Archaeologists believe that the first American Indians arrived in the New World by way of the Bering Strait. These migrations took place during the Ice Age when the sea levels were lowered and a land bridge was exposed between Alaska and Siberia. This occurred sometime between 15.000 and 20.000 years ago. At this time much […]
During the Classic period, the Maya made significant advancements in the fields of astronomy and calendric. The Maya observed three distinct calendars. They were the 260-day sacred year (tzolkin) calendar, the tun or 360-day year, and the vague year calendar, which was divided into eighteen months of twenty days each. Unquestionably, the most outstanding Mayan […]
Archaeologists believe that the first Native Americans entered the New World by way of the Bering Strait. This migration took place during the “Ice Age.” or Pleistocene. They crossed the strait when lowered sea levels between Siberia and Alaska exposed a land bridge. We do not know the exact date of the first arrivals, but […]
Ancient Aztec children were usually born with the help of a mid-wife. After the umbilical cord was cut, the mid-wife washed the baby and prayed to the water god Chalchiuhtlicue. Soon after the prayer the name of the child was announced. Most Aztec children survived on a strict diet of corn cakes and mothers milk. […]
The Mexica or Aztecs from Aztlan, were guided by their god Huitzilopochtli, while they traveled for many years. They were told to go until they found an eagle sitting on a cactus eating a serpent. Finally, they found what they were looking for on the shores of Lake Texcoco. Unfortunately, they were among the last […]
Cortes was born in the city of Medillin, on the banks of the Guadiana River, in the province of Estramadura, in the country of Spain. This was in 1485, in the last years of the Middle Ages. Estramadura was a poor and unforgiving place that was void of opportunities. Its summers brought blinding heat and […]
Like many of the conquistadors, Pedro de Alvarado came from one of the poorest regions of Spain called Extremadura. Little is known about him prior to his departure at age 25. Pedro’s peers considered him fearless, ambitious, as well as cruel. His braveiy and his brutality are well documented. Alvarado was fair-haired and very handsome. […]
Every effort was made by the Spanish conquistadors to eradicate all signs of Mayan culture. They were helped by the Franciscan and Dominican friars who destroy all signs of Mayan religious beliefs. The friars destroyed temples, shrines, and banned all ceremonial costumes. All native religions were banned, and instruction in Catholicism was mandatory. In addition, […]
It is believed that all Mayan ceremonial centers were connected by a series of roads. However, the exact extent of the ancient system of roadways will probably never be known because much of it has been destroyed by centuries of vegetation growth and modernization. These “white roads” were constructed out of large stones which were […]
Today, what we know about ancient Mayan city of Palenque we know because of decades of excavations and research. In 1945. Alberto Ruz Lhuillier took over the excavations. Almost from the start Ruz took an interest in the Temple of Inscriptions. The temple was a very imposing structure that stood on top of a high […]
