Search Results: Maya Religion

This photograph shows some Maya ruins from the San Gervasio archaeological site, which is located on the island of Cozumel in Mexico. In the center, one sees the "Niches" structure, which was once composed of miniature shrines that were built...

The ancient Greeks believed the gods were an ever-present influence on humanity, for both good and bad. The belief that these gods might be influenced in turn is evidenced in the widespread building of temples dedicated to them as well as...

Ancient Persian religion developed in the region of Greater Iran by the 3rd millennium BCE and corresponds to what is known today as ancient Persian mythology. This belief system informed the Persian Achaemenid Empire, even after the acceptance...

The polytheistic religion of ancient Mesopotamia was instrumental in shaping its government and held great significance in the lives of its people. Mesopotamian religion revolved around the belief that humans were created to work alongside...

Ancient Mesoamerica (modern-day Mexico and Central America) witnessed an extraordinary flourishing of cultures from the beginnings of the Olmec civilization around 1200 BCE, through the Maya civilization and on to the catastrophic fall of...

This temple was originally roofed although part of its vaulting, shaped like an inverted staircase, can still be seen on its southern side. There was once an altar within, where offerings were placed in Pre-Columbian times. The building was...

Weathered and broken stele in the Grand Plaza of the Maya city of Chacchoben, Mexico, c. 700 CE. It rests at the foot of the stairs leading up to the Gran Basamento plateau where religious rituals were held.

Maya vessel depicting several mythological scenes. This part of the vessel depicts a god with a spotted tail and ears. The dog is a companion of death, and like his own has a dark nature. Attributed to the "Metropolitan Master", 7th or 8th...

Mark Van Stone explains how Maya hieroglyphs are constructed, by writing a modern name in phonetic glyphs. Dr. Van Stone is an expert decipherer and calligrapher; author of "2012 - Science and Prophecy of the Ancient Maya" and co-author of...

Colonnaded halls were very popular among the Maya along Mexico's eastern coast in Pre-Columbian times. At San Gervasio, located on the Mexican island of Cozumel, one can see this Maya "palace" structure in full-view. This structure has benches...