FACTS ABOUT MAYANS

ALTHOUGH THEIR CIVILIZATION HAS DECLINED AND BEEN

CONQUERED, IN MANY RURAL PARTS OF MEXICO AND

GUATEMALA THE MAYAN LANGUAGE AND CULTURE

PERSEVERES

IN FACT, THERE ARE AN ESTIMATED 7 MILLION MAYA

STILL LIVING IN AND AROUND THE YUCATAN PENINSULA

SOME LINGUISTS BELIEVE THAT THE WORD "SHARK"

WAS ORIGINALLY A MAYAN WORD

THE PRE-COLOMBIAN MAYANS OFTEN SOUGHT TO

"ENHANCE" THE PHYSICAL FEATURES OF THEIR CHILDREN.

MOTHERS WOULD PRESS BOARDS ON THE FOREHEADS OF

THEIR KIDS SO THAT THEY WOULD BE FLATTER

(MOSTLY JUST IN THE UPPER CLASS)

OBJECTS WERE ALSO OFTEN DANGLED IN FRONT OF A

BABY'S EYES UNTIL THE BABY WAS CROSS EYED,

WHICH WAS ANOTHER DESIRABLE TRAIT FOUND IN NOBILITY

CHILDREN WERE ALL NAMED ACCORDING TO THE DAY

ON WHICH THEY WERE BORN

MAYAN MEDICINE WAS ACTUALLY QUITE ADVANCED.

THEY SUTURED WOUNDS USING HUMAN HAIR, FILLED TEETH

AND EVEN MADE PROSTHESIS

SOME MAYANS TODAY STILL PRACTICE BLOOD SACRIFICE.

DON'T WORRY THOUGH, HUMAN SACRIFICE IS NO LONGER

PRACTICED…CHICKENS ONLY

MAYANS USED PAINKILLERS TAKEN FROM THEIR NATURAL

ENVIRONMENT IN BOTH RELIGIOUS RITUALS

(AS HALLUCINOGENIC DRUGS) AND IN MEDICINE

(AS ANESTHETICS)