MAYA LINKS
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- Mayan History and Culture--Very extensive text about early history, classic period, invasion, modern times, art, religion. Many slow-loading, high-quality photos of Mayan sites, stonework, murals. English translation of course material for University of Mexico.
- MayaQuest Learning Adventure--Sponsored by several Minnesota companies, including Minnesota Educational Computing Consortium, a group of explorers traveled in Maya country last year, reporting back to the InterNet at regular intervals on archaeological sites, the modern Maya and the rain forest. An entire curriculum was made of these materials--lesson plans in science and social studies, all the reports, pictures. This is it. MECC has produced a better-edited CDROM of MayaQuest, which may be ordered directly from it, or get it discounted from Sunburst Software 800/321-7511 for info and their software catalog.
MayaquestStudy Guide --Helps find your way through the very extensive Mayaquest resources gathered at the MECC sit above. The CDROM will be preferable, though.
- Science Museum of Minnesota: Interactive Maya Exhibit--The best of the on-line museum exhibits, there are lessons in Mayan astronomy, overviews of major city sites, clothing, languages. Many activities are on-screen interactive, but there are off-line science lessons (such as the chemistry of how stone weathers) too. Sponsored by NSF.
- The Maya Astronomy Page--Buildings were sun- and star- oriented. Maya math and calendrics also here.
- Maya Calendrics -- direct link to Michelb's Mayan calendrics page
- Equinox at Chichen Itza 95--Though it's in Spanish, you can easily follow the short captions to a series of photos of the North corner of the great Pyramid on March 20, spring equinox (the Mexican tourist bureau used the wrong word--solstices occur in June and December, equinoxes in March and October), from 3 p.m. until near sunset. Triangles formed of sunlight and shadow change over the hours to show the shape made of light of Ku'kulcan, the Great Feathered Serpent (Sun God) apparently ascending the stair until he flies up into the sky around sunset. The pyramid was constructed with attention to solar astronomy and geometry so this arrangement of sun and shadows would happen for one of the great Mayan ceremonial dates.
- Ethnobotany--How the Mayans Used Corn--Background text and simple activities for a recent "Newton's Apple" science program series KTCA-St. Paul has broadcast with NSF and 3M support for years. Videotape is available from the station. The written material here can be used independently--involves collecting classifying local plants to illustrate what ethnobotanists do.
 Map of major Maya Archaeological sites visited on pages linked to here. Additional maps, links to info about ancient sites.
- Maya related links--Links to many pages--some quite technical--on Maya language, culture, civilization, ancient cities.
- Ousia for Mayanists -- A variety of links and features.
- Do-it-yourself Mayan Stel -- really clever interactive page new from McNelly. You pick a number of characteristics for your stele (fill out a form) and it's put together onscreen
- JASON Project--Earth science exploration of Maya country and Rain forest, for school year 1993-94. JASON is an educational project of NASA. Each year they take a central theme and explore it with a team of writers and cameramen. The last few years of explorations have been placed on Web pages. Other materials--videos, writings, lesson plans--are available from JASON.
- Visit former Maya city of Xunantunich--A detailed excursion as part of the JASON project's Earth science and Mayan explorations.
- Maya Exchange--Author speculates Maya civilization changed abruptly as result of Halley's comet in 11th century, clearly written, illustrated with many drawings of stone carvings.
 Arte Maya Tz'utuhil Gallery--Wonderful non-commercial collection of paintings by Guatemala Mayan village artists; shows daily life, farming, coffee plantation work, cultural and religious themes, portraits. There are photos and extensive biographies of the artists, -- life-stories of self-taught painters from poor families (no Grant Swingers here). .Much more than a gallery, images show the present way of life among these Mayan villagers. The gallery is paintings in private collections, rather than a sales catalog. This has resulted in far better educational writing than is usual for typical web page commercial art galleries. Be sure to read Mayan Bonesetter: Sacred Calling about a curandero, which is illustrated with paintings.
- Detail map of southern Guatemala highlands-- 106K, loads very slowly, somewhat larger than the screen; may be downloaded. The Lake Aititlan area where the Mayan artists of T'zutuhil Gallery live (San Pedro de Laguna and Solola) is shown. The fictionalized town in Gonzalez' Mayan Life novel is in this region.
- Multicultural Cosmology Home Page--Overviews of cultures of Maya, Aztec and several Meso-American cultures
- Maya Photo Archive - Science Museum of Minnesota--These photos are categorized by 7 sites that form part on the on-line exhibit and interactive science activities.
- Ruta Maya Coffee--Business sells varieties of coffee raised by Mayan farmers' co-op. The Ruta Maya Co-op and its traditional farming practices is the subject of a recent National Geographic article, referenced in the MayaQuest bibliography (see MayaQuest Study Guide link).
- A brief introduction to the history and geography of Belize--Prepared by the Board of Tourism and economic development. Contains info about the earliest known Maya sites.
- Ix Chel Farms and the Panti Medicinal Trail--American woman, Dr. Rosita Arvigio, and Belize Mayan healer started school and botannical plant reserve. Description only (mainly as for a tourist visit)
- Eligio Panti -- Sad news, the obituary of this extraordinary Mayan elder and healer, who inspired so much in Belize. Eternal Flame is a website where the lifhistories and accomplishments of distinguished persons are recorded both to memorializ them, and as a part of history.
- American Botannical Council has sponsored seminars and visits to Ix Chel that are more study-oriented than tourist walks on the forest plant trail. Two books by Dr. Rosita are also available from the ABC Book catalog: Sastun, the story of her apprenticeship with Mayan healer-elder Don Eligio Panti and founding of Ix Chel, 90 pp, $12. Rainforest Remedies covers 100 healing herbs found in Belize, together with usages and practice by local native healers who now work with Ix Chel. 215 pp, $9.95
- Nabitunich Stone Cottage Resort--In Belize, this Mayan-operated low-cost resort has view of archaeological project at oldest Mayan site known, the rather large "cottage".
- Belize Archaeology--Offers a summer dig at a threatened Mayan rock cavern site from 2500 BC with many pix and a description of what's planned.
- Maya Dig Journal Entries--Journals from the international group that formed for the Belize summer dig.
- Archaeology at the Mayan Site of K'axob--Good summary overview of Mayan history.
- SAIIC Home Page--Only web resource dedicated entirely to rights struggles of indigenous peoples of Meso- and South America. Has info on 1994 Chiapas (Mexico) Mayan struggles, and government genocidal attacks on Mayans in Guatemala.
- YA BASTA! -- the EZLN Page--The Chiapas Maya who have been fighting for self-determination in Mexico call themselves after the Mexican peasant liberator-general, Emilio Zapatista. This page collects their press releases and news reports.
- Ancient Guatemala--Mayans of Tikal and other sites. Part of a contemporary Guatemala page site. The contemporary page has weekly news of developments on the Guatemalan civil war and peace efforts.
- Guatemala Peace Delegation Home Page--Report of a fall, 1994, delegation's trip to Guatemala; photos of Mayan people and refugees.
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CREDITS: The Maya sculpture was scanned years ago from various archaeology books I neglected to record. I traced it in FreeHand, simplified the backgrounds, and turned them into "stone cartoons." The seated Maya gloating over his apprehensive captive parrot needed only a few changes to make these characters come alive. The stone cartouche page logo--a Maya looking aghast at his parrot at the beginning of this page--was plain stonework, colored by me. But the Maya did do elaborate inlays or mosaics of jade, turquoise, gold, and other colored stones. These tend to get stolen rather quickly when ancient cities are first found.
Page prepared by Paula Giese.Text and graphics copyright 1995, 1996
Last updated: Friday, July 05, 1996 - 9:24:29 AM
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