Ok, let’s start off by busting one of the most common myths about the Mayans. In the early 2,000s, it was quite in vogue to talk about the Mayan prediction that the world would end on December 21st, 2012. However, it wasn’t just one of those fun superstitions, like horoscopes. No, People were genuinely concerned that the world was going to end that year, and the prediction spread fear and anxiety across the globe.
So, what was the root of the confusion? The Mayan’s impressive calendar simply “recycles” every 8,000 years (one cycle happened to end in 2012), as many people believe in Armageddon, this, along with mainstream media spreading confusion, lead to this widespread myth.
Theories Behind The Mayans' Disappearance
It's still unclear exactly what brought the end of the Mayan empire, but here's what we know at the moment: during 700 to 800 A.D., there was an incredible amount of Mayans leaving their cities. While the reason for this departure is yet unknown, several theories on the subject have been raised.
One theory is that the Mayans were in a state of constant warfare and gradually lost their power, and because of this, their respect for the rulers. The prolonged fighting caused a shortage of resources, which motivated Mayans to leave their cities in search of a better future elsewhere. One thing that is known for sure about the Mayans, is that they were drawn to things that we would consider extremely weird...
The Mayans Had Some Strange Beauty Standards
It's very common to see privileged ones in society spend much of their time and money on various beauty and cosmetic treatments. The Mayans were the same in that regard, the upper class did follow some pretty strange, and often dangerous, beauty trends, and the lower class tried their best to keep up.
Some of the Mayans’ most sought after beauty traits were a flat and angled forehead, and get this — being cross-eyed. Instead of buying the latest Gucci bag or putting on some lipstick, the upper-class females spent much of their time sharpening their children's teeth, running rolling pins across their foreheads, and training them to become cross-eyed.
Mayans Also Really Liked Their Ball Games
In our modern society, ball games like soccer, football, and baseball have become a staple activity in society. These games were found and estimated by examining various ball courts that were in use during the reign of the Mayans. One very popular ball game was named Pok-a-Tok, where players tried to bounce a ball through a hoop without using their hands or legs.
The Mayans often held tournaments, which were both entertaining and interesting, but also carried deep spiritual and religious meanings. Punishments for losing were very severe and included being sacrificed as a tribute to the gods. It wasn't until Christianity came along that human sacrifices became regarded as taboo. The Mayans were only recently discovered to also be adept farmers. Here's how and what they grew in their overgrown tropical forests.
They Were Excellent Farmers And Into Skincare
For many years, archaeologists and historians were sure that the Mayans couldn't or wouldn't farm in their tropical forest environment. This was a harsh and dangerous environment to cultivate, with overgrown vegetation, a high degree of humidity, and a lot of animals and insects that you'd definitely want to avoid. However, it was recently found that the Mayans were actually very good farmers, and managed to modify about 150 square feet of their tropical wetland terrain and cultivate almost 500 square miles of farmland.
They have been known to grow quite an interesting array of delicious pineapples, chili peppers, cacao, squash, papayas, avocados, maize, and beans. Some of their uses were outside of the kitchen and were medicinal. Using plants and vegetables for their healing and antiseptic properties. Some plants were used for religious ceremonial usages, such as incense and oil making, and even what you might call “skin products”.