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Acanceh ( Spanish pronunciation: [akanˈke] ) is a town and ancient Maya archaeological site located in the Mexican state of Yucatán , 21 kilometres (13 mi) from the state capital at Mérida . It is the seat of the municipality of Acanceh . The modern town of Acanceh is partially atop the pre-Columbian site, and occupation seems to have been continuous. Acanceh means "groan of the deer" in the Yucatec Maya language .

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55-705: The population of Acanceh, about 11,000 people, is mostly Maya , with the Mayan language predominantly spoken, although basic Spanish is generally understood. Acanceh was founded sometime between 300 and 500 AD, during the Early Classic period, possibly by the Itzaes in their first migration from the east to the west of the Yucatán peninsula, having come from the lake area of Bacalar and having founded Chichen Itzá , Izamal and T'Hó (currently Mérida .) In more recent times, before

110-469: A chilam being a priest who gives prophecies and balam a common surname meaning ʼ jaguar ʼ. Some of the texts actually contain prophecies about the coming of the Spaniards to Yucatán while mentioning a chilam Balam as their first author. Nine Books of Chilam Balam are known, most importantly those from Chumayel , Maní , and Tizimín , but more have existed. Both language and content show that parts of

165-426: A half-million people driven from their homes, and at least 100,000 women raped; most of the victims were Maya. The genocide against Mayan people took place throughout the whole civil war because indigenous people were seen as supporting the leftist guerillas, but most acts against humanity occurred during Efraín Ríos Montt 's presidency (1982–1983). Ríos Montt instituted a campaign of state terror intended to destroy

220-452: A national identity. In the case of the Maya, the many national identities have been constructed because of the growing demands placed on them by cultural tourism. By focusing on lifeways through costumes, rituals, diet, handicrafts, language, housing, or other features, the identity of the economy shifts from the sale of labor to that of the sale of culture. Global tourism is now considered one of

275-528: A period the Maya state of Chan Santa Cruz was recognized as an independent nation by the British Empire , particularly in terms of trading with British Honduras. Francisco Luna-Kan was elected governor of the state of Yucatán from 1976 to 1982. Luna-Kan was born in Mérida, Yucatán , and he was a doctor of medicine, then a professor of medicine before his political offices. He was first appointed as overseer of

330-495: A person's home town. Women's clothing consists of a shirt and a long skirt. The Maya religion is Roman Catholicism combined with the indigenous Maya religion to form the unique syncretic religion which prevailed throughout the country and still does in the rural regions. Beginning from negligible roots prior to 1960, however, Protestant Pentecostalism has grown to become the predominant religion of Guatemala City and other urban centers, and mid-sized towns. The unique religion

385-778: A rebellion against the Mexican state, Chiapas in January 1994, declared itself to be an indigenous movement and drew its strongest and earliest support from Chiapan Maya. Today its number of supporters is relevant. (see also the EZLN and the Chiapas conflict ) Maya groups in Chiapas include the Tzotzil and Tzeltal , in the highlands of the state, the Tojolabalis concentrated in the lowlands around Las Margaritas ,

440-593: A series of letters sent to the King of Spain in the 16th and 17th centuries. The noble Maya families at that time signed documents to the Spanish royal family; surnames mentioned in those letters are Pech, Camal, Xiu, Ucan, Canul, Cocom, and Tun, among others. A large 19th-century revolt by the native Maya people of Yucatán (Mexico), known as the Caste War of Yucatán , was one of the most successful modern Native American revolts. For

495-421: Is a modern collective term for the peoples of the region; however, the term was not historically used by the indigenous populations themselves. There was no common sense of identity or political unity among the distinct populations, societies and ethnic groups because they each had their own particular traditions, cultures and historical identity. It is estimated that seven million Maya were living in this area at

550-480: Is an overview of the sorts of texts—partly of Mesoamerican , and partly of Spanish derivation—found in the Chilam Balam books. 1. History 2. Formularies with metaphors 3. Myth and mysticism 4. Practical calendars and classifications 5. Medical recipes 6. Spanish traditions Since many texts recur in various books of Chilam Balam, establishing a concordance and studying substitution patterns

605-441: Is fundamental to scholarship. The archaic Yucatec idiom and the allusive, metaphorical nature of many texts present a formidable challenge to translators. The outcome of the translation process is sometimes heavily influenced by external assumptions about the texts' purpose. As a result of these factors, the quality of existing translations varies greatly. The Spanish-language synoptic translation of Barrera Vásquez and Rendón (1948)

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660-540: Is given by Knowlton (2010). The Books of Chilam Balam are referenced in The Falling Woman by Pat Murphy as source material for the description of sacrifices at Chichén Itzá. A poem from the Chilam Balam is prominently featured in a short story by the U.S.-born writer Lucia Berlin , who spent many years living and traveling in Latin America, including Chile and Mexico. The poem gives Berlin's story its title. Here

715-668: Is identified by speakers and Yucatecos simply as "Maya". Among Maya speakers, Spanish is commonly spoken as a second or first language. There is a significant amount of confusion as to the correct terminology to use—Maya or Mayan—and the meaning of these words with reference to contemporary or pre-Columbian peoples, to Maya peoples in different parts of Mexico, Guatemala, Belize, and to languages or peoples. oxlahun ahau u katunil u 13 he›cob cah mayapan: maya uinic u kabaob: uaxac ahau paxci u cabobi: ca uecchahi ti peten tulacal: uac katuni paxciob ca haui u maya-bulub ahau u kaba u katunil hauci u maya kabaob maya uinicob: christiano u kabaob "Ahau

770-562: Is known for its zoo and colossal stone sculptures dating to the Olmec civilization . The grand Museo de Historia de Tabasco chronicles the area from prehistoric times, while the Museo Regional de Antropología has exhibits on native Maya and Olmec civilizations. In Guatemala , indigenous people of Maya descent comprise around 42% of the population. Many Maya still experience discrimination and oppression . The largest Maya populations are found in

825-445: Is reflected in the local saint, Maximón , who is associated with the subterranean force of masculine fertility and prostitution. Always depicted in black, he wears a black hat and sits on a chair, often with a cigar placed in his mouth and a gun in his hand, with offerings of tobacco, alcohol, and Coca-Cola at his feet. The locals know him as San Simon of Guatemala. The Popol Vuh is the most significant work of Guatemalan literature in

880-514: Is still useful. To date (2012), complete English translations are available for the following Books of Chilam Balam: An excellent overview and discussion of the syncretism involved is to be found in the introduction to the Bricker and Miram edition of the Book of Chilam Balam of Kaua. A detailed analysis and interpretation of the main mythological and ritualistic texts with a view to their syncretic origins

935-510: Is taught at the college and graduate level; beginning, intermediate, and advanced courses in Maya have been taught at Indiana University since 2010. The Open School of Ethnography and Anthropology offers immersion Maya courses in a six-week intensive summer program. Chiapas was for many years one of the regions of Mexico that was least touched by the reforms of the Mexican Revolution . The Zapatista Army of National Liberation , launched

990-665: The Chiapas conflict and the Lacandon Jungle ). The Maya population in Belize is concentrated in the Corozal , Cayo , Toledo and Orange Walk districts, but are scattered throughout the country. The Maya are thought to have been in Belize and the Yucatán region since the second millennium BC. Much of Belize's original Maya population died as a result of new infectious diseases and conflicts between tribes and with Europeans. They are divided into

1045-622: The Chʼol in the jungle, and in the south eastern uplands , the endangered Mochó and the Kaqchikel , also widely spoken in the Guatemalan highlands . (See map. Note. The Zoque are not Maya .) The most traditional of Maya groups are the Lacandon , a small population avoiding contact with outsiders until the late 20th century by living in small groups in the Lacandon Jungle . These Lacandon Maya came from

1100-575: The Chʼortiʼ . The northern lowland Petén region includes the Itza , whose language is near extinction but whose agroforestry practices, including use of dietary and medicinal plants may still tell us much about pre-colonial management of the Maya lowlands. The Classic period of Mesoamerican civilization corresponds to the height of the Maya civilization . It is represented by countless sites throughout Guatemala, although

1155-597: The Kʼicheʼ language , and one of the most important works of Pre-Columbian American literature. It is a compendium of Maya stories and legends, aimed to preserve Maya traditions. The first known version of this text dates from the 16th century and is written in Quiché transcribed in Latin characters. It was translated into Spanish by the Dominican priest Francisco Ximénez in the beginning of

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1210-592: The Mayan languages as a primary language . One of the largest groups of Maya live in the Yucatan Peninsula, which includes the Mexican states of Yucatán State , Campeche , and Quintana Roo as well as the nation of Belize . These people identify themselves as "Maya" with no further ethnic subdivision (unlike in the Highlands of Western Guatemala). They speak the language which anthropologists term " Yucatec Maya ", but

1265-676: The Yucatec , Kekchi , and Mopan . These three Maya groups now inhabit the country. The Yucatec Maya (many of whom came from Yucatán, Mexico to escape the Caste War of the 1840s) there have been evidence of several Yucatec Maya groups living by the Yalbac area of Belize and in the Orange Walk district near the present day Lamanai at the time the British reach. The Mopan (indigenous to Belize but were forced out by

1320-584: The rainforest . To halt the migration, the government decided in 1971 to declare a large part of the forest (614,000 hectares, or 6140 km ) a protected area: the Montes Azules Biosphere Reserve . They appointed only one small population group (the 66 Lacandon families) as tenants (thus creating the Lacandon Community), thereby displacing 2000 Tzeltal and Chʼol families from 26 communities, and leaving non-Lacandon communities dependent on

1375-469: The 18th century. Due to its combination of historical, mythical, and religious elements, it has been called the Maya Bible. It is a vital document for understanding the culture of Pre-Columbian America. The Rabinal Achí is a dramatic work consisting of dance and text that is preserved as it was originally represented. It is thought to date from the 15th century and narrates the mythical and dynastic origins of

1430-622: The British; they returned from Guatemala to evade slavery in the 19th century), and Kekchi (also fled from slavery in Guatemala in the 19th century). The latter groups are chiefly found in the Toledo District. The Mexican state of Tabasco is home to the Chontal Maya . Tabasco is a Mexican state with a northern coastline fringing the Gulf of Mexico. In its capital, Villahermosa , Parque Museo la Venta

1485-539: The Campeche/Petén area (north-east of Chiapas ) and moved into the Lacandon rain-forest at the end of the 18th century. In the course of the 20th century, and increasingly in the 1950s and 1960s, other people (mainly the Maya and subsistence peasants from the highlands), also entered into the Lacandon region; initially encouraged by the government. This immigration led to land-related conflicts and an increasing pressure on

1540-468: The Maya language as Yucatec or Yucatec Maya to distinguish it from other Mayan languages . This norm has often been misinterpreted to mean that the people are also called Yucatec Maya; that term refers to only the language, and the correct name for the people is simply Maya (not Mayans). (Yucatec) Maya is one language in the Mayan language family. Confusion of the term Maya/Mayan as an ethnic label occurs because Maya women who use traditional dress identify by

1595-543: The Mayas in the name of countering "communist subversion" and ridding the country of its indigenous culture. This was also known as Operation Sofia. Within Operation Sofia, the military followed through with "scorched earth policies" which allowed them to destroy whole villages, including killing livestock, destroying cultural symbols, destroying crops, and murdering civilians. In some areas, government forces killed about 40% of

1650-588: The Toj Kʼicheʼ rulers of Rabinal, and their relationships with neighboring Kʼicheʼ of Qʼumarkaj . The Rabinal Achí is performed during the Rabinal festival of January 25, the day of Saint Paul . It was declared a masterpiece of oral tradition of humanity by UNESCO in 2005. The 16th century saw the first native-born Guatemalan writers that wrote in Spanish . There is often a relationship between cultural heritage, tourism, and

1705-524: The Yucatán failed. His son, Francisco de Montejo the Younger, fared almost as badly when he first took over: while invading Chichen Itza, he lost 150 men in a single day. European diseases, massive recruitment of native warriors from Campeche and Champoton, and internal hatred between the Xiu Maya and the lords of Cocom eventually turned the tide for Montejo the Younger. Chichen Itza was conquered by 1570. In 1542,

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1760-455: The arrival of the Spaniards, Acanceh was located within the jurisdiction ( Kuchkabal ) of the chakanes. The ancient Maya city covered more than 4 km² and had about 400 buildings. Three of these buildings have been restored and are open to the public, although recent excavations have uncovered more structures. The three-leveled step pyramid in Acanceh is 11 meters high. One of the older layers of

1815-540: The books date back to the time of the Spanish conquest of the Yucatec kingdoms (1527–1546). In some cases, where the language is particularly terse, the books appear to render hieroglyphic script , and thus to hark back to the pre-conquest period. Taken together, the Books of Chilam Balam provide an account of the fullness of 18th-century Yucatec-Maya spiritual life. Whereas the medical texts and chronicles are quite matter-of-fact,

1870-485: The course of the succeeding centuries a series of land displacements, re-settlements, persecutions and migrations resulted in a wider dispersal of Qʼeqchiʼ communities, into other regions of Guatemala (Izabal, Petén, El Quiché). They are the second-largest ethnic Maya group in Guatemala (after the Kʼicheʼ) and one of the largest and most widespread throughout Central America. In Guatemala, the Spanish colonial pattern of keeping

1925-404: The ethnic term mestiza and not Maya. Persons use a strategy of ethnic identification that Juan Castillo Cocom refers to as "ethnoexodus"—meaning that ethnic self-identification as Maya is quite variable, situational, and articulated not to processes of producing group identity, but of escaping from discriminatory processes of sociocultural marginalization. The Yucatán's indigenous population

1980-434: The expense of local tradition and meanings. An example of this can be seen in "Mayanizing Tourism on Roatan Island, Honduras: Archaeological Perspectives on Heritage, Development, and Indignity." Alejandro J. Figueroa et al., combine archaeological data and ethnographic insights to explore a highly contested tourism economy in their discussion of how places on Roatan Island, Honduras, have become increasingly "Mayanized" over

2035-405: The government for granting their rights to land. In the decades that followed the government carried out numerous programs to keep the problems in the region under control, using land distribution as a political tool; as a way of ensuring loyalty from different campesino groups. This strategy of divide and rule led to great disaffection and tensions among population groups in the region. (see also

2090-601: The handling of the case. The ex-president appeared in court again on January 5, 2015, amongst protest from his lawyers regarding his health conditions and on August 25, 2015, it was deliberated that a re-trial of the 2013 proceedings could find Ríos Montt guilty or not, but that the sentence would be suspended. Ríos Montt died on April 1, 2018, of a heart attack. The Maya people are known for their brightly colored, yarn -based, textiles that are woven into capes, shirts, blouses, huipiles and dresses. Each village has its own distinctive pattern, making it possible to distinguish

2145-919: The inhabitants. Due to this, the cultural section of the government of Yucatán began on-line classes for grammar and proper pronunciation of Maya. Maya people from Yucatán Peninsula living in the United States of America have been organizing Maya language lessons and Maya cooking classes since 2003 in California and other states: clubs of Yucatec Maya are registered in Dallas and Irving, Texas ; Salt Lake City in Utah; Las Vegas, Nevada ; and California , with groups in San Francisco; San Rafael; Chino; Pasadena; Santa Ana; Garden Grove; Inglewood; Los Angeles; Thousand Oaks; Oxnard; San Fernando Valley and Whittier. Maya language

2200-575: The largest concentration is in Petén . This period is characterized by urbanisation, the emergence of independent city-states , and contact with other Mesoamerican cultures. This lasted until approximately 900 AD, when the Classic Maya civilization collapsed . The Maya abandoned many of the cities of the central lowlands or were killed by a drought-induced famine . The 36-year-long Guatemalan Civil War from 1960 to 1996 left more than 200,000 people dead,

2255-531: The largest scale movement of goods, services, and people in history and a significant catalyst for economic development and sociopolitical change. Estimated that between 35 and 40 per cent of tourism today is represented by cultural tourism or heritage tourism, this alternative to mass tourism offers opportunities for place-based engagement that frames context for interaction by the lived space and everyday life of other peoples, as well as sites and objects of global historical significance. In this production of tourism

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2310-523: The native population legally separate and subservient continued well into the 20th century. This resulted in many traditional customs being retained, as the only other option than traditional Maya life open to most Maya was entering the westeren culture at the very bottom rung. Because of this many Guatemalan Maya, especially women, continue to wear traditional clothing, that varies according to their specific local identity. The southeastern region of Guatemala (bordering with Honduras ) includes groups such as

2365-527: The past decade. As tour operators and developers continue to invent an idealized Maya past for the island, non-Maya archaeological remains and cultural patrimony are constantly being threatened and destroyed. While heritage tourism provides economic opportunities for some, it can devalue contributions made by less familiar groups. Chilam Balam The Books of Chilam Balam ( Mayan pronunciation: [t͡ʃilam ɓahlam] ) are handwritten, chiefly 17th and 18th-centuries Maya miscellanies , named after

2420-450: The pyramid has been uncovered revealing several distinctive carved masks as part of the pyramid's decoration. The "Palace of the Stuccos" is 50 meters wide, 6 meters high, and contains many elaborate friezes . This building's design is very complex, with many rooms and detailed carvings. The architecture of the structures at Acanceh show a Teotihuacano influence, leading some to believe it

2475-569: The riddles and prognostications make abundant use of traditional Mayan metaphors. This holds even more true of the mythological and ritualistic texts, which, cast in abstruse language, plainly belong to esoteric lore. The historical texts derive part of their importance from the fact that they have been cast in the framework of the native Maya calendar , partly adapted to the European calendrical system. Reconstructing Postclassic Yucatec history from these data has proven to be an arduous task. The following

2530-538: The small Yucatec towns where they were originally kept, and preserving important traditional knowledge in which indigenous Maya and early Spanish traditions have coalesced. They compile knowledge on history, prophecy, religion, ritual, literature, the calendar, astronomy, and medicine. Written in the Yucatec Maya language and using the Latin alphabet , the manuscripts are attributed to a legendary author called Chilam Balam,

2585-484: The start of the 21st century. Guatemala , southern Mexico and the Yucatán Peninsula , Belize , El Salvador , and western Honduras have managed to maintain numerous remnants of their ancient cultural heritage. Some are quite integrated into the majority westernised mestizo cultures of the nations in which they reside, while others continue a more traditional, culturally distinct life, often speaking one of

2640-635: The state's rural medical system. He was the first governor of the modern Yucatán Peninsula to be of full Maya ancestry. In the early 21st century, dozens of politicians, including deputies, mayors and senators, are of full or mixed Maya heritage from the Yucatán Peninsula. According to the National Institute of Geography and Informatics (Mexico's INEGI ), in Yucatán State there were 1.2 million Mayan speakers in 2009, representing just under 60% of

2695-521: The total population; the campaign destroyed at least 626 Mayan villages. On January 26, 2012, former president Ríos Montt was formally indicted in Guatemala for overseeing the massacre of 1,771 civilians of the Ixil Maya group and appeared in court for genocide and crimes against humanity for which he was then sentenced to 80 years in prison on May 10, 2013. This ruling was overturned by the constitutional court on May 20, 2013, over alleged irregularities in

2750-471: The use of historic symbols, signs, and topics form a new side that characterizes a nation and can play an active role in nation building. With this type of tourism, people argue that ethno-commerce may open unprecedented opportunities for creating value of various kinds. Tourists travel with cultural expectations, which has created a touristic experience sometimes faced with the need to invent traditions of artificial and contrived attractions, often developed at

2805-548: The western Yucatán Peninsula also surrendered to him. Historically, the population in the eastern half of the peninsula was less affected by and less integrated than the western half. In the 21st century in the Yucatán Peninsula (Mexican states of Campeche, Yucatán and Quintana Roo), between 750,000 and 1,200,000 people speak Mayan. However, three times more than that are of Maya origins, hold ancient Maya surnames, and do not speak Mayan languages as their first language. Matthew Restall , in his book The Maya Conquistador , mentions

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2860-531: The western highlands where they make up the majority of populations in the departments of Baja Verapaz , Quiché , Totonicapán , Huehuetenango , Quetzaltenango , and San Marcos . The Maya people of the Guatemala highlands include the Achi , Akatek , Chuj , Ixil , Jakaltek , Kaqchikel , Kʼicheʼ , Mam , Poqomam , Poqomchiʼ , Qʼanjobʼal , Qʼeqchiʼ , Tzʼutujil and Uspantek . The Qʼeqchiʼ live in lowland areas of Alta Vera Paz, Peten, and Western Belize. Over

2915-569: Was a "colony" of Teotihuacan. This article related to indigenous Mesoamerican culture is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Maya peoples The Maya ( / ˈ m aɪ ə / ) are an ethnolinguistic group of indigenous peoples of Mesoamerica . The ancient Maya civilization was formed by members of this group, and today's Maya are generally descended from people who lived within that historical region. Today they inhabit southern Mexico , Guatemala , Belize , and westernmost El Salvador and Honduras . "Maya"

2970-519: Was first exposed to Europeans after a party of Spanish shipwreck survivors came ashore in 1511. One of the sailors, Gonzalo Guerrero , is reported to have taken up with a local woman and started a family; he became a war captain in the Postclassic Mayan state of Chetumal . Later Spanish expeditions to the region were led by Córdoba in 1517, Grijalva in 1518, and Cortés in 1519. From 1528 to 1540, several attempts by Francisco Montejo to conquer

3025-399: Was the katun when they founded the cah of Mayapan; they were [thus] called Maya men. In 8 Ahau their lands were destroyed and they were scattered throughout the peninsula. Six katun after they were destroyed they ceased to be called Maya; 11 Ahau was the name of the katun when the Maya men ceased to be called Maya [and] were called Christians." Chilam Balam Chumayel Linguists refer to

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