Ngokwazi ukuma komhlaba wabo, amaMaya akha uhlelo olusezingeni eliphezulu lokuhamba ngemikhumbi olwalufaka izikebhe ezineminsalo ephakanyisiwe nangasemuva, kanye nekhodi lezimpawu zemvelo nezinye ezakhiwe yizo ezibavumela ukuba bahambe amabanga amade ngokuphepha nangendlela efanelekile.
Ukuzulazula kuyisayensi yezobuciko ebeka ulwazi ngemisinga yamanzi, imimoya, izinkanyezi nezimo ezikhona zemvelo esifundeni. Ngemuva kokuzulazula emfuleni i-Usumacinta futhi siphume siye olwandle kulo mthambeka, sizibonela mathupha izinzuzo nezinselelo zalobu buciko obukhulu obenziwa amaMeya kusukela ezikhathini zakudala. Abahwebi basolwandle baseMaya basendulo basungula imizila eyanikeza impilo kunethiwekhi eyinkimbinkimbi yezokuxhumana nokushintshana, eyayifaka imizila yomhlaba, imifula nolwandle. Isigaba somfula esiwuhambile siyisampula yokuhlola kuphela esivumele ukuthi siqaphele izinselelo zayo kanye neminikelo yayo.
Ngezikhathi zamaMaya
USahagún noBernal Díaz del Castillo bakhuluma ngemisebenzi yabo ukuthi izikebhe zingathengwa noma ziqashwe, ngakho-ke ukucabanga kwethu kungaqinisekiswa. Isikebhe sasifanele i-quachtli (ingubo yokulala) noma ubhontshisi oyikhulu we-cocoa, futhi maqondana nerenti, kuthiwa uJerónimo de Aguilar wakhokha izikweletu eziluhlaza kwabagwedli abamthatha bahlangana naye UHernan Cortes ku- Isiqhingi saseCozumel.
Ngokuqondene nezindawo zemivubukulo, iPomoná neReforma zitholakala endaweni engezansi ye-Usumacinta; Akucaci ukuthi babephethe noma iyiphi ingxenye yomfula, kodwa siyazi, ngenxa yokuchazwa kwemibhalo, ukuthi babecwiliswe ezingxabanweni zezinhlangano zezepolitiki ezazincintisana ukuthola ukulawula izindawo zombili kanye nemikhiqizo leyo, ekugcineni, eyanikela ekuzinzeni nasekuthuthukisweni kwayo.
Endleleni esuka eBoca del Cerro iye lapho umfula ufika khona lapho Umfula iPalizada, kunezindawo eziningi ezincane zemivubukulo ebeziyingxenye yemiphakathi exhumene nezinhloko-dolobha zezifunda ezafinyelela phezulu phakathi kuka-600-800 AD.
Umzila oya eGulf
Kuhlelo Ubudlelwano bezinto zaseYucatan, ngumbhishobhi waseSpain u-Diego de Landa (1524-1579), kuthiwa kusukela edolobheni laseXonutla (Jonuta) kwakuyisiko ukuhamba ngesikebhe siye esifundazweni saseYucatán, sihamba ngemifula iSan Pedro neSan Pablo sisuke lapho siye eLaguna de Imigomo, edlula emachwebeni ahlukene echibini elifanayo eya edolobheni laseTixchel, ukusuka lapho izikebhe zabuyiselwa eXonutla. Lokhu akuqinisekisi nje kuphela ukuthi kukhona umzila we-fluvial-maritime ezikhathini zangaphambi kweSpanishi, kodwa futhi nokuthi kwenziwa ezinhlangothini zombili, enhla nasenyameni yamanje.
Nge-Usumacinta iGulf of Mexico ibingafinyelelwa ngezindlela ezahlukahlukene, ngomlomo woMfula iGrijalva, ngomfula iSan Pedro neSan Pablo, noma ngomfula iPalizada oholela eLaguna de Terminos. Abathengisi abalandela umzila osuka ePetén oya eGulf of Mexico eduze noMfula iCandelaria nabo bakwazi ukufika lapho.
"AbaseFenike BaseMelika"
Yize yahanjiswa ngomkhumbi futhi yathengiswa kusukela ngo-1 000 BC, ngokusebenzisa imifula namachibi asezindaweni eziphansi zaseTabasco naseCampeche, kuze kube ngemuva kuka-900 AD, lapho ukuhweba ngolwandle kwaba nokubaluleka okukhulu, lapho kuzungezwa iNhlonhlo Yucatan , eyayilawulwa ngamaqembu wokuhlangana weChontal, aziwa njengePutunes noma i-Itzáes.
Isifunda saseChontal sisuka eMfuleni iCupilco, eduze kwaseComalcalco, saya ngasogwini olusezindaweni ezingasemifuleni iGrijalva, iSan Pedro neSan Pablo imifula, umfula iCandelaria, iLaguna de Terminos, futhi mhlawumbe kuya ePotonchán, idolobha elisendaweni ICampeche coast. Maphakathi nezwe, ngokusebenzisa i-Usumacinta engezansi, lafinyelela eTenosique nasezintabeni zezintaba. Ngokusho kwesazi semivubukulo saseMelika u-Edward Thompson (1857-1935), i-Itza yaqala ukubusa amabheshi emifula iChixoy neCancuén, ngaphezu kokuba nezindawo zokuhweba ethekwini laseNaco eduze komfula iChalmalecón, eHonduras kanye netheku laseNito , eGolfo Dulce.
Izici zomumo wesifunda esihlala amaChontales, zivune iqiniso lokuthi baba ngamatilosi anolwazi nokuthi basebenzisa izindlela zemifula ezazivumela ukuxhumana nezindawo ezingaphesheya kwemingcele yabo; ngokuhamba kwesikhathi banqoba izindawo futhi bakhiqiza izifunda futhi bakhokha intela, ngakho-ke bakwazi ukulawula umzila wokuhweba wamabanga amade. Basungula inethiwekhi ebanzi yamachweba atholakala ezindaweni ezinamasu kulo mzila futhi bakha nohlelo lonke lokuhamba olwandle, lokhu kusho intuthuko eningi efana naleyo: ukwenziwa kwemikhumbi efanelekile; izimpawu emizileni yokuthola indlela eyiyo (kusuka kumamaki ezihlahla akhulunywe nguFray Diego de Landa, kuya ezakhiweni zamatshe); ukwakhiwa nokusetshenziswa kwezikhombisi-ndlela, kufakwa ngisho nasendlini (njengaleyo eyanikwa uHernán Cortés); kanye nokusetshenziswa kwekhodi yamasiginali akhishwe kokubili ngokuhamba kwamafulegi noma imililo njengesiginali.
Kukho konke ukuthuthukiswa kwaleli siko, imizila yezohwebo yemigwaqo yamanzi yaguqulwa, kanye nezintshisekelo nabadlali ababalawulayo; ngokuba yilezo ezikude kakhulu, lezo ezenziwa ngesikhathi seClassic ngabakhulu Uhlelo lwe-Grijalva-Usumacinta fluvial nasePostclassic, labo abasemngceleni wenhlonhlo, eyaqala ezindaweni ezazisogwini lweGulf futhi yafinyelela eHonduras.
Esifundeni esihambile, sithole amachweba amaningana:
• IPotonchán esigodini saseGrijalva, esivumela ukuxhumana namachweba atholakala enyakatho naseningizimu.
• Yize bungekho ubufakazi obunokwethenjelwa bokuba khona kokunye okubaluleke kakhulu, kukholakala ukuthi iXicalango, enhlonhlweni yalelo gama, abadayisi babeqhamuka maphakathi neMexico, Yucatan naseHonduras ngemizila ehlukene.
• Kwakukhona namachweba abalulekile wokuhlangana kweChontal: iTixchel esizalweni somfula iSabancuy, ne-Itzamkanac esigodini somfula iCandelaria, esihambelana nendawo yemivubukulo yase-El Tigre. Abahwebi basuka kubo bonke baya ezingxenyeni ezahlukahlukene zaseMesoamerica.
• Ngasogwini lwaseCampeche, imithombo ikhuluma ngeChampotón njengedolobha elinezindlu zokwakha ezingama-8,000 nokuthi nsuku zonke izikebhe ezingaba ngu-2 000 zaziphuma ziyodoba izinhlanzi ezazibuya kusihlwa, okwakumele ngabe zakha idolobha eliyitheku, yize isiqongo sazo sisukela emuva ngemuva kwamatheku ashiwo.
Lawula kusuka phezulu
Labo ukuphakama komhlaba okwenziwe ngumuntu, ngaphandle kwezakhi zokwakha, ezifinyelela ezindaweni eziphakeme kakhulu futhi ezisogwini lomfula, ezindaweni ezinamasu. Phakathi kwalabo okubaluleke kakhulu kunamadolobha aseZapata naseJonuta, ngoba lapho kuvela ingxenye enhle yomfula.
Izinto zobumba, impahla ebalulekile
Isifunda saseJonuta sasisengxenyeni yesibili yezikhathi zeClassic kanye nezakuqala zePostclassic (600-1200 AD), umkhiqizi wobumba olunamathisela kahle, othengiswa kakhulu, kokubili e-Usumacinta naseCampeche Coast. Izitsha zabo zobumba zitholakale ezindaweni ezinjenge-Uaymil kanye nesiqhingi saseJaina eCampeche, okuyizindawo ezibalulekile emzileni wokuhweba olwandle olude olwenziwe ngabaseMayan futhi esinethemba lokuluvakashela ohambweni lwethu olulandelayo.
