History
Historians have pieced together several scenarios as to the reasonswhy the Mayan civilization practically disappeared from the height of itsglory in the jungles of Guatemala. It is generally accepted that by aboutAD 900 a decline had set in with the Mayan people through warring invaders The Mayans were introduced to Europeans in 1502 when ChristopherColumbus and his men encountered a Maya trading canoe near the coast ofHonduras. The "Spaniards seized the canoe and rifled the cargo, whichincluded copper axes, yellow stone hatchets, wooden war clubs studded withflints, pottery, and colorful garments of woven cloth. The invadersrealized that this canoe belonged to a rich trading network." (Trout, 89)As word spread on the potential to gain riches at the expense of this newlydiscovered civilization, more and more invaders began searching for the "In the 16th century, soldier-chronicler Bernal Dfaz del Castillodescribed two major goals of the invading Spaniards: 'To bring light tothose in darkness, and also to get rich." (Trout, 90) Historians oftenhave conflicting viewpoints of what invading parties led to the downfall ofthe Mayan civilization. "Rather than a s
Many of the Mayans' ancient cities were either burned by invaders orthe jungles of Guatemala overtook them. " (The Magnificent Maya, 15) "One Spanish witness described a vigorous Maya attack: 'The Indiansappeared with all the arms which they use in the wars: quivers of arrows,poles with their tips hardened by fire, lances with points of sharp flints,two-handed swords of very strong woods inset with obsidian blades,whistles, and beating the shells of great turtles with deer horns. His death would be agonizingly slow, his bones pulledfrom their joints and his body tormented with knives. "With the increasing complexityof society, more and more people were withdrawn from farming to becomeadministrators, craftsmen and priests, all of whom had to be fed from theproduce of the land. " (Bray, 102-103) In addition to the depletion of the soil, the Mayans also burned vastquantities of the surrounding jungle in an effort to obtain lime forcoating pyramids and other city buildings. The cult of ceremonies ended as the rulers and (Mayan) priestsmoved elsewhere. 'There were no more lucky days for us,' the text reads, 'wehad no sound judgment. It soon became ablended society as the ancestors of the ancient Mayans intermarried withthe Spanish and Mexican colonizers. A Maya seer quoted inthe "Books of Chilam Balam" had apparently predicted the foreignvisitation. " (TheMagnificent Maya, 14) Mayan warriors marched into battle not to conquer territory but tocapture slaves for ritual sacrifices. As Spanish and Mexican cultures and customs tookover society, the Mayans either left and tried to exist in smallcommunities within the jungles of Guatemala or adapted. The Spanish king and queen forced theMayans to obey Spanish overlords who then required the Mayans to learnChristian doctrines and values. "And woe to the enemy who allowedhimself to be taken. In 1517, three Spanish ships on a raiding expedition traveledto the mainland of Yucatan where they looted Mayan temples. Without question, the Mayaworld had descended to a level of violence previously unimagined.
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Acceptance Essays
