Maya culture in modern Mexico
It is a common mistake, thanks to persistent euro-centric worldviews, to believe that the Maya culture ended after the Spanish Conquest of Mexico. But, in fact, if you’ve visited the southeast Mexico states of Quintana Roo, Yucatán, Chiapas, Tabasco, Campeche, or the neighboring nations of Belize and Venezuela, you’ve encountered the modern delights of this ancient culture first hand. Many Maya people still live in traditional villages where their language, music, gastronomy, textiles, and other traditions are still passed down generation-by-generation.
I recently ran across an interesting documentary by Discover Humanity that tells the stories of this amazing and historic culture, whose mathematical and astronomical observations fall within the margin of error of our most-advanced modern instruments. The documentary is in Spanish, but you can set English subtitles if you are not bilingual.
As noted on the YouTube page:
“The vast country of Mexico is as diverse in cultures as it is in landscapes. A land of many ancient civilizations like the Maya, Aztec and more, well-preserved monuments (Chichén Itzá, Cobá, and many more) still stand as testaments to the ingenuity of these glorious eras. The modern ancestors of these ancient peoples passionately preserve their heritage and traditions to this day including music, dance, and even clothing.
Mexico is rich in diversity; encompassing ways of life ranging from modern mega-cities to colorful small towns and villages. Food is a deeply important (and delicious) part of Mexican life and varies between regions and cultures – the cuisine famous around the world is only a small piece of Mexico’s country-wide table.
No matter their background or geography the Mexican people share many qualities including joy, pride, and passion for their homeland. 🇲🇽”
I hope you’ll enjoy watching the documentary and learning more about one of Mexico’s most interesting surviving ancient cultures.
