Ritual Use of Cacao in Maya Civilization - 1903 Words

Ritual Use of Cacao in Maya Civilization This paper aims to explore and confirm the ceremonial and ritual importance of Theobroma cacao to the Maya civilization and its various uses therein. Firstly, I will provide a brief overview of the cultural history of cacao, which is known as kakaw in the Maya language. Next, I will examine the connection between cacao and ancient Maya religion, which is the basis for its importance to the Maya culture. I will then discuss the ritual and ceremonial significance of cacao and its forms of use, based on the analysis of Maya hieroglyphs and iconography, as well as ethnohistorical, ethnographic, and other historical accounts, and the recent research by archaeologists who have found cacao residues in ancient pottery. The cacao tree (Theobroma cacao L.) is native to the northwest Amazon basin of South America and the wild species was spread by humans into Southern Mexico and Central America, where it is thought to have been domesticated (Ogata et al. 2006). The data collected by Ogata et al. (2006) supports Mesoamerica as a center of cacao domestication, but also suggests a possible secondary area of domestication in South America. At first, only the cacao pulp was used for its sweet flavour, yet it wasn’t until 1800 BC that the inhabitants of this region discovered how to turn the cacao seeds into chocolate through a process of drying, roasting, and grinding the cacao seeds (Coe and Coe 1996). By the time the Olmec civilizationShow MoreRelatedA Brief Look at the Mayan Civilization Essay example1548 Words   |  7 PagesOlmec were the Maya people. The Maya can be analyzed in terms of their culture. This civilization came about in Mesoamerica around 250 AD with a great influence coming from that of the Olmec. The first 650 years of the Maya civilization’s existence was known as the Classic Period. They created a remarkable society of more than 40 cities in the region which is now southern Mexico, Guatemala, and northern Belize. The cities contained mostly ceremonial centers and majority of the Maya lived a rural agriculturalRead MoreThe True History of Chocolate976 Words   |  4 Pagesknowledge of things we use daily, sometimes without realizing their long history of evolution and multiple meanings. The word â€Å"cacao† and the first data concerning these valuable beans were derived by Europeans who came to the new World from the Maya of the Yucatan Peninsula who made chocolate drinks to their nobility and presented them in beautiful vessels to their rulers. These people were probably the first in human history to turn cacao beans into chocolate. However, the word â€Å"cacao† is believed toRead MoreEconomy in Early American Civilizations: Maya, Aztecs and Inca865 Words   |  4 Pagesand crops such as cacao beans. Another American civilization was the Aztec civilization. They were located in the Valley of Mexico around the 13th to 16th century CE, and they used slash-and-burn farming to plant crops to trade. The Inca Empire existed from the 13th to the 16th century CE along the Pacific coast of South America near the Andes Mountains. The Inca used terrace farming and irrigation to grow crops such as corn. The economies of these early American civilizations wer e heavily basedRead MoreThe Mayan Civilization And The Maya Empire1677 Words   |  7 Pages The Mayan civilization or the Maya Empire, centered in the tropical lowlands of what is now Guatemala, reached the peak of its power and influence around the sixth century A.D. The Maya excelled at agriculture, pottery, hieroglyph writing, calendar-making and mathematics, and left behind an astonishing amount of impressive architecture and symbolic artwork. Most of the great stone cities of the Maya were abandoned by A.D. 900. The Maya civilization was one of the most dominant indigenous societiesRead MoreHow The Maya Civilization Was A Major Social Entity From Approximately 2600 B.c1316 Words   |  6 Pages Mesoamerica Essay The Maya civilization was a major social entity from approximately 2600 B.C.E. to 1521 C.E. The Maya civilization was never a fully unified society; it was primarily made up of numerous small states, in and around what is now known as the Yucatan Peninsula. These states, each apparently centered on a city, were ruled by individual kings. Sometimes, a stronger Maya state would dominate a weaker state and be able to exact tribute and labor from it. The development of agricultureRead MoreThe Ancient Mayan Civilization : A Rigid Social Structure1627 Words   |  7 PagesThe Ancient Mayan Civilization was built upon a rigid social structure based on their religious beliefs. They used a caste social structure in which divisions were based on wealth, inherited rank, privilege, profession, or occupation. Their beliefs were based on the fact that nature elements had the power to either help or harm. The Ancient Mayans used their social structure and beliefs to shape their daily lives. The Ma yans were a very religious. They believed in many gods and all events centeredRead MoreMayan And Mayan Writing System1067 Words   |  5 PagesMayan culture and civilization are said to be far beyond their time by their complex writing and numerical system. In the pre-Columbian America, the Mayan writing system is said to be the â€Å"only† true writing system within the Americas. By examining the environment the Maya had lived, we are able to look at the how the Maya used their writing system and it also further reflects the Maya’s surroundings. The Mayan civilization had flourished throughout the Yucatan peninsula in Central America. TheyRead MoreThe Most Powerful And Largest Cities Of Mesoamerica968 Words   |  4 Pagesthe valley it was located within, would go on to extend its rich culture and history from between 150 B.C.E. throughout Mesoamerica s Golden Age. Some of the most influential aspects of this great city would extend from other well known civilizations, the Maya and Aztec people for example, during their respective governing periods. As of the most current standing, the original name remains undecipherable in the surviving glyphs recovered at sites. Much in the same way, the initial cause of collapseRead MoreThe Mayan Civilization : Ancient Civilization1425 Words   |  6 PagesThe Mayan Civilization: For many centuries the Mayan was of life was a mystery to archaeologists. Their geography, social structure, government, economy/trade, technology, writing, and arts were all thought to be forever lost. Now, as archaeologists are still uncovering more information, what was once referred to as â€Å"The Lost Civilization of Maya†, has been awakened from the grave of unknown. Geography: The ancient Mayan Civilization surrounded by the Gulf of Mexico and the Pacific Ocean stretchedRead MoreThe first thing I think of or most people think of when they hear the word Mayans, is how they1600 Words   |  7 Pagesthough, you find out that this not the case at all. And the Mayans didn’t believe that at all it is just a new age theory. The Mayans are such a rich culture and have so much history behind them. The ethnic Mayans are one of the earliest developed civilizations. They are a native Mesoamerican people that were founded back in 250 A.D. The Mayans flourished until about 900 A.D., most say their fall came after the Spanish conquest. Some aspects though still are alive mostly the Mayan Indians of Mexico and