Glorious and magnificent Maya

Author: Zhang Yan Brown
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-01-01
Features: The volumes of The Lost Civilization showcase the trajectory of the birth and early transformation of civilizations, long forgotten by later generations. Reading it is like an adult revisiting old photographs from their childhood—each scene evokes a faint sense of nostalgia. This series can be enjoyed as an art album while also serving as a reference for travelers to the world, helping them understand the must-see historical sites and landmarks.
Among the burial goods of great Mayan rulers during the Classic Period were numerous (strung jade) and inlaid masks. To the Mayans, the value of jade was not only decorative; it also symbolized life. Its color naturally brings to mind thriving crops or the green light of deep water. In Mayan vocabulary, jade was also the name of a day, meaning "rain." Texts from Mayan rituals during the Spanish conquest recorded that jade was the "blessed gem."
Beyond this, it also metaphorically represented blood, symbolizing life and death. In sacred ceremonies, the king would pierce his body, and the blood that flowed nourished the sacred tree at the center of the Mayan cosmos, opening the door to the supernatural world. Everything that happened there affected all aspects of the mortal world.