Mayans & Incas

Call it "The Passion of the Maya": Mel Gibson is quietly filming a movie in a Mexican jungle about the collapsed civilization. Given Gibson's cinematic history, experts on the ancient Maya are looking forward to his upcoming epic, "Apocalypto," with a mixture of curiosity and dread. They're pleased that Hollywood will feature a period of world history still little understood but worry that once again a movie may sacrifice historical accuracy for the sake of a good story."A lot depends on how well they depict the Maya. It may serve as a really good springboard into a lecture," saysarchaeologist Lisa Lucero of New Mexico State University in Las Cruces.

"Or it may be something we have to nip in the bud in that first lecture."Gibson wasn't available for comment, and the public relations firm for his Icon Productions declined to offer any details on the film's plot.But according to the film's website, "Apocalypto" promises "a heart-stopping mythic action-adventure set against the turbulent end-times of the once-great Mayan civilization." The story centers on a kidnapped hero's bid to escape a mass sacrifice at one Maya center. According to another description of the plot in Time magazine's March preview, a ruler orders the mass sacrifice of hapless captives toappease the gods and avert a drought.The only problem, and big cause for worry among archaeologists, is "the classic Maya really didn't go in for mass sacrifice," Lucero says. "That was the Aztecs." Other concerns: the modern-day Mayan Yucatec language spoken in the film is not the language of the ancient Maya, and the film's Mexican shooting locale is not the classic Maya homeland, says Penn State archaeologist David Webster.

View: Full Article | Source: AZ Central

New research on the Maya civilization which is believed to have collapsed due to its overuse of natural resources and slash-and-burn farming may have actually held a great appreciation forthe environment."For decades, the Maya –– and their descendents –– have gotten a bad rap from archaeologists, anthropologists, and other scholars who cite the ancient civilization"s agricultural practices for its eventual collapse.

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View: Full Article | Source: University of California

For over one thousand years the Maya dominated Central America, now scientists believe that their demise may have been severely hastened as the result ofthe deforestation that fuelled their once mighty civilization."For 1200 years, the Maya dominated Central America.

At their peak around 900 A.D., Maya cities teemed with more than 2,000 people per square mile -- comparableto modern Los Angeles County. "

View: Full Article | Source: PhysOrg.com

Sounds like raindrops falling into a bucket of water can be heard while climbing the colossal staircase of Mexico"s El Castillo pyramid suggesting that the Mayans may have used a form of "music" to try and communicate with their gods."Sit on the stepsof Mexico"s El Castillo pyramid in Chichen Itza and you may hear a confusing sound.

As other visitors climb the colossal staircase their footsteps begin to sound like raindrops falling into a bucket of water as they near the top. Were the Mayan temple builders trying to communicate with their gods?"

View: Full Article | Source: New Scientist