, agrarian settlements into vibrant cities. They could construct towering temples and palaces and throw themselves into the burgeoning endeavors of art, philosophy and politics.
Here are seven ancient societies that have gained a reputation for their ingenuity and innovation. (The exact timelines for these civilizations are approximate and subject to academic debate.)
Ancient Maya Civilization (1000 B.C. to A.D. 1520)
Around 7000 B.C., Mesoamerican communities started cultivating maize and beans and developing permanent dwellings concentrated in what is now southeastern Mexico, Guatemala and Belize, as well as sections of Honduras and El Salvador. Starting around 1000 B.C., these villages were replaced by the ancient cities of the Maya Civilization, which spread around massive administrative and ceremonial complexes that seemed to touch the stars.
The Maya found the sky fascinating. They built large observatories and made meticulous records of planetary movement with a sophisticated system of writing that combined pictorial and phonetic characters. They also made predictions of the positions of celestial objects that rang true far into the future. In fact, the Maya people’s understanding of the movements of Venus, Mars and the moon inspired their famous system of timekeeping. This system incorporated complex interlocking calendars that timed their agricultural activities and religious rituals to coincide with certain astronomical arrangements. Modern minds are also captivated by their calendar, which is still consulted by many of the Maya’s 6 million modern descendants.
The Mayan Mask of Calakmul
The Mayan Mask of Calakmul is a powerful symbol of the ancient Maya civilization, representing royalty, divinity, and spiritual authority. Calakmul was one of the most important Maya city-states, hidden deep in the jungles of present-day Mexico and known for its influence and rivalry with other great Maya centers. This striking ceremonial mask is believed to depict a deified ruler or sacred ancestor, reflecting the Maya belief that kings were closely connected to the gods. With its strong facial features and elaborate ornaments, it showcases the Maya mastery of sculpture and sacred art. Today, the Mask of Calakmul remains an iconic testament to the sophistication, mystery, and artistic brilliance of one of the world’s greatest ancient civilizations.
The Maya writing system
The Maya writing system is one of the most advanced scripts of the ancient world. It is a complex combination of glyphs that represent both sounds (syllables) and complete words or ideas.
Used on stone monuments, ceramics, and codices, Maya inscriptions recorded royal history, wars, rituals, calendars, and astronomy, proving the remarkable intellectual and cultural sophistication of this civilization.
