Mayapan: The History of the Mayan Capital

Description

*Includes pictures.
*Includes footnotes for further reading.

Many ancient civilizations have influenced and inspired people in the 21st century, like the Greeks and the Romans, but of all the world’s civilizations, none have intrigued people more than the Mayans, whose culture, astronomy, language, and mysterious disappearance all continue to captivate people. At the heart of the fascination is Chichen Itza, the most visited Mayan site, but Chichen Itza’s prominence lasted for less than 200 years and was eventually succeeded by Mayapan, which lasted as the capital of the Maya for nearly 225 years until the middle of the 15th century. The Mayans are still remembered and celebrated for their culture and their contributions to astronomy, language, and sports, and many of their advancements came with Mayapan as their capital.

Early Mayapan was closely connected to the overshadowing power of the region at the time: the mighty trading city of Chichen Itza. Mayapan emerged first as a minor settlement in the orbit of Chichen, but it slowly came to replace it after the larger city’s trade connections with the Toltecs of Tula crumbled and it suffered a staggering defeat by Mayapan’s armies. The building styles and art in their city show both admiring references to the great Chichen Itza as well as an attempt to position Mayapan as a more orthodox heir of Maya tradition. At the same time, they emulated many features and could not escape the tremendous influences – especially in religion – of Chichen. This is seen in the fact that many of the most important buildings in the new city appear to be small-scale reproductions of ones in Chichen.

Due in part to the fact that it has long been overshadowed by Chichen Itza, a lot excavation and scholarly research on the site has only come about in recent decades, and even though there is still plenty of work to do, a lot of information about life in Mayapan has been unearthed. At its height, Mayapan may have boasted a population of over 15,000, and archaeologists have had their hands full trying to discover and restore the several thousand buildings both inside Mayapan’s walls and outside them as well.

Mayapan: The History of the Mayan Capital covers the history of the city, as well as the speculation and debate over the city’s buildings. Along with pictures and a bibliography, you will learn about the Mayan capital like you never have before, in no time at all.”