What challenges did the Maya face?

What challenges did the Maya face?

Scholars have suggested a number of potential reasons for the downfall of Maya civilization in the southern lowlands, including overpopulation, environmental degradation, warfare, shifting trade routes and extended drought.

What is unusual about the building known as El Castillo?

El Castillo, also known as the Temple of Kukulcan, is a Mesoamerican step-pyramid built by the Maya civilisation in around 1000 AD. The pyramids consist of intricate carved stone in a stair-stepped design, topped with a flat platform upon which a smaller temple was constructed to honour a particular Maya deity.

What happened at El Castillo in Chichen Itza?

Around the spring and autumn equinoxes, the late afternoon sun strikes off the northwest corner of the pyramid and casts a series of triangular shadows against the northwest balustrade, creating the illusion of the feathered serpent “crawling” down the pyramid.

What happens at El Castillo on the summer and fall equinox?

The phenomenon that El Castillo is famous for occurs twice each year, at the spring and fall equinoxes. As the equinox sun sets, a play of light and shadow creates the appearance of a snake that gradually undulates down the stairway of the pyramid.

How did the Mayans environment affect them?

The Maya experienced severe environmental pressures, including rising sea levels and intense droughts. The wetlands were favorable crop locations during the long droughts, and the Maya traveled by canoe to nearby wetlands to extend their reach and be able to feed their growing population.

Why did the Mayan culture collapse?

A mix of political and environmental problems is usually blamed for the decline of Maya cities. Analysis of speleothems, or rock structures in caves such as stalactites and stalagmites, shows that “several severe — multi-year — droughts struck between [A.D.] 800 and 930” in the southern Mesoamerica region, Lucero said.

What did the Mayans use El Castillo for?

El Castillo: Also known as the Temple of Kukulkan, named for a Mayan deity that appears as a feathered serpent. This pyramid-shaped structure stands close to 100 feet high. The Great Ball Court: Just to the northwest of El Castillo, this structure was used for sport—primarily a team game using a ball.

What happened to the Mayans?

Mysterious Decline of the Maya From the late eighth through the end of the ninth century, something unknown happened to shake the Maya civilization to its foundations. One by one, the Classic cities in the southern lowlands were abandoned, and by A.D. 900, Maya civilization in that region had collapsed.

Why was Chichen Itza important to the Mayans?

Chichen Itza as a Capital Via its port at Isla Cerritos on the northern coast, Chichen Itza became an important commercial center, trading in goods—including gold and other treasures—with other cities throughout the Americas. At its height, it is believed that as many as 50,000 people lived in the city.

Why did the Mayan study the sky?

The ancient Maya were avid astronomers, recording and interpreting every aspect of the sky. They believed that the will and actions of the gods could be read in the stars, moon, and planets, so they dedicated time to doing so, and many of their most important buildings were built with astronomy in mind.

Who was El Castillo built for?

This temple was dedicated to the serpent god, Kukulcán. The god Kukulcán was a war serpent, and also a vision serpent. In Chichen Itza, he ruled over the sacrifices. The name “El Castillo” was given to the ancient pyramid by the Spanish conquistadors and was built between 800 and 900 CE by the Mayans.

What is the design of El Castillo?

Design. Typical of Mayan pyramids, El Castillo serves as a monumental representation of the Mayan calendar. The structure is made up of nine levels which represent the nine levels of the ‘afterlife’. Each of the four sides consists of a series of terraces which total 18 – the number of months in the Mayan year.

What is the most famous building from the Mayan era?

El Castillo – the Most Famous Building of the Mayan Era, Mexico. El Castillo, Chichen Itza, Yucatán, Mexico. Built by the Maya people, Chichen Itza once was a major city of the pre-Columbian era. El Castillo or the Temple of Kukulcan is the most famous and recognizable landmark of the entire archaeological site.

What happened to Chichen Itza’s El Castillo?

Mexico’s National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH), which manages the Chichen Itza site, recently closed El Castillo’s inner chambers to the public in an attempt to slow deterioration. Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later?

Why did the Mayans build the pyramids?

The pyramids consist of intricate carved stone in a stair-stepped design, topped with a flat platform upon which a smaller temple was constructed to honour a particular Maya deity. In the case of El Castillo, it served as a temple to the ‘feathered serpent’ god Kukulcan.