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=__**ASPECTS OF THE MAYA CULTURE**__=

__**Languages:**__
 The language that the Maya speak is pretty much called the Mayan Language. The Mayan Language is normally spoken in Guatemala, Mexico, Belize and Honduras by at least six million people. By the year 1996, Guatemala had realized that there were twenty-one Mayan Languages, and they could recognize them by name. At that same time, Mexico had been able to discover eight more Mayan Languages. Many people in America find great interest in the Mayan Language which is why it is the most studied and best documented in our country. The Mayan Language was thought to have come from Proto-Mayan. The comparative method was used to actually come up with the Mayan Language from Proto-Mayan. Many Mayan Languages were written in the Mayan Hieroglyphic Script during the pre-Columbian era. Many Mayans also spoke the language Huastec.

__**Beliefs:**__
 There are many beliefs that the Mayans have or had. Before the Spaniards and Catholics came along the Maya people believed in Maximom, which is a Mayan deity. During this time, the Mayans believed that the spirits were still alive and they would continue to pray and talk to them. Also while the Mayans believed in this there was never a church that they would go to. They would just pray in their homes or go somewhere that they felt was safe to communicate with the spirits. If they wanted a trained professional to come pray with them they would have to pay for that person to come meet with them. They had also believed that the world was going to end because their calendar had ended, but what it really means is that they are just starting over or renewing the cycle.The cycle that they are renewing is the 5,000 years that have just gone by. The 5,000 year cycle is called Bactoon. They believe that the “Doomsday” that is suppose to happen on December 21, 2012 is going to be a good change for all of humanity. They also believe that it has already gone into effect. They say this because of the storms, earthquakes and other events that have already taken place this year. The Mayans do not believe that it will all just hit us on December 21, 2012. They think we are gradually going into it. The Mayans also believe in an afterlife which is called Xibalba or "Place of Fright". There were also many other gods that they worshiped. Some of them are Cimi or Cisin (god of death or flatulent one), Chac (rain and lighting), Itzamna (creator or scribe or learned one), and many more.

__**Values:**__
 The values the Mayans have are mostly all based on traditions and beliefs passed down from generation to generation. The values are mostly to do with family and how it is families should be run, for example the household and chores. Young children are expected to help and learn from their elders. Much like beliefs the Mayans pride themselves in their gods and value their religion very much. The Mayans were very self-proclaimed and were very bent on order and moral ways of life. They, like many others, were very fond of the arts and writing, and scribes had many high positions at court. The Mayan calendar is of much importance to the people, it is very traditional and the very symbol of their culture. The Mayans also value their language and special skill for architecture, which is sometimes thought to have formed from the growth the culture has developed over time. The Mayans value what is important to them which is not very different from other cultures.

__**Behaviors:**__
 The Mayan’s behavior comes from their culture, they are famous for their ability to create fine items, such as baskets, and architectural things like buildings. They have a very dynamic culture in which they behave very refined. Mayans are sophisticated in their education using math and science skills to impress the world. On the other part of culture, the Mayans beliefs were one of the things that controlled their behaviors. For example, when a member of a family died they were buried in graves right under the house, it was their belief to let loved ones be buried. The Mayans are also fighters or were at least in the past which also says that their behavior will become protective of where they live and the act on those beliefs. Behaviors are important, but they are originally derived from the culture’s beliefs.

__**CULTURAL CHANGE: **__

__**Globalization: **__
The Mayans first started to see change in the 1600s. This time was when the Spanish colonists started arriving in and around Guatemala. The Spanish taught the Mayans things such as non-traditional crops. Even though that was new to them, it fit in well with their existing system. The Mayans are also very good at adapting to new situations. Since they have a very flexible belief system, it gives them an advantage and helps them to exceed globally. By different nations helping the Maya they have been able to find lost elements from their past. For the Mayans, globalization has helped secure the beliefs that they have and their culture that they have practiced pretty much all their life. Globalization has given them a sense of accomplishment, and it has also given them an equal opportunity in the global market.

__**Technology: **__
Like many cultures technology impacted the Mayans, it is known how advanced they are in tools and ideas, but the only way we know this is from the observations and writings of the people throughout the ages. The Mayans created new ideas to make farming easier, as well as irrigation and construction. The Mayans had much knowledge and were so very intelligent they experimented using what technology they had to create medicines. Technology allowed them to become more advanced and to give the rest of the world their knowledge to let their culture grow and establish. Mayans use technology to help themselves, by harvesting a crop easier and getting more money from buyers. As the technology grows, so must the culture by using knowledge to find new ways to impact our planet.

__**Travel: **__
 Travel has greatly affected the Mayan culture. Many Southeastern tribes have said that their ancestors came from Mesoamerica. They have said that these immigrants have brought many cultural changes. When the Mayan civilization started to collapse in 800 A.D. cities were being abandoned. As archaeologists started going through the ruins they realized that there were many designs and things such as stone carvings, and petroglyphs that resembled some things from the United States. Through this research, many archeologists have discovered that through the years other cultures have migrated into the Mayan areas and changed the Mayan culture. They have given the Mayans ideas and have given them inspiration to try different things. With this being said, the Mayan culture has changed greatly since the very beginning.

__**Commercialization: **__
 Mayans were often heard of as being smart and developing new ways of making life easier. Mayans use their technology to create such tools and if they are successful, it is sold to other cultures and finds its way to big countries to make notice of. It is hard today, to be able to live in a world without media and advertising, so the Mayans stick to their beliefs and values as much as they can, but factors such as these are always changing and so they therefore change the cultures with them. Media and commercialization also impact the Mayans because it causes their culture to change. The ideas and topics given throughout the world is in direct contrast with their culture and language. Their culture becomes more known, there is more contact within other countries, and it results in disruption to the community of the Mayan culture. Overall, the influence and commercialization effects the Mayan culture by changing their way of life in ways that can help the culture, but also destroy it.

 Works Cited

__Primary Sources:__
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Escape and Arrival." Gale Encyclopedia of Multicultural America: Primary Documents. Ed. <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> Jeffrey Lehman. Detroit: Gale Group, 2000. Gale Student Resources In Context. Web. 28 <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> Aug. 2012.

//<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The importance of this article is to tell the history of the Mayans and how their culture has thrived and developed throughout the years. It helps the reader to understand what the Mayans accomplished for their people. //

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">YouTube. Dir. MakeLifeFair. YouTube. YouTube, 01 June 2012. Web. 28 Aug. 2012. < <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline;">[|__http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rivnNMmrAYo>.__] <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline;">[|Interview Video for Mayan Beliefs__]

//<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I thought that this video was important because it described the beliefs that the Mayans have. It was a real life interview of a person that actually believes in the Maya culture so you are able to really see their view. //

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline;">__Print Sources:__
"Mayan Cultures." , Mayan Culture History, Mayan Culture Facts. Central American Voyage, 29 Nov. 2010. Web. 29 Aug. 2012.

//<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The article explains the arts of the Mayan people and what they value as a culture. They pride themselves in being advanced in architecture and create temples to honor their heritage. //

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline;">__Secondary Sources:__
Blackburn, Gemma. "The Globalization of the Maya – An Annotated Bibliography." N.p., 2005. Web. 28 Aug. 2012. < __http://gemmablackburn.com/806bibBlackburn.pdf>.__

// This article was very important because it talked about how the Mayans are going through globalization. It tells you who has had an effect on them and how they have had that effect on them. //

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Hirst, Kris. "Maya Civilization ImportantÂ Facts." About.com Archaeology. New York Times, 2012. Web. 28 Aug. 2012. <http://archaeology.about.com/od/mayaarchaeology/a/maya_civ_3.htm>.

// This article explains the customs and traditions of the Mayan culture. It gives the strengths of the culture and how the Mayans have created a world to fit their culture. It gives a lot of information about the language and beliefs as well. //

"Mayan Languages." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 28 Aug. 2012. Web. 28 Aug. 2012. < __http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mayan_languages>.__

// This article is important because it provides very useful information about the Mayan Language. It explains how there are many people that speak the language in many different places throughout the world. //

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">"NOTES ON QUOTES: Did The Early Maya Travel To The Southeast?" The Raleigh Telegram. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 Aug. 2012. < <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline;">__http://raleightelegram.com/201207302540>.__

// I thought that this article was important because it explains how immigrants came into the Mayan lands. It tells you how those immigrants have affected the Mayan culture. //