Introduction
As multiracial travelers to Yucatán, Mexico, who enjoy making cross-cultural connections, we were intrigued by the ways in which Maya traditions reflect both cultures that engaged with the civilization and that remained detached from it. Before we explore specific parallels, we must understand the development of the Maya’s cultural foundation.
During the Preclassic period, from 1500 BC to AD 250, the Maya formed an agricultural society, produced pottery, and extracted valuable minerals from the earth while beginning to create constructions, a religion, and labor and social divisions. The Classic period (AD 250 to 1000), characterized by demographic growth and the flourishing of Maya culture, followed. Now, some had inherited wealth and prestige, and specialization arose as cities extended control over expansive areas. Circa AD 800, a crisis ensued due to environmental and other factors that ended in the abandonment of many Lowland cities. During the Postclassic period (AD 1000 to 1530), the golden age in the north of the Yucatán Peninsula and Guatemala Highlands, the Central Highlands’ cultural influence grew. Considerable migration, warfare, and commerce occurred, and the period also saw the fall of unified government. As you may suspect, the end of the Postclassic period came with the arrival of the Spanish, who infused their own customs into this developing culture.
Mérida
We began to observe this fusion of cultures in Mérida, the state capital, where we visited Santa Lucía Park, once the neighborhood of Santa Lucía. When the conquistadors arrived in 1517, they formed small colonies, which later became neighborhoods. As day laborers, artisans, and other workers settled these areas, the government of the Spanish Crown ordered the construction of spaces for such inhabitants, including recreational ones, like parks, and religious ones that worshipped Catholicism, for a primary objective of the conquest was evangelization. Thus, nearby is the Church of Saint Lucía, after which the park was named.
The Church of Saint Lucía
Since the church was built during the city’s initial founding, Maya contributed to its creation. These indigenous architects struggled to replicate the ornate architectural style used exclusively in Spain, so the church instead resembles Maya architecture, which is quite simple given that it is characterized by geometric shapes. For instance, the House of the Turtles displays the Puuc architectural style, dominant in northern Yucatán. It was termed as such due to the row of small abstract turtles on the upper cornice. As is the church, it is quite simple, with cleanly cut and attentively placed facing stones. Later on, churches became more detailed and reminiscent of baroque or neoclassical architecture.
The Ek’ Balam Ruins
Soon afterward, we visited the Ek’ Balam ruins and climbed the 32-meter main temple, El Trono, where the ruling class congregated. This area accumulated immense power because it contained essential resources: water from the cenotes and land for agriculture. Its peak occurred during the Classic period, when it formed trade alliances to facilitate an exchange of knowledge. Thus, similarities between the communities’ architectural styles can be detected. At this site, a network of perhaps miles of roads connecting cities, termed the white roads, allowed the Maya to travel to distant places, and although they had to do so on foot, the civilization strategically chose white to maximize the roads’ visibility in darkness.
Seemingly Coincidental Similarities
There are numerous additional parallels between the peninsula and societies with which it did not even come into contact; thus, their use of nature to orient themselves appears to have engendered such fortuitous similarities. For instance, both the Maya and Egyptians believed in reincarnation, for to the former, there were three worlds, and life was cyclical. They derived this idea from a natural symbol they deemed godlike: the sun. The civilization perceived sunset as the sun’s descent into the underworld before it went through a life process and was reincarnated the next day.
The Importance of Traded Commodities
Besides the more abstract influences that resulted from the cultural encounters the Maya did experience, trading tangible goods was so important because the peninsula did not possess valuable items such as obsidian—for the Yucatán lacks volcanic activity—jade, pearls, and gold although it could share beans, instruments, and mathematical and scientific knowledge. Thus, envoys, who traveled by land and sea in pursuit of alliances, left offerings for the ruler. At El Trono’s top, which symbolizes the entrance to the underworld, offerings were found with the remains of Ukit Kan Leʼk Tokʼ, located here to facilitate his journey to this mythical abode. All such objects bore this ruler’s name, including the vessel he used to drink cocoa. Again, cocoa was not sourced locally, so it was brought from cooler areas, such as Guatemala and Chiapas, that were more conducive to cocoa production.
The Threat of Modern Advancements
Although ever-evolving modes of communication allow Maya to more conveniently engage in knowledge exchange, Maya culture is at risk in modern society. As briefly mentioned, the ancient civilization transported messages on foot via tunnels and roads. However, our local guides lamented that modern technologies, while providing easier access to the outside world, have detached Maya children from their roots, and soon, the Mayan language may fall into obscurity. Some fear that children may intentionally dissociate from their culture out of shame as they focus on looking outward rather than inward.
Fusion vs. Intrusion
Likewise, there is a fine line between the intermingling of cultures and the subsumption of one culture by another. In some ways, Europeans’ arrival further developed Maya traditions. For example, La Vaquería was born throughout Yucatán. The Spaniards brought cattle and built corrals, in which the animals were kept once a year; otherwise, they roamed freely. On the day they were sent to the village and new cattle were sold, a party was thrown for the vaqueros (cowboys). Jarana, a dance in which we partook and that is part of La Vaquería, similarly merges Mayan traditions with European rhythms. Additionally, the region gained numerous raw materials and plants, such as the Spanish cedar and palm, used for Yucatecan houses that were previously constructed from stone.
However, Europeans’ arrival also engendered subjugation. Viceregal authorities gathered indigenous people in towns, where they established repúblicas de indios, which reflected European town councils but were under Maya responsibility—specifically, that of Maya nobles at first. These nobles had to provide labor and merchandise to acquire farmlands, water, and plots on which to construct their homes. For married men between ages 14 and 60, tribute came in the form of cotton mantles, hens, and corn. The Spanish Crown aimed to reward conquistadors by granting them entire towns in which the encomienda labor system was employed. Conquered residents hypothetically received protection in return for their labor although such compensation was rare. Additionally, the Maya were forced to support the Church and Juzgado de Indios, a court of appeals for Native people, as well as serve community treasuries. Consequently, they were left with few resources and little time to work their own lands.
Conclusion
Evidently, not only are there numerous types of cultural encounters, but those in which a culture engages cannot be cleanly categorized as “abstract” or “tangible” nor as “beneficial” or “detrimental.” While the ancient Maya endured the consequences of Spanish colonial rule, fortunately, today’s Maya have preserved the positive aspects of the encounter, for a unique cultural blend was evident during our trip. I hope that, despite modernization, future generations can maintain pride in such an alluring civilization.
Sources
- Thank you to our guides in Yucatán and The Grand Museum of the Mayan World for providing the information upon which this post is based.
- Feature image: https://coeduc.org/blog/maya-culture/