The Mayan Civilization is one of the most famous in the Western Hemisphere. The towering Mayan step pyramids that contain hidden mysteries, like the famous Chichen Itza (one of the Seven Wonders of the World), their delicious chocolate drink prepared with chili peppers, their robust mythology, and their sacrificial rituals dominate our common understanding of them.
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While these accomplishments and traits are well-known to the general population, there's so much more to discover about the Ancient Mayans than what most general overviews will provide. In this list, you'll discover several interesting yet lesser-known facts about the Ancient Mayans that aren't well circulated.
It's important to remember that the Maya never went away; they are still a distinct people group who live in Mesoamerica.
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10 The Mayans' Original Name Wasn't "The Maya"
The Mayans were a diverse group of people based in city-states
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The name for these people, the Maya, didn't actually come from their own accounts. Rather, it came from a famous site, Mayapan (one of the Yucatán's most stunning but rarely visited sites), after European colonization. Although many indigenous people today in the Yucatán identify as Maya and call themselves by this term, it was not used historically in Pre-Columbian times.
The Maya weren't a unified people, either. They instead had a political system that was focused on individual city-states. Even though they shared common cultural similarities, they wouldn't have identified as one people. Instead, their loyalty would have been to their city-state.
Most important Mayan city-states:
Tikal, Calakmul, Bonampak, Dos Pilas, Palenque, Uaxactun
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9 Their Traditional Women's Dress Is Still Worn Today
Women have worn huipils for millennia
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For the Ancient Maya, clothing was rich, colorful, and often woven using gorgeous patterns. In Classic Maya times (around 250-900 CE), men commonly wore breechcloths, while women wore rectangular dresses called a huipil.
When visiting Ancient Mayan sites or cities in the Yucatán Peninsula, visitors may still see these beautiful dresses today. They will be in a variety of colors all across the rainbow, with ornate designs sewn onto them using embroidery or woven into the fabric.
A great way to support local indigenous communities in Mexico is to buy a dress for yourself or a loved one while there. Many modern Mayan women make their living by selling these garments, so supporting their businesses is always a great way to appreciate Mayan culture today.
Type of dress:
Huipil
What does it look like?
Rectangular, knee-length dress with beautiful designs and a box/scoop neck, made from white or bright-colored fabric
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8 Body Modifications Were Common Among The Elite
Mayan fashion went beyond clothing and even influenced the physical body
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Humans have been practicing body modification for millennia, from tattoos, teeth braces, and ear piercings (which are widely accepted today) to scarification and skin stretching. The Ancient Mayans were no exception to this.
The ways they modified their bodies included piercings, tattoos, skull elongation, jewels implanted in teeth, and the purposeful crossing of eyes. These modifications would not only have reflected one's social status, as body modifications were associated with the elite, but also religious beliefs, rites of passage, or personal life events.
Mayans also wore nose prostheses. In Mayan society, high-bridged Roman noses were considered very beautiful, so people would artificially create nose bumps with jade or clay.
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Types of body modifications common among the Maya:
Piercings, tattoos, skull elongation, jewels implanted in teeth, the purposeful crossing of eyes, and nose prostheses
Reasons:
Social status, religious beliefs, rites of passage, personal life events
Mayan beauty standards:
High-bridged nose, long face, elongated skull, crossed eyes
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7 They Created Beautiful Murals
The Mayans created beautiful murals along with their other artistic accomplishments
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The most recognizable form of Mayan art today is their architecture. But most don't realize that the Mayans were masters of murals, too!
Utilizing colors like turquoise, red, and golden yellow, the Maya were able to create brightly colored pictures that lasted through the centuries after their downfall. Even though relatively little of this remains today, the examples we do have showcase a detailed knowledge of artistic techniques.
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One of their greatest artistic and scientific accomplishments was the creation of the Maya blue pigment. This paint, created from the leaves of anil plants and mixed with clay, gives their art not only a beautiful color but also resistance to weathering. It also carried a religious significance, as it was meant to evoke the center of a flame and represented vital warmth from the sun.
Some of the most beautifully preserved Mayan murals can be seen at Bonampak, San Bartolo, Cacaxtla, and El Tajin.
6 Water Management Was Key To The Mayan Civilization
Water was an important resource in the Yucatán Peninsula
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The Romans were known for their aqueducts, many of which can still be seen today. But they weren't the only civilization famous for their use of aqueducts! The Maya civilization also had them; in fact, water management was key for their civilization to thrive.
Someone might wonder why the Mayans would need to be careful with water so much. The Yucatán is filled with tropical rainforests and receives up to 80 inches of rain per year, plus there are many incredible cenotes travelers may have seen on a trip to Mexico.
In agriculture, the amount of rain received isn't just what's important; the soil's ability to retain said water is also significant. In this area of the world, the soil is very poor at holding moisture. All of that rainwater flows down into the limestone caverns deep within the earth. This made agriculture a challenge for the Ancient Maya, but through the use of aqueducts, cisterns, and irrigation channels, they were able to sustain their civilization.
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5 The Mayans Have Invented Nixtamalization
This ingenious cooking technique helped the Mayans get the most out of maize
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Out of all the plants that the Mayans ate, including squash, beans, chili peppers, avocados, and tomatoes, the most important was maize. Historians estimate that about 50-70% of the Ancient Mayans' diet was made up of just maize.
To gain the most out of this important crop, the Mayans may have helped develop a technique called nixtamalization. Nixtamalization is the process of soaking maize in an alkaline solution like limewater to make niacin (vitamin B3) in corn more bioavailable, to break down the corn's tough cell walls, and to preserve it.
It's unclear when or how this process in Mesoamerica was invented, but it's possible that it was created by the Ancient Mayans. Even if they didn't invent it themselves, they utilized it heavily.
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Because of nixtamalization, the Mayans were able to gain more out of the maize they consumed. Best of all, this process made it easier to make dough from cornmeal, allowing the Mayans to produce tortillas and tamales.
Definition of nixtamalization:
The process of soaking maize in an alkaline solution like limewater
Purpose:
To make niacin (vitamin B3) in corn more bioavailable, to break down the corn's tough cell walls, and to preserve maize
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4 They Fought In Ancient Battles Called A "Star War"
Long before the "Star Wars" films, the Ancient Mayans fought decisive battles that bore the same name
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Taking a cue from the modern movies of the Star Wars franchise, archaeologists and historians who study the Maya have coined one of their most decisive types of battle as a "Star War." This name comes from the glyph used by the Maya to describe this event; the glyph has a Mayan symbol for a star on it.
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Maya Glyph for "Star War"
Mayan Star Wars were battles that resulted in a major, decisive defeat of an enemy that either resulted in independence from an oppressive city-state, a new dynastic line, or complete destruction.
These decisive battles were planned around any astronomical events that involved the planet Venus. Venus was associated with war by the Ancient Mayans, especially the planet's evening phase during the months from November to January. Eclipses also served as dates for Mayan Star Wars.
Star War meaning:
A major, decisive defeat of an enemy that either resulted in independence from an oppressive city-state, a new dynastic line, or complete destruction
When did Mayan Star Wars happen?
During the evening phase of the planet Venus, eclipses
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3 Maya Society Was Patriarchal, But Women Occasionally Held Power
Women occasionally served as kings in Mayan city-states
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While the Ancient Mayan civilization was patriarchal for the most part, there were some instances of women holding power at certain times in some of the city-states.
The king of a city was called an ajaw and was most often a male. However, certain women did rise to become ajaws themselves. Several different women throughout Mayan history have ruled their city-states.
Monarch:
City-State:
Facts:
Lady K'awiil Ajaw (617-682 CE)
Coba
She bore a title called kaloomte' that meant "superior warrior;" she may have had a male consort; her reign saw economic prosperity, expansion of lands, and political continuity; the city declined after her death
Lady Wak Chanil Ajaw (died 741 CE)
Naranjo
She was not native to this city and arrived there as a result of an arranged marriage; she gained power during a vacuum after her husband was defeated by the city-state Caracol; she ruled on behalf of her five-year-old son; her monuments depict her as a warrior-king
Lady of Tikal (504-527 CE)
Tikal
Ruled from the age of six until her death in 527 CE
Lady Kʼabʼal Xook / Xoc (died 749 CE)
Yaxchilan
Married her nephew, King Itzamnaaj B'alam III; wielded immense power over her husband and ruled on his behalf from 681 to 742
Lady Ikʼ Skull (704-751 CE)
Yaxchilan
Regent and secondary wife of Itzamnaaj B'alam III; ruled on behalf of her son after her husband's death
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2 The Mayans Had The World's Fifth Longest-Reigning Monarch With A Verifiable Date
Pacal the Great was a Mayan ajaw who ruled for 68 years and 33 days
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Kʼinich Janaabʼ Pakal I of the city of Palenque was a famous Mayan ajaw among his own people and in his own time, but today, he's known as the world's fifth longest-reigning monarch by a verifiable date.
Only beaten in years reigned by Louis XIV, Elizabeth II, Rama IX, and Johann II, this ajaw (called Pacal the Great in English) reigned for 68 years and 33 days. Not only that, but he's the longest-reigning monarch in the Americas ever!
After ascending to the throne at age 12, Pacal ushered in a golden era for the city of Palenque. He was a patron of the arts, built great architectural monuments, engaged in diplomacy, and conducted warfare. His luxurious tomb provided archaeologists with many artifacts and artworks that reveal important aspects of Mayan culture.
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Years reigned:
615-683 CE
Accomplishments:
Built the Temple of Inscriptions, patron of the arts, stable ruler for 68 years and 33 days
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1 The Mayans Had Their Own "Pompeii"
A volcanic eruption in 600 CE can tell archaeologists much about the daily life of the Ancient Mayans
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As most know, the Roman cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum were destroyed when Mount Vesuvius erupted in 79 CE. While this event was tragic, it preserved the cities for future archaeologists to uncover, telling us much about the Romans.
Similarly, the Ancient Mayans also had a site just like Pompeii. In 600 CE, over 500 years after Pompeii, a volcano called Loma Caldera erupted halfway around the world from the eternal city of Rome. A Classic Maya settlement, Joya de Ceren, was, unfortunately, in the way of the eruption and was buried under 30 feet of pyroclastic debris. This caused the site to be preserved astonishingly well.
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Archaeologists have found this site to be incredibly useful in understanding the daily lives of ordinary people living in the Ancient Maya world. Before this discovery, the lives of common Maya people were not well understood; most Maya artifacts and records shed light on the elites of society.
This site showed what everyday people ate (maize, guava, agave, cacao, and manioc), what kinds of vessels they used to store food and eat from (painted vessels), and what kinds of religious rituals they would have practiced during everyday life. However, human remains have not been found at this site dating to the time of the eruption, indicating that residents survived the eruption.
Volcano:
Loma Caldera
Year:
600 CE
Why it's significant:
Shows the daily lives of average Mayans
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