The Mayans

Tikal is a place in Guatemala located in the department of Petén. Tikal is where the Mayans used to live. The Mayans built big pyramids made of stones that they carried day and night. Something interesting that some people believe is that the Mayans lived in those pyramids, but only the kings and important people lived there. Also, when important people died, they buried them there and people put food, offerings, and the things that belonged to the dead person, such as their clothing and more. 

The Mayans had many languages that they themselves made. The language has different dialects. For example,  Je Q Sentay’a is a type of phrase that uses accent marks to be able to pronounce the words better. Also, the Mayans knew the time just by looking at the sun and they knew which day of the week it was by using the Mayan calendar. For those calendars, the Mayans used symbols. The Mayans did not actually invent the Mayan calendar – the Mayans borrowed it from previous civilizations and improved it. They had three calendars and each one had its own purpose: the Haab, the Tzolkin, and The Long Count. 

Most men and women wore simple clothes. Men would wear a loincloth and cloak, while women wore a simple dress. A lot of people’s clothes were very colorful clothes with patterns on them. The clothes that the Mayans wore showed their level of importance in society and some outfits showed how powerful or rich they were.

Mayans spent their time working hard, dancing, playing music, and playing games such as the Mayan ball game. For food, the Mayans hunted animals to feed their families. They also harvested vegetables, corn, and beans. Some interesting facts about the Mayans are:

• They thought that having crossed eyes, a flat forehead, and a big nose were beautiful features.
• In some areas, they would use makeup to try and make their noses look larger.
• The Mayans loved to wear large hats and headdresses. 
• The more important the person was, the taller the hat they used to wear.

There are still Mayans in Guatemala, just that they are not seen that much. Many Mayans live in the western highlands, the north and west of Guatemala City, and most notably, Alta Verapaz, Sololá, Totonicapán, and Quiché. Mayans also live on farms in Guatemala’s southern area known as Boca Costa. 

Works Cited

Bikos, Konstantin. “The Mayan Calendar.” Timeanddate.Com, www.timeanddate.com/calendar/mayan.html. Accessed 17 Feb. 2022.