From Past To Present: Mayan And Inca Civilizations

Many ancient civilizations have influenced the people and their traditions today. Two of the most influential past civilizations are the Mayans and Incas. Without these groups of people, the world would not be as advanced, or even organized as it is today. Ancient civilizations are the mold to our everyday lives, jobs, and even homes. Advancements such as technology, language, and holidays are derived from these civilizations and their accomplishments. The start of what we use today began in 250 AD, with the Mayan and the 1400s, with the Inca. One widely known job in today’s world is farming and the Mayans are recognized as corn farmers who worked the land to farm large amounts of food for their growing population (Atwood, Roger). These Mayans used a farming method known as slash and burn, which was done by cutting down trees and burning the remaining stumps. After burning the stumps, the ashes mixed with the soil, making the soil more fertile and able to grow crops. With fertile soil and the ability to grow more crops, the Mayan farmers were able to supply more people and receive goods as a trade for their crops (Atwood 18). Today, farming provides the main source of money and food for many families and farmers still use the same crops and farming ideas as the ancient Mayan civilization. In addition, the Mayans made advancements with their calendars.

Although the Mayans did not invent the calendar, their contributions lead us to the yearly cycle that we use today. The Mayan calendar was made up of three corresponding calendars: The Tzolkin, the Long Count, and the Haab (Brink 493). With these calendars, the Mayans kept track of dates, events, and Gods. They followed their calendar every day of each year, much as society does in modern-day life. In contrast, the Inca even developed a bundle of colored knots, known as the quipu. They used this invention as a record system and a way to send messages through their empire. Over the years, we have advanced record systems and now have ways of organizing records with the use of processing computer programs. The Maya, however, came up with their own number system by using dots and lines that acted as numbers. Following the Babylonians, the Mayans were the first civilization to invent a symbol for zero. This symbol resembled an eye and can be found on a Stela in Uaxactun, Guatemala (Brink 493). These inventions by the Mayans and Incas led us to the number system we use today and our problem-solving techniques. Despite the many government spots to be filled, the Inca had one main ruler known as the Sapa Inca, or “supreme ruler” that led the Inca society. (Childress 14). Only the son of the Coya, the Inca’s principal wife, had the ability to become Sapa Inca. Honorary Incas made up important parts of the government and held many of the same privileges as the Inca nobility (Childress 14). These individuals lead us to the government and presidential system that we have today. There still remain different classes throughout the world that perform different jobs and have different duties. By having assigned tasks and systems, jobs can be done more quickly and efficiently. In the same manner, the Mayans were ruled by kings and queens who had complete authority over their people. The rulers were considered to be descendants of the gods and the people’s link to the divine, because of this, historians believe that the rulers doubled as religious leaders that were head of sacred ceremonies. Priests served as healers and were trained in order to learn the spiritual and scientific aspects of healing for their town (Joel 59). There were three lower tiers under the upper classes, with the lowest class being made up of enslaved people and servants. This class labored in the fields and built cities throughout the civilization. Today, we use similar government systems that help us get jobs done and remain in order.

Both ancient civilizations worshiped Gods of their own with their own ways of worship. To worship their gods, the civilizations had special locations and ceremonies. The Inca worship spot is known as Machu Picchu and Schuna states that Alta said that the Incas must have felt close to Pachamama, or their “Mother Earth.” The river that lies at the base of Machu Picchu is called Willcamayo, which means “sacred river” (Schuna 8). Over time, we have evolved into more familiar and monotheistic religions such as Catholicism, Christianity, and more. These religions allow people to worship their beliefs and keep their traditions throughout generations. Machu Picchu was built by the Incas in an isolated village near Cusco. All of the buildings were constructed using stone pieces that fit perfectly together. Although the village holding Machu Picchu is difficult to reach and is located in the Andes, it is considered one of the seven wonders of the world. There are trails that the Inca had used in order to get back and forth from the city of Cusco that allowed the people to bring the materials they needed to build this structure. Because of this, Schuna writes that it may have taken 100 years to complete the city (8). To this day, nobody is sure why Machu Picchu was built and what its purpose was. Scholars believe that it was used as a place of worship and ceremonies, but there is no exact proof. Alta, a native of Cusco, works as a hiking guide for Machu Picchu. He says that Machu Picchu is a place of his people (Schuna 8). Today, the city attracts tourists and even ancestors of the Incas because of this, it is considered an important piece of their ancestors and history. The trails or roads built by the Incas that allowed them to reach Machu Picchu lead to even greater roads. The Inca civilization constructed the greatest and longest road that there is in the world. Gard stated that the Royal Road went through the highlands for a distance of 3,250 miles, while the Coastal Road followed the seacoast for 2,520 miles (12).

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The Incas used these roads to send messages among the empire, as a way to keep the people together. These roads were also used as trade routes and a way for armies to get to war spots quickly. Having roads allowed the Inca to become more powerful than the other empires (Gard 12). Today, we use roads internationally to get products from other places, just like the Incas. Our main use of roads is transportation, without the idea of roads, we would not be able to travel easily as we can today. Similarly, the Mayans worshiped their gods with sacred ceremonies that often consisted of sacrifices and bloodletting. They did this in order to “feed” their gods and keep them happy because they believed the gods controlled the forces of their world and they wanted to maintain the natural order of the universe. The Mayans also believed that the world existed on three levels. These levels were known as the heavens, the terrestrial life, and the underworld.

The civilization was polytheistic and had over one hundred gods in all, unlike today where many religions worship only one god. In addition to worshiping their gods, the Mayans came up with a ball game that was a sport of life and death, however, in the end, only the leaders of the winning or losing team were killed. The sacrifices of the players were done to entreat the gods to produce rain. The six players on each team used a rubber ball and often wore clothing to protect against the impact of the ball, some players would wear other apparel, such as headdresses, for ritual reasons. The players were able to score by moving the ball through the cement target rings. This sport is still played today in parts of Mexico with smaller teams of two to four people and can be compared to many popular sports played today. Two sports that are common with the Mayan ball game are basketball and tennis. In basketball, each team is small and the basket is used as a target, and tennis has nobody contact between players. One thing that is most common among all three sports is the entertainment factor. While Each sport can be considered a type of entertainment because of the crowds that gather around while the game is being played. Entertainment in the Inca civilization consisted of poetry and hymns, which were a well-known component of Inca culture. These songs were used daily, during religious festivals and ceremonies. Theatre dramas were performed on special occasions and included special pieces of poetry. There were a variety of sacred hymns that were written by priests. Curl states that the Inca priests greeted each sunrise and sunset singing hailikuna, usually accompanied by music, imploring the Creator, the sun, thunder-lightning, the Earth Mother, the moon, and all the spirits of places to grant health, prosperity, and happiness to the people, the Inca, and the empire (109). Over the years, churches and religions have developed hymns of their own. These hymns have deep meaning and are sung in the church or at any time of worship. Similar to the Inca’s powerful poetry, the Mayan engineers and architects were full of skill and artistry. They made paintings on walls and carved designs into their buildings.

Today these pieces of art give us a broader idea of the Mayan culture and their beliefs. The Mayan art indicated power, wealth and demonstrated goodwill. Some art was used during sacred rituals to honor and celebrate the gods. This art can be seen today in museums all over the world and can serve as a way for people to learn more about ancient civilizations and their ways of life. It can also be used to connect people of the Mayan culture to their creators and their past life. In short, people all over the world have studied these ancient civilizations and the simplicity of their lives. Over time, people have added more and more to these ancient ideas, which has led us to where we are today. These inventions and customs of the Mayans and Incas help us in our everyday lives, jobs, and homes. Today’s world will continue to advance these ideas and mold them to better fit our current society and its needs.