The Construction and Purpose of Maya Pyramids - Term Paper Example

Discuss the construction and purpose of Maya pyramids Pyramids, the ancient form of geometrical constructions were built to perform sacrificial rituals, sacred religious purposes or as the burial chambers for the kings. When the term pyramid is superimposed into the context of Mayan Civilization and culture, the aim gets broader because the same acted dual roles: religious and ritualistic. Within this context, one can easily identify that the purpose to construct Mayan Pyramids was to fulfill their unique rituals and religious/ cultural needs. The Maya Pyramids are one of the best visible examples of the development of architecture and engineering during ancient times. Besides, Maya Pyramids acted the role of a unique link between the God and the Mayan people (the priest-king and the mass). Thesis statement: The discussion based on Maya pyramids unveils the architectural and engineering skills of Mayan civilization and its purposes like cultural, ritualistic, religious, as landmarks and burial chambers. I. Construction of Mayan Pyramids First of all, the construction of pyramids provides ample evidence to the engineering and architectural skills acquired the Mayans. The pyramids withstood natural changes and it proves the development of their engineering and architectural skills. Within this scenario, Mayan engineering and architecture are discussed below. A. Engineering skills The Maya pyramids, whether used as structures to construct temples or as tombs, are one of the best examples of engineering skills acquired by ancient civilizations. Kalman (2008), states that “The Mayan civilization is famous for its elaborate buildings, which demanded great engineering skills” (p.8). Most of the Mayan pyramids situated in Guatemala and Mexico are best examples of engineering skill and planning. For instance, the pyramids at Tikal in Guatemala are constructed in symmetrical proportion. The Mayan pyramid in Tulum, with a number of holes is one of the best examples of acoustic engineering during ancient times. When wind blows, the holes in the pyramids create a whistling effect and this is helpful to have deeper understanding of climatic changes and other natural phenomenon like wind and hurricane. The Maya people made use of some special rocks (with amplifying effect) to construct their pyramids. When one compares the Mayan engineering skills with the Egyptian, it is evident that the Maya pyramids consist of steps but the Egyptian pyramids are steep and without steps. Some of the Maya pyramids were made use for astronomical purposes. For instance, Kukulkan pyramid temple in Chichen Itza is one of the best examples of Mayan engineering and its usefulness in the field of Astronomy. In short, the successful planning and construction of huge pyramids prove the engineering skills acquired by the Mayan people. B. Architectural skills The Mayan buildings, especially the pyramids, are considered as the visual evidence of their architectural skills. The Mayan architectural legacy spans thousands of years of growth and development. Within this context, the stepped pyramids are considered as important because the same is with unique architectural design (stair-step design). The differences that can be identified within the construction of the pyramids provide ample evidence to the evolution of architecture in Mayan civilization. As the Mayans constructed their temples upon the pyramids, they gave ample importance to architectural design. For instance, the Mayan temples at El Mirador were constructed upon pyramids and this proves the architectural skills acquired by them. The basic element of a Mayan pyramid includes a solid foundation, probably consisting of stone exterior filled with gravel. This importance given to the platform or the foundation helped them to construct pyramids up to 45 meters in height. Parmington states that “The symmetry of buildings, as well as the sculpture that adorns them, is one of the first things striking the observer when viewing Maya architecture” (p.7). Some of the best examples of Maya architecture within the context of pyramid construction are: Caana (triadic pyramid) at Caracol in Belize, La Danta at El Mirador in Guatemala and El Duende at Dos Pilas, in Guatemala. The La Danta, a Mayan pyramid temple is utmost important because it one of the largest manmade structures within ancient times. II. Purpose of Mayan Pyramids The construction of Mayan pyramids includes a number of purposes because the same acted the most important role in Mayan civilization. Some of the most important purposes like cultural, ritualistic, religious, as landmarks and burial chambers are discussed below. A. Cultural The purpose of Mayan pyramids is interconnected with the growth and development of Mayan culture and civilization. The cultural background of Maya civilization extends to Mesoamerican civilization. The cultural uniqueness helped the Mayans to accept innovation and to make use of the same for further growth and development. To be specific, the Mayan culture never came to an end, but accepted modernity and moved towards further development. Within this scenario, pyramids or pyramid temples constructed by the Mayans acted the role of a cultural symbol. But the different city states within the Maya civilization possess different types of pyramids. Some pyramids were used for religious purpose and some other was used as burial chambers. But the symbolic value of these pyramids is important because it helps to differentiate the cultural values acquired by different city states within the Mayan civilization. The visible engravings upon these pyramids unveil the Mayan cultural characteristics. Besides, the pyramids represent the cultural development and its extension to other fields. In short, the cultural purpose of Mayan pyramids includes its symbolic value, which represents one of the most developed ancient civilizations in the history of human society. B. Ritualistic As pointed out, the Maya pyramids were closely related to their religious belief, culture, rituals and ceremonies. Within this context, the ritualistic purpose or importance of pyramids was most important. For instance, the pyramids were considered as most sacred, where the priests used to perform the ritualistic prayers and sacrifices to their god. Most of the Mayan pyramids were not tombs, but temples which were considered as important in their cultural and religious life. The Mayan priests used to perform the ritualistic prayers upon the platforms within the pyramid temples. The people used to gather around the pyramids and watch the ritualistic prayers and sacrifices performed by the priests. From a different angle of view, the height of the pyramid temples helped the Mayans to consider their gods as most strong and powerful because height is symbolic of power. Besides, some of the powerful Mayan City States performed animal sacrifice as an important religious ritual. Almost all festivals within the Mayan culture were related to sacrifice and other forms of religious rituals. Within this context, the pyramid temples acted the role of a gathering place for the people, where they can watch the ritualistic performances conducted by the priests. In short, within the context of Mayan culture and civilization, the ritualistic purpose of Mayan pyramids was vital. C. Religious As the Mayans developed their own lifestyle, their belief in god was strictly limited to the sphere of nature and natural phenomenon. One can easily identify that development in the field of agriculture helped them to be innovative and creative. For instance, development in agriculture helped them to move forward towards engineering and architecture. The Mayans believed that the god created human beings out of corn. The deep relationship with nature and agriculture was so supportive because it developed their religious belief. They considered their pyramids as sacred places to perform religious ceremonies, customs and rituals. The Mayans utilized their pyramids for religious purposes because they constructed their temples upon the pyramids. These pyramid temples were considered as the dwelling places of their gods and most sacred. For instance, Tikal in Belize, a Maya city, is famous for pyramid temples. Besides, the Maya kings were most interested to link themselves to their gods. This connection with god helped the kings to be more powerful because it helped them to co-ordinate all the powers (political, religious and administrative) upon a single authority without decentralization. Besides, the pyramid temples acted the role of visual presence of their gods. In short, the pyramids were an essential part of the religious life of the Mayans and were considered as the most important element of their religious belief. D. As landmarks The development in the field of agriculture helped the Mayans to be innovative and creative. So, they decided to extend their skills to the spheres of engineering and architecture. As agricultural development helped the Mayans to be powerful, they decided to concentrate in trade with their neighboring communities. The pyramids were considered as the symbols of Mayan engineering and architecture. Besides, the trade relationships with other communities forced them to travel and the pyramids were considered as landmarks, visible from distant areas. Dupre makes clear that “The Maya built their pyramids on board, flat plazas in the center of each Mayan village so that they could seen from far away” (p. 2). Almost all the city states within the Mayan civilization flourished in the deep jungles of Mexico, Belize, Guatemala and Honduras. So, one can easily identify that the pyramids were considered as landmarks of each community. As pointed out, trade was an important factor which helped the Maya civilization to be far ahead of other civilizations in the world history. The Maya people used to maintain long- distance and short- distance trade relationships with other communities. The abundance of natural resources and raw materials helped the small city states to be self-sufficient. But the larger city states like Tikal and El Mirador were with high population and used to maintain trade relationships with other parts of the American continent. To be specific, the status of the city states as large and small and the population decided the depth of trade relationships. Within this scenario, the pyramids were considered as important because these monuments were considered as landmarks. To be specific, the pyramids acted the role of landmarks which helped to spot the city states from faraway places. E. As burial chambers The usage of pyramids by Mayans as burial chambers is interconnected with their death rituals. As they believed in worshipping their ancestors, they considered death as a natural phenomenon and respected the same as a natural process. The Mayans named their underworld as Xilbalba, where the evil souls were supposed to undergo physical ill-treatment. Besides, the Maya people believed in life after death and rebirth. So, the elite class within the Maya civilization got much more priority than the mass and their dead bodies were buried in the pyramids. As the Mayan people gave more importance to their gods, kings and their ancestral lineage, some of the pyramids were made use as burial chambers. But Whedbee opines that “A few of the Mayan pyramids also contained tombs, but this was the exception rather than the rule” (p. 17). But one must not misunderstand that all the pyramids were used as burial chambers. Instead, some of the pyramids were used to bury the members of the elite class (say, high ranking officials). This helped them to consider the pyramids as more important because they considered the burial chambers as the way towards the world of spirits. The pyramids that were made use as burial chambers consist of small rooms. They used to construct narrow corridors leading to these burial chambers (maybe, symbolic of the narrow path to the world of spirits). These burial chambers were filled with food items and jewels that are supposed to be used by the person who was buried inside. To be specific, the Mayan belief in life after death and rebirth forced them to choose some of the pyramids as burial chambers. Summing, the Mayan pyramids represent the innovation in the fields of architecture and engineering. Besides, the construction of massive pyramids proves the Mayan accuracy in planning and implementation. The symbolic value of Mayan pyramids proves its cultural purpose. In addition, the pyramids acted an important role to fulfill the ritualistic needs of the Mayans. As the Mayans were devoted to their religion, the pyramids acted the role of a gathering place to perform religious activities. The Mayans used to maintain trade relations and the pyramids acted the roles of land marks. The Mayans considered the elite class as the representatives of their gods and some of the pyramids were used as burial chambers. In short, the construction and usability of pyramids in different fields prove its vital role in the Mayan civilization. References Dupre, J. (2002). From pyramid to skyscrapers: building in the Americas. Pelham, NY: Benchmark Education Company. Kalman, B. (2008). Mexico the Culture. New York, NY: Crabtree Publishing Company. Parmington, A. (2011). Space and Sculpture in the Classic Maya City. New York, NY: Cambridge University Press. Whedbee, J. (2005). Myths and Realities: Conflicting Currents of Culture and Science. Lincoln, NE: iUniverse. Read More