One last interesting bit about the Mayans is that they had what’s called a “ruling class”. Each of the Mayan city-states had a ruler, often referred to as a king or Ahau. The king acted as an intermediary between the people and the gods and was believed to be a direct descendant of the sun, moon, and planets, which meant that he was divine or “above” the others.
The kings were expected to lead both in warfare and in games of Pitz. When the king died, he (or she) was replaced by his male next of kin, although some evidence shows that women also ruled from time to time.
Mayans Were A Pretty Violent Bunch
While Mayans were known in-part for some pretty hippish practices, like going on mushroom-induced psychedelic trips, enemas, and licking toxic frogs, but honestly, they could be brutal. They loved war, and weren’t afraid to engage in some of the most horrific human activities imaginable.
They often got into battles with their northern neighbors, the Aztecs, were equally known for their brutality. So, massacres, human sacrifices, and just gruesome sites weren't a big deal to the Mayans.
Mayan Literature Sadly, Destroyed
The Mayan civilization was a real powerhouse of knowledge, with many volumes of books detailing their mythology, culture, and philosophy. This was a literate civilization and had various glyphs that served as their written language, often representing words, syllables or entire sentences with just one glyph. since most of them were destroyed by the invading Spanish forces.
It took historians and language experts many years to decode their complex language system, but unfortunately, we won’t have the opportunity to enjoy their many written works. Mayans had a large library of written knowledge, called “codices”. There are only four of these codices currently in the hands of researchers, and there’s not a lot of optimism that any others will be found in the future.
Mayans Were Fascinated With Astrology As Part of Their Religious Beliefs
One of the coolest things about the Mayans, which led to their claim to fame during the 2012 apocalypse mania, is an utter devotion and expertise in astrology — They followed everything from the patterns of stars, the shape, and movement of the moon and the sun, even various planets were a big part of their research.
Mayans believed that these stars and their movements were a part of the vast interplay between their various gods. They weaved the earth, sky, and space into their mythology as representatives of heaven, earth and the underworld, which was referred to as “Xibalba”.
Mayans Traded Goods Way Before ECommerce Was a Thing
From an extensive road system, which covered hundreds of square miles of jungles to their reliable irrigation system, which provided water for millions of their citizens... the Mayans also had a complex, dynamic and active trading system, which enabled them to exchange various goods and commodities with each other.
And this was way before money was a thing of course. Mayans traded everything from food, clothing, salt, tools, and even weapons. Outside of these basic necessities, upper-class Mayans also traded more prestigious but not survival-related items, such as bright feathers, jade, obsidian, and gold.