Mexico, Part 3: More Chichen Itza

Each tour guide emphasized that the Mayans did NOT become extinct, and that both the people and the culture are still alive across the Yucatan and beyond. They just don't build pyramids anymore.

Archaeologists have concluded that there was a major drought that drove the Mayans out of the cities and into the jungles -- away from major population centers and into smaller sustainable communities. They are said to have simply abandoned the areas we now think of as monuments, not because of Spanish conquerors, but because there was more fresh water elsewhere.

The Spaniards are given credit for being major militaristic jerkwads, and for a serious commitment to a series of misguided mythological quests such as the search for golden cities, fountains of youth, and the forcible mass dissemination of the idiotic sport of soccer.

They never found the golden cities or botox ponds and whatnot, but the Spanish missionaries were 100% successful in spreading their language and religion throughout the country. They also managed to destroy nearly all of the "heretical" historical documents of the Mayan culture...so almost all of the current "knowledge" of their ancient civilization has been derived through handed-down legends and interpretive analysis of the carvings found among the ancient cities.

[Disclaimer: Statements made within this blog represent the author's best recollection and interpretation of information gathered during commercial tours in a foreign country where it was really hot, Dr. Pepper was scarce, and potable water was available only in bottled form. Ergo, such statements may or may not be verifiable through any sort of scientific or academic resources.]

There is no doubt that the Mayans made some pretty cool stone structures. Our tour guides did not mention anything about alien technologies, but the efforts put forth in construction were certainly not trivial. Nor were they dull. Hieroglyphics abound, and apparently provide the eggheads all sorts of fuel for speculation about what life was like over 1000 years ago.



The three most common icons were snakes (often with feathers, for some reason), jaguars, and human skulls. Lots and lots of skulls. And many of the skull carvings showed elongated craniums that had led earlier theorists to postulate an alien influence. According to our guides, though, the Mayans thought that long skulls were beautiful, so they encased childrens' maleable heads in clamp fixtures to squish them into the proper aesthetic pointiness.

It sounds pretty weird, but perhaps not so much when you consider that our country went through a Magnum P.I. mustache phase. It's pretty much the same thing. (Click to embiggen for detail.)



Anyway, we'll come back to the skulls later. For now, I just wanted to point out that the lizards that were all over the place apparently weren't cool enough to merit enstonification. I'm guessing they are the Mexican version of prairie dogs.) But I took pictures...



Unfortunately, this whole "looking for a job" thing is seriously interfering with my ability to finish my vacation chronicle. We'll have to continue again later. Next up: Sports in ancient Mexico! And swimming with the fishes! Fun stuff, for sure. See you then; have a great day!