Pyramids
Solan
Solan
This image shows the Temple of Inscriptions in the site of Palenque. (Image 1)
In Mesoamerica, there are many civilizations that built and used the pyramids. The Maya built pyramids soon after they settled from being nomadic farmers, around 1000 B.C,E. in a time known as the preclassic period. These pyramids were mainly used as religious sites and tombs for great rulers.
The pyramids were built in a special way, with rubble and dirt first being piled into a sort of hill to create a base shape for the Maya to build over top of. With hammers, chisels, levers and wheels of the Mayas own making, they broke and carved chunks of limestone into bricks and transported them from the quarry to the building site. These large bricks were then pieced together into the large, step shaped design using mortar. These pyramids, unlike the well-known Egyptian pyramids, were built with a temple on top rather than a hollow inside. Though, they sometimes had hidden chambers or passageways inside.
This image depicts some of the carvings in the Pyramid of Faces at Kohuhlich. (Image 2)
The pyramids were useful for many reasons; which make sense, considering that if they weren't, they would've never been built. the most obvious reason is that they were used as tombs for dead rulers. These pyramids were often found with jade masks and beads, which carried a high symbolism for the afterlife, among other things. There were also commonly stingray spines and obsidian blades found in pyramids, which were seen as a sign of self-sacrifice and honor. The pyramids were also used as religious sites, where priests would make sacrifices and people would worship the gods. These activities took place in the temple atop the pyramid. In the thick jungle that the Maya lived in, it could be hard to navigate. This is another reason why the pyramids were helpful; they towered over the trees, allowing scavengers or anybody who left the area a landmarker for where they are and where the city is. The pyramids were also used generally as a community area. Some have game courts built beside them, specifically for the game Pitz. They were used to represent Maya beliefs and the Maya people as a whole, just like we have our own landmarks where we live.
`The pyramids created a whole new world for historians. The ruins of these pyramids allowed for an eye-opening view into the Mayas world; what they believed in, who they worshipped, and how they built things. As historians found these pyramids from the lost civilization of Maya, they uncovered more than just these temples of stone. They found out how intelligent the Maya were, how they built these relics that somehow withstood storms and natural disasters for hundreds of years.
This image shows the pyramid of the sun. (Image 3)
INTERESTING LINKS
This website talks about different landmarks around Mesoamerica, (Image 4)