A photo from open sources
The foundation of the A-24 platform was laid a thousand years before our era. (Photo by Takeshi Inomata.)
In Guatemala, found buildings that are older than similar Olmec. Maya apparently succumbed to cultural influence some other civilization. Reasons for which a thousand years ago Mayan’s brilliant civilization crashed, remain one of the most big mysteries of history. Nevertheless, we can judge this. Rumor has it, the matter is in a terrible drought: agriculture is no longer could feed artisans, officials, priests, soldiers and others urban residents, but because the Mayan states ordered a long live. Even less is known about the times of their origin. Newly discovered by archaeologists ceremonial squares and pyramids turned out to be several centuries older than all the other Mayan buildings and confused historians even more. Step pyramids and open spaces for ceremonies – typical a feature of the early Mayan settlements dating back to about 800 BC. e. In those days, civilization dominated in Central America. Olmekov, which had a huge impact on the culture of neighboring peoples. Since the pyramids dated the same 800 BC. e., found also in the main city of the Olmecs La Venta in Mexico, many experts believe that the Mayans borrowed “know-how” from their predecessors. However, new finds in the Mayan city of Seibal in central Guatemala suggests otherwise. Takeshi Inomata from Arizona University (USA) and colleagues found a small a pyramid and several large platforms (one of them is 55 m long and meter high), which are very similar to examples of architecture La Venta. Radiocarbon dating of organic samples, found on buildings showed that a small pyramid was erected about 850 BC e., that is, immediately before pyramids have become commonplace in La Venta and a long platform appeared at all in the area of 1000 BC. e. In other words, she is on 200 years older than other Mayan monuments and structures of La Venta. Consequently, although the Mayans experienced some cultural influence Olmecs, they did not learn to build from them. Maybe maya is everything come up with yourself? No, in Central America there are even more ancient pyramids and squares – they are located southwest of Seibal near pacific coast. The city of Ojo de Agua near the border of Mexico and Guatemala did not belong to a large civilization like the Olmecs, however, its impressive buildings are about 50–100 years older Seybal. There are other complexes of pyramids and squares that may be even older, but their dating is in doubt. It turns out that the ancient cultures of Central America influenced each other and establish the very first source will most likely be very hard. An even more complicated question is why exactly the pyramids. It is known, for example, that the Olmecs have lived for centuries – not grieved without thinking of the pyramids. Mr. Inomata believes that the cause fashion for these facilities should be sought in the political turmoil. Perhaps it all began with the fall of the Olmec city of San Lorenzo in 100 km west of La Venta less than 100 years before the first pyramids Oho de Agva. San Lorenzo has provided tremendous cultural and political influence on Central America but then the situation changed, a political vacuum arose, experiments began with new ideas. The result was a more unified and collective worship of religious rites, for which complexes Pyramids and squares fit very well. First Mayan State happened only in the III century. BC e. – many centuries after Seibal’s platforms and pyramids, but apparently it all started exactly there. The results of the study are published in the journal Science. Prepared by NewScientist. Mexico Pyramids Maya Civilization
