| Papers [1-15] of 100 :: [Page 1 of 7] | | Go to page : 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 —> | Search results on "DISAPPEARANCE MAYAN CIVILIZATION": |
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The Disappearance of the Mayan Civilization, 2006.
This paper examines the numerous cultural attributes of the Mayan civilization while focusing on the reasons for its eventual collapse and disappearance.
740 words (approx. 3.0 pages), 4 sources, MLA, $ 26.95
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Abstract
This paper analyzes the disappearance of the Mayan civilization while focusing on the various theories surrounding its eventual collapse. The writer of this brief yet concise paper details the history of the Mayan culture which emerged in 2000 BC. The Mayan civilization gave birth to numerous cultural progresses such as the establishment of a writing system, an organized political council as well as the introduction of organized religion. This paper examines the theories surrounding the dispersal of the Mayan civilization, when at around 800 AD it was purported to have suddenly collapsed. There have been numerous arguments based on archaeological and anthropological evidence that attempted to explain the collapse of this particular civilization. This paper focuses on several theories which may explain the disappearance of the Mayan people which include climatic changes as well as socio-cultural collapse through the population's expansion.
From the Paper
"The theory that argued that a climatic collapse led to the disappearance of the Mayan civilization was based from scientific findings that were caused by a severe drought. As reported by History Today, "[d]rilling samples from the Cariaco Basin off the Venezuelan Coast show there were intensely dry periods between AD 810 and AD 910..." From this finding, it was found that because there had been scarce supply of the people's basic needs, such as water and food supply, Mayan society disappeared, supposedly due to deaths caused by these series of drought. A more specific version of this theory was presented in Kerr's journal article on the scientific evidence pointing at climate changes as the catalyst towards the disappearance of the civilization."
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Mayan Civilization, 2002.
This paper compares Mayan civilization with ancient Mediterranean civilizations.
650 words (approx. 2.6 pages), 3 sources, $ 26.95
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Abstract
This paper discusses the ancient Mayans, Greeks, Romans and Egyptians.
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The Mayan Civilization, 2005.
This paper discusses the history and culture of the Mayan civilization and its influence on today's Guatemalan life.
2,590 words (approx. 10.4 pages), 9 sources, MLA, $ 78.95
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Abstract
This paper explains that the Mayans, primarily from the lowlands in the central regions of southern Guatemala, built incredibly sophisticated urban centers, created an astronomical science and mathematics among the most sophisticated in the pre-modern world and established the most developed and complex system of writing in the Americas. The author points out that, because the Mayan cities were used as religious centers for the surrounding rural population and not as a true urban culture, the decline of the cities after 900 A.D. did not involve a colossal social change. The paper relates that customs and traditions of the ancient Maya are still very much a part of the fabric of Guatemalan life, sharing a common ancestral heritage that is expressed in religion, music, dance, foods and social organization.
From the Paper
"Today, the Maya can be found in Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador and the five Mexican states of Tabasco, Chiapas, Campeche, Yucatan and Quintana Roo. There are approximately thirty different indigenous Mayan languages, however, the majority of the Maya also speak Spanish. The present day Guatemalan Mayas have preserved much of their culture and religion. However, there can be found a mixture of Mayan and Western European traditions, an aspect most obvious in religious practices, in which the modern Maya have created their own brand of Christianity, a blend of Catholic tradition and ancient ritual."
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Michael Coe's Book on Ancient Mayan Civilization "The Maya", 1999.
Examines Michael Coe's book "The Maya" which pulls together the available data from many different fields of study to produce a comprehensive survey that sheds new light on the beginnings and eventual decline of the ancient Mayan civilization.
2,160 words (approx. 8.6 pages), 3 sources, $ 67.95
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From the Paper
"By using new and updated material from the archaeological field, combined with the recent studies done in the field of linguistics, Coe has been able to create a plausible 'history' of the Maya people, while at the same time creating a new model that portrays a very complex social and economic system not believed to have existed in earlier research. Coe's revised edition also dispels the notion that the complex centers were primarily used for religious or priestly functions. Coe instead sees these centers as also being the hub for politics, trade, and social functions. Added to this history are the artistic forms expressed in the Maya Murals, burial sites, architecture, ceramics, clothing and dated monumnts, all of which gives insight as well as documentation to the lives and movements of the humans that inhabited the many areas of Mesoamerica as early as eleven to fourteen thousand years ago. By tracing the various art forms displayed on these archaeological items along with the decipherable hieroglyphic writings, Coe has been able to offer a realistic progression of the Maya civilization through its Pre-Classic, Classic, and Post-Classic eras. Included in this progression is the outside influences of different languages and styles of artistic expression, whether these influences came through the process of trade, exchange, or war. But before Coe examines these three stages of Maya development, he first explores the possible human lifestyle prior to these stages, thus setting the stage for the development of the obvious and intricate architecture that is found in Mesoamerica today."
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Mayan and Aztec Civilizations, 1995.
Compares religion, war, social organization and writing.
1,575 words (approx. 6.3 pages), 5 sources, $ 55.95
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From the Paper
"Mayan civilization rose and fell over the course of 2,000 years. By the time of the European invasion of Central America, many Mayan cities had long been abandoned. Though the last Mayan outpost was not taken by the Spaniards until 1697, Mayan high culture had ended centuries earlier. The Aztec civilization was of more recent origin and reached its height in only a few centuries. The Aztec decline was the direct result of the Spanish conquest. Mayans and Aztecs had many cultural similarities, but they differed in fundamental areas such as the structure of the state and their relations with other peoples. The primary difference between them, however, is that the term Mayan refers to a large number of Maya-speaking peoples whose cultural and political cohesion "was quite extraordinary for any time or place."1 Despite the general cohesion of Mayan culture ..."
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The "Disappearance" of the Unwanted Individual, 2002.
A comparison of works by Barbara Ehrenreich and Michael Foucault to examine the theme of 'disappearance'.
1,400 words (approx. 5.6 pages), 2 sources, $ 53.95
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Abstract
This paper shall compare and contrast the book "Nickled and Dimed" by Barbara Ehrenreich and the work "Discipline and Punish: The Birth of the Prison" by Michael Foucault. This paper shall compare and contrast the theme of "disappearance" within these two works, where both Foucault and Ehrenreich suggest that modern society conspires to remove the significance of the unwanted individual. For Foucault, this is the prisoner and for Ehrenreich this is the female working class individual.
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"An Empty Space with a Long Cry": Disappearance in Seamus Deane's Reading in the Dark., 2002.
1,150 words (approx. 4.6 pages), 1 source, $ 44.95
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Abstract
This 5-page freshman essay looks at the theme of disappearance in Seamus Deane's Reading in the Dark, especially considering the ways this theme intersects with ideas of politics, family, and childhood in the story.
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Decline of the Mayas, 2004.
Examines the history of the Mayan civilization and its ultimate downfall.
1,148 words (approx. 4.6 pages), 4 sources, MLA, $ 39.95
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Abstract
Historians have pieced together several scenarios as to the reasons why the Mayan civilization practically disappeared after the height of its glory in the jungles of Guatemala. This paper shows that it is generally accepted that, by about AD 900, a decline had set in with the Mayan people because of warring invaders and diseases. The paper examines theories and archaeological evidence to show the history of the Maya and the occurrences that brought them to general decline.
From the Paper
"Archaeologists have determined that the Mayan civilization was destroyed by the ultimate breakdown of its society. Some evidence uncovered by archaeological studies show that the Mayan civilization reached a crisis point in the 9th century. ?With the increasing complexity of society, more and more people were withdrawn from farming to become administrators, craftsmen and priests, all of whom had to be fed from the produce of the land.? (Bray, 102) Some of the Mayan cities had grown so large that food production in the surrounding lands had dwindled and many skeletons of Mayans that have been studied show signs of malnutrition. ?Food production could not be indefinitely increased and the short-term expedient of reducing the fallow period could lead to long-term disaster as the impoverished soil became less and less fertile.? (Bray, 102-103)"
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Mayan Culture, 2007.
A discussion of Mayan culture, including their art and religion.
2,807 words (approx. 11.2 pages), 7 sources, APA, $ 83.95
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Abstract
This paper gives an overview of the ancient Mayan culture, with an emphasis on their art, religion and their daily lives. The author first examines the significance of the Mayan pyramids which still stand today. The pyramids are felt to give insights into the Mayan's religion and government. The paper continues by suggesting theories of why the Mayans disappeared. Despite the disappearance of ancient Mayans, the author suggests that cultural influences of the Mayans still exist in Central America today.
Outline:
Introduction-Who Were the Mayans?
The Case Against the Mayans
The Case for Mayan Culture
Conclusion
From the Paper
"As for what architecture tells us about the Mayan people, the creation of pyramids and temples that were as large and time-consuming as those created by the Mayans indicate a race of people who were strong, intelligent, and willing to work together for a common goal. Very likely, Mayans were interested in their collective society, as well as their own families, and they worshiped their King. Religion was extremely important to them, as has been mentioned. They used their pyramids and other structures as places to worship, and reverence to their gods was a vital part of their daily lives."
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Mayan Bloodletting, 2002.
An insight into bloodletting, or drawing blood from one?s body in search of a higher spiritual existence in the Maya civilization.
2,222 words (approx. 8.9 pages), 6 sources, MLA, $ 69.95
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Abstract
This paper discusses the ritual of bloodletting which was prevelant in the Mayan civilization, an ancient native American culture that dates back to AD 300 to 900. It examines how each major event in the lives of the Mayan people was sanctified by their self-mutilation. Bloodletting was used to commemorate temples being dedicated, crops being planted, babies being born and marriages being consecrated. It shows how through its beginning, its peak, and its ruin, bloodletting was something done in reverence for their gods and done out of respect for their religious beliefs and how it was not a savage, destructive ritual, but a meaningful one.
From the Paper
"Maya communities exist today, and they still believe their lives and destinies are tied directly into their family, kin, community and to the supernatural world of their gods (Sharer 128-130). Each important step in their lives is still marked by elaborate and sacred rituals, as they were in ancient times (Sharer 129). While the nuclear family is still the heart of their foundation ? that is the man, his wife, and their children ? Mayan families have always included the more extended version of family. Their social groupings are based on their lineage ? depending on what male has been born into what family. While government has changed now, in the past, political offices were passed from father to son, brother to brother, and so forth."
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The Mayan Scientists, 2004.
A discussion of the lost Mayan culture, science and religion.
1,435 words (approx. 5.7 pages), 6 sources, MLA, $ 47.95
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Abstract
This paper examines the Mayan civilization, which remains a mystery to today's scientists. The paper addresses questions, such as, how a civilization so primitive could manage to become such skillful mathematicians and scientists and why a group this advanced in their scientific studies would just pick up and leave without a trace. The paper also points out that the Mayas were a religious culture that put much emphasis on the study of many branches of science, especially astronomy. The paper concludes that this undeniably advanced civilization managed to blend both science and religion, keeping each in its place yet allowing them to work together, providing emotional fulfillment, intellectual development, and a better understanding of the universe that they lived in.
From the Paper
"Contrasting the views of many Western-Europeans, the Mayas incorporated religion into their astronomical discoveries. The Mayans believed that the planets were actually spirits and that time was "a bridge between the real world and the spirit world" (http://mayanastro.freeservers.com/mayan3.html) and to the Mayas, the only planet more important than the sun was the planet Venus, and they knew that planet, quite possibly, better than any other society of their time. Many wars were timed specifically in relation to the location of Jupiter and Venus and sacrifices to the Gods were made on the first day that the planet appeared after "Superior Conjunction," which is the time in which Venus, the Earth, and the Sun are aligned therefore blocking the view of Venus from Earth."
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The Greek, Roman, and Mayan Religions, 2004.
This paper discusses why the Greek, Roman, and Mayan worlds are of prime interest to Western civilization.
880 words (approx. 3.5 pages), 4 sources, MLA, $ 31.95
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Abstract
This paper explains that the Greek, Roman, and Mayan worlds are of prime interest because of their influence upon the cultural and societal aspects of the civilizations that followed them. The author points out that the Mayan religion has greatly influenced Western thought and culture, although not as predominant as the Greek and Roman systems, because of its perceived origins in a traditional non-Western setting. The paper relates that the Mayan pantheon was very complex. Heaven and Hell were not considered either as reward or punishment for behavior on earth; rather, they were the after-life abodes natural to different classes of people, for one passed on to the sphere appropriate to one?s class and occupation.
From the Paper
"Culturally, the Greek ?polis? or city-state was presided over by a particular god as protector and patron, such as Athena for the city of Athens. Different communities could choose the same deity as their protector; Sparta, for example, also had Athena as its patron god. The members of the ?polis? constituted a religious association obliged to honor the state?s patron deity as well as the community?s other gods. Thus, the central ritual of a ?polis? was the sacrifice of animals to demonstrate to the gods as divine protectors the respect and piety of the members of the ?polis.?"
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The Olmecs And The Mayan, 2002.
Compares these two ancient South American civilizations.
1,150 words (approx. 4.6 pages), 3 sources, $ 44.95
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Abstract
This paper will contrast and compare the Olmec and Mayan Civilizations. By showing their similarities and differing qualities, I will prove their improvements and set-backs in the realm of history.
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Mayan Time, 1994.
The significance of the time in Mesoamerican civilization. Includes linear development, agriculture, seasons, calendar and the philosophy of time.
1,575 words (approx. 6.3 pages), 8 sources, $ 55.95
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From the Paper
"No other people in history made of time so great a fetish as the Maya (Coggins, 1979; von Hagen, 1961). Without doubt, time - and man's perception of it - has played an important role in the development of civilizations throughout the world (Thompson, 1966). The pre-Columbian Mayan civilization was no exception to the general rule. Instead, it raised the science of time-keeping via the calendar to a level of accomplishment that was as accurate as the sophisticated, verified calculations of today. The question immediately raised, of course, is: Why? Why such a preoccupation with time? With record-keeping? With such single-minded attention to accuracy that the Mayans devised not one but three calendar systems? The answer, not surprisingly for a civilization that never progressed technologically into the post-Stone Age, lies in agriculture."
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How and Why Christianity Has Disappeared From Our Society, 2001.
Author's view on the disappearance of Christianity from North American culture and its impact, with reference to church history.
2,690 words (approx. 10.8 pages), 8 sources, $ 80.95
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From the Paper
"There are very many reasons and explanations as to where and why Christianity has changed so drastically from the time of its creation to the present day; world wars, epidemics, philosophy- those are just some of the explanations offered to explain the situation. Christianity has become most diffused in Canada, the United States, and in Rome. However, it is also still easy to see how it is still present within societies; churches are still recognized as sacred institutions and some laws are still based upon church law. As to why Christianity has changed so drastically, there are many reasons but perhaps the strongest one is philosophy and the Age of Individualism."
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