For those unfamiliar with the richness of Mayan culture, it may come as a surprise that these ancient traditions offer valuable lessons and tools essential for addressing contemporary challenges in science, peace, and development. On this World Science Day for Peace and Development, we honor the preservation of this ancient wisdom for its contributions at…
Tikal: Guatemala’s Cultural and Natural Heritage Site in the Heart of the Maya Forest
In Guatemala we have a very strong cultural heritage, with a unique combination of Maya, European and Caribbean influences. Guatemala’s Mayan cultural heritage is specifically strong, representing the diversity of over twenty different Mayan groups, each with different languages, traditional ethnic wears, colors, foods and worldviews. They all share some similarities, some more than others,…
Cacao in the Mayan Culture and other interesting facts
Cacao is a small evergreen tree in the family Malvaceae. Its seeds, commonly named cocoa beans, are used to make chocolate, cocoa butter, cocoa solids, and chocolate liquor. The cacao tree was an important aspect of Mesoamerican civilizations´ customs and beliefs. Especially for the Mayan societies that utilized cacao for ritualistic purposes. Evidence suggests that…
The Spring Equinox: Its importance within the Mayan Culture
During March, precisely on the 20th, one of the most important astronomical events for the Mesoamerican Region, the Spring Equinox, takes place. It’s considered the first annual mark of Earth’s movement around the Sun, depending on what part of the planet it’s been observed, it may change its meaning, but in general, it represents the…
Discovering “El Zotz”: Bats and Mayan culture
In February of this year, we had the opportunity to visit the Biotopo Protegido San Miguel La Palotada El Zotz as part of our ongoing Biodiversity Documentation project in La Reserva de la Biósfera Maya. The Biotope is located in the municipality of San José, Petén, 584 km from Guatemala City and 65 km from…
Sacred Flowers Of The Maya
For many years, flowers have been used to represent different meanings. One of the most common traditions that you still observe today is giving flowers as a symbol of affection and romance, especially now that Valentine’s Day is coming… but culturally, flowers have tended a much broader symbolism. In the Mayan culture, for example, the…
Maize: The most important crop for The Mayan Culture
It is estimated that, in Mesoamerica, agriculture could have occurred 9,000 or 10,000 years ago, approximately. This area, which covers the southern half of Mexico and part of Central America, has been considered one of the most important centers of plant domestication in the world due to the coexistence of extraordinary plant diversity and a…