AmaMeya agqama njengenye yempucuko ebaluleke kakhulu nenethonya ezwenikazi laseMelika. Bavela cishe ngonyaka wama-2600 BC. C. futhi yathuthukiswa endaweni enkulu ehlanganisa eningizimu yeMexico, Guatemala, Belize kanye nezingxenye zeHonduras ne-El Salvador.
Phakathi neminyaka, AmaMayans azuza impumelelo emangalisayo ezindaweni ezihlukahlukene, njengezokwakha, isayensi yezinkanyezi, izibalo, nokubhala.. Namuhla, ifa layo libonakala ngezinsalela zamadolobha anjengeChichén Itzá neTikal.
Ayekuphi amaMaya?
AmaMaya ayehlala a indawo enkulu eMesoamerica eyayisukela eningizimu yeMexico (ikakhulukazi eNhlonhlweni yaseYucatan nasezifundeni zaseChiapas naseTabasco) kuya eGuatemala, eBelize nakwezinye izindawo ezisenyakatho yeHonduras nase-El Salvador. Le ndawo yayakhiwe yizindawo ezisezintabeni nasezithafeni, ezinezimo zezulu ezihlukene ezathonya indlela yazo yokuphila.
Indawo yendawo ingahlukaniswa izigaba ezintathu ezinkulu:
- I-Highlands: Itholakala ikakhulukazi eGuatemala, Honduras nase-El Salvador. Kwakuyizindawo ezinezintaba ezinezintaba-mlilo.
- I-Petén lowlands: EBelize, eningizimu yeYucatán naseGuatemala. Ibonakala ngamahlathi aminyene namahlathi.
- I-Northern Lowlands: Enyakatho yeYucatán, indawo eyome kakhudlwana enamanzi ambalwa abonakalayo.
Umlando wamaMaya
Umlando wempucuko yamaMaya uhlelwe waba yizinkathi ezimbalwa ezibalulekile ezibonisa ukuthi isiko labhekana kanjani nezikhathi zokuvuka, izinkinga kanye nokuvela kabusha kuwo wonke amakhulu eminyaka:
- Isikhathi sama-Archaic (8000-2000 BC): Lesi sigaba singaphambi kokuvela kwamadolobha okuqala. Phakathi nalesi sikhathi, amaMeya ahlakulela izindlela zokuphila ezingenzi lutho, ezisekelwe kwezolimo, ikakhulukazi ukutshalwa kommbila.
- Inkathi ye-Preclassical (2000 BC–250 AD): Kulesi sigaba, izindawo zokuhlala zokuqala zaqala ukuhlanganisa futhi kwatholakala izinsalela zamadolobha abalulekile njengeNakbé neKaminaljuyú. Ukulima kwakwenziwa ngezinga elikhulu, futhi amadolobha aqala ukukhula ngosayizi. Ekupheleni kwalesi sikhathi, kwakhiwa amatshe esikhumbuzo abalulekile, futhi kwaqala ukusetshenziswa ukubhala nge-glyphic.
- Isikhathi Sakudala (250-950 AD): Ngesikhathi se-Classic, amaMeya abona ubukhazikhazi bawo obukhulu. Kwakhiwa amadolobha amakhulu anjengeTikal, iPalenque neCopán. Lesi sikhathi sabona intuthuko ephawulekayo kwezokwakha, isayensi yezinkanyezi kanye nokubhala. Futhi kwakuyisigaba sezimpi eziqhubekayo phakathi kwezifunda zamadolobha ahlukene. Izivumelwano nobutha kwaba neqhaza elikhulu kwezombusazwe zakhe.
- Isikhathi se-Postclassic (950-1539 AD): Naphezu kokuwa kwamadolobha aseningizimu, amanye asenyakatho, njengeChichén Itzá ne-Uxmal, avelela kakhulu. Nokho, ukufika kwamaSpanishi ekhulwini le-16 kwaphawula ukuphela kwalesi sikhathi kanye nempucuko yamaMaya njengoba yaziwa kanjalo.
- Isikhathi sokuxhumana: Kusukela ngo-1511 kuya ku-1697, amaMeya axhumana namaSpanishi. Ngemva kweminyaka yokumelana, amadolobha okugcina azimele, njengeTayasal, awela ezandleni zabanqobi.
Ukuthuthuka kwesayensi yezinkanyezi kanye nezibalo
Esinye sezici ezimangalisayo zempucuko yamaMaya kwakuwulwazi lwabo olujulile lwesayensi yezinkanyezi nezibalo. Bakha amakhalenda anembe kakhulu, njengalawo aziwayo Ikhalenda Elide Lokubala, okwabavumela ukuba abale ngokunembile izinsuku nokuqondanisa kwezinkanyezi.
AmaMaya nawo ayengezinye zezimpucuko zokuqala ukusebenzisa umqondo othi 'zero', intuthuko eyisisekelo eyayingaba ukhiye ekuthuthukisweni kwezibalo. Ukuhlanganiswa kwalolu lwazi kwabavumela ukuba babikezele izenzakalo zezinkanyezi, njengokufiphala kwelanga nokushona kwelanga.
Izinhlaka zomphakathi nezepolitiki
Impucuko yamaMeya ayizange ihlanganiswe ngaphansi kukahulumeni owodwa ophakathi. Kunalokho, lahlelwa laba izifunda zamadolobha ezizimele, ngalinye linezikhulu zalo ezibusayo, ezakhiwa amakhosi nezicukuthwane. Emphakathini wamaMeya, umbusi oyinhloko wedolobha wayaziwa ngokuthi i-halach uinic, owayenamandla ombuso nawenkolo.
Futhi, Abapristi babenendima ebalulekile emphakathini, njengoba ayephethe amasiko nemihlatshelo ehloselwe ukujabulisa onkulunkulu. Ngokulandelayo, abantu abavamile, abenzi bezandla kanye nabalimi bagcina isakhiwo sezomnotho ngokuzinikela kwezolimo, ezokwakha kanye nemisebenzi yezandla.
Inkolo kanye ne-Worldview
Inkolo yamaMaya yayinjalo ngokujulile ukukholelwa konkulunkulu abaningi, futhi babekholelwa ukuthi indawo yonke yakhiwa amandla amathathu ahlukene: izulu, umhlaba, nomhlaba ongaphansi. Lezi zilinganiso ezintathu zazixhumene, futhi amaMeya ayekholelwa ukuthi onkulunkulu bawo babenethonya ngokuqondile ezenzakalweni zemvelo nokuphila kwansuku zonke.
Izamna wayengunkulunkulu oyinhloko, umdali wazo zonke izinto, kuyilapho abanye onkulunkulu ababalulekile abanjengo Kukulkan (inyoka enezimpaphe) kanye chack (unkulunkulu wemvula) naye wadlala indima ebalulekile ezinganekwaneni zabo. Iminikelo nemihlatshelo kwakubalulekile ukuze ucele isivuno esihle, umusa konkulunkulu nesivikelo ezinhlekeleleni zemvelo.
Ukubhala kwe-Glyphic nokuqoshwa komlando
AmaMaya asungula umbhalo oyinkimbinkimbi, ocebile ngezimpawu owaziwa ngokuthi ukubhala kwe-glyphic. Imibhalo yama-Mayan yayisetshenziselwa ukurekhoda kokubili izenzakalo zomlando nolwazi lwezenkolo kuma-stelae, amathempeli, namakhodidi.. Nakuba iningi lala marekhodi labhujiswa ngesikhathi sokunqotshwa kweSpain, amanye ama-codex asinda futhi anikeza ukwaziswa okubalulekile mayelana nemikhuba nezinkolelo zawo.
Ifa lamasiko
Namanje, Ifa lezokwakha namasiko lamaMayans liyamangalisa. Amatshe esikhumbuzo afana neThempeli Le-Great Jaguar e-Tikal, indawo yokubuka izinto e-Chichén Itzá kanye nezitebele zase-Copán zibonisa ikhono lamaMayans kwezokwakha, ubunjiniyela nezobuciko.
Ukwengeza, amasiko amaningi, imikhosi, nezinkolelo zenzalo yesimanje yamaMayans zisaqhutshwa ezifundeni zaseGuatemala naseMexico, zigcina isiko liphila elicebile emlandweni nasekufanekiseni.
Umthelela wamaMayans kusayensi yezinkanyezi, izibalo kanye nezakhiwo uhlala ungesinye sezibonelo ezihlaba umxhwele kakhulu zalokho okwafinyelelwa yimpucuko yangaphambi kwe-Columbian, ukunqoba izithiyo zendawo nezemvelo ukuze kwakhiwe amasiko athakazelisa kakhulu emlandweni.