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| This isn't actually Mayan. It's Aztec and I'm not even sure its a calander. |
I'm doing another one of these.
I was told by a teacher to write an essay on what makes a thing remarkable in regards to the Mayans. That is a hard thing to do because the Mayans were quite remarkable.
They had incredible architecture, the only known complete pre-contact writing system in the New World, amazingly accurate calanders that figured out the 365 day year. (Sidenote: the 2012 thing was wrong. The Mayan calander didn't have much to say about 2012 it just kind of stops there.) Amazingly good astrology without the aid of telescopes.
They made those temples without the wheel, and the only beast of burden in Classical Age Mesoamerica was Mayans. But they also practiced human sacrifice, and slavery.
You could say that about many, many other civilizations.
For example, the Greeks created democracy, but they also practiced eugenics, the Romans created a republic, and unified Western Europe, a feat unmatched since. But they still had slavery. Egypt built the inexplicable Pyramids, and still had slavery.
Even when the Wright Brothers flew at Kitty Hawk, women couldn't vote. Even now, when we can send people to the moon, and robots to Mars, there are still 27 states where someone can be fired for not being straight, and it's completely legal.
And many things that we consider great works, didn't have that big of an impact.
The Mona Lisa and the Sistine Chapel are certainly pretty, but let's be honest, would Europe still have dominated the world without them? Yes, yes they would have.
So, is mankind impressive? Certainly. But it's also kind of terrible.
Hats off to all and have a nice day.
Greg.B
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