Sethula umlando walesi siko esasinendawo yethonya ehlanganisa izifunda zaseYucatán, Campeche, Quintana Roo, Chiapas nengxenye yeTabasco, eRiphabhuliki yaseMexico, kanye naseGuatemala, eBelize kanye nezingxenye zeHonduras ne-El Salvador.
Endaweni yemvelo engavamile necebile eyakhiwe amahlathi amakhulu athola imvula enkulu; ngemifula emikhulu efana neMotagua, iGrijalva ne-Usumacinta; ngezintaba ezinomsuka wentaba-mlilo, ngamachibi amakristalu namahlathi aminyene, futhi futhi nangezindawo ezithebhile cishe ngaphandle kwemifula noma imvula kepha ngemifudlana engenakubalwa kanye nemithombo yamanzi eyaziwa ngokuthi ama-cenotes, bahlala ezikhathini zangaphambi kweSpanishi, cishe ngonyaka we-1800 BC, nxazonke Amaqembu ezinhlanga angama-28 akhuluma izilimi ezahlukahlukene (njengamaYucatecan Maya, amaQuiché, amaTzeltal, amaMam kanye namaK'ekchi '), yize zonke zivela esiqwini esisodwa, futhi zakha isiko elihle elidlule isikhathi nendawo indalo yakhe yasekuqaleni futhi emangazayo: impucuko yamaMaya.
Isifunda esicishe sibe ngama-400,000 km2 sihlanganisa izifundazwe zamanje zaseYucatán, iCampeche, iQuintana Roo nezingxenye ezithile zeTabasco neChiapas eRepublic yaseMexico, kanye neGuatemala, iBelize, nezingxenye zeHonduras ne-El Salvador. Ukunotha nokuhlukahluka kwendawo kuhambisana nezilwane zayo: kunamakati amakhulu afana ne-jaguar; izilwane ezincelisayo ezinjengezinkawu, izinyamazane nama-tapir; izinhlobo eziningi zezinambuzane; izilwane ezinwabuzelayo eziyingozi njengenyoka ye-nauyaca nenyoka eshisayo yasezindaweni ezishisayo, nezinyoni ezinhle njenge-quetzal, i-macaw nokhozi lwe-harpy.
Le ndawo yemvelo eyahlukahlukene ibonakaliswe enkulumweni yobuciko nasenkolweni yamaMaya. Ulwandle, amachibi, izigodi nezintaba kugqugquzele imibono yakhe ngemvelaphi nokwakheka kwendawo yonke, kanye nokwakhiwa kwezikhala ezingcwele ezinhliziyweni zamadolobha ayo. Izinkanyezi, ikakhulukazi iLanga, izilwane, izitshalo kanye namatshe kwakuyizibonakaliso zamandla aphezulu, nazo ezazihlotshaniswa nomuntu ngokuba nomoya nentando. Konke lokhu kuveza ukuxhumana okwehlukile phakathi komuntu nemvelo, ubudlelwano benhlonipho nokuzwana okususelwa ekwazini ubunye bomhlaba wonke obabuyisisekelo sosiko lwamaMaya.
AmaMeya ahlela amazwe azimele anamandla, aphethwe ngamakhosi amakhulu ohlu lozalo ababengosopolitiki abanekhono, amaqhawe anesibindi futhi, ngasikhathi sinye, abapristi abakhulu. Bakhombise ukuhweba okusebenzayo futhi babelana nabanye abantu baseMesoamerican ukutshalwa kommbila, ukukhulekelwa konkulunkulu benzalo, imikhuba yokuzidela nokuzidela kwabantu, kanye nokwakhiwa kwamapiramidi angene, phakathi kwezinye izici zamasiko. Ngokunjalo, bakha umcabango wesikhathi nokujikeleza kokulawula impilo yonke: amakhalenda amabili, ilanga elilodwa lezinsuku ezingama-365 kanye nesiko elilodwa lama-260, ahlanganiswa akha imijikelezo yeminyaka engama-52.
Kepha ngaphezu kwalokho, amaMeya akha uhlelo lokubhala olusezingeni eliphakeme kakhulu eMelika, ahlanganisa izimpawu zefonethiki nezimpawu zezinhloso, futhi agqama ngolwazi lwabo olungejwayelekile lwezibalo nolwezinkanyezi, ngoba basebenzise inani lendawo lezimpawu no-zero kusukela ekuqaleni kwenkathi yobuKristu, okubabeka njengabasunguli bezibalo emhlabeni jikelele. Futhi bathatha umzuzu womcimbi wasenganekwaneni njengo "date was" noma isiqalo (Agasti 13, 3114 BC ekhalendeni likaGregory) babhala izinsuku ngokunemba okumangazayo ohlelweni oluyinkimbinkimbi olubizwa nge-Initial Series, ukushiya umlando othembekile obhaliwe womlando wabo. .
AmaMaya abuye agqame phakathi kwabantu baseMesoamerican ngobuciko babo obuhle, itshe labo elicwengiweyo kanye nokuqoshwa kwe-stucco, nobuciko babo obuhlukile bezithombe, obakhombisa njengabantu abathanda ubuntu. Lokhu kufakazelwa yizinganekwane zabo ze-cosmogonic, lapho umhlaba wenziwa khona ukuhlala komuntu, kanti owokugcina ukondla nokuhlonipha onkulunkulu, umqondo obeka umuntu njengowesenzo sakhe esikhuthaza ibhalansi kanye nobukhona bendawo yonke .
Impucuko enkulu yamaMaya yanqotshwa ngabanqobi baseSpain phakathi kuka-1524 no-1697, kepha izilimi, amasiko ansuku zonke, amasiko enkolo futhi, ngamafuphi, ukucabanga komhlaba owadalwa amaMaya asendulo, ngandlela thile kwasinda enzalweni yabo ngesikhathi inkathi yamakoloni futhi usaphila kuze kube namuhla.
