How did the Mayan culture come about? Most people believed in one of two theories. The first theory was that they simply came about and developed by themselves. The other idea states they were influenced by the Olmec culture. The center of the Olmec society believed to have influenced the Mayan culture was the civilization of La Venta. However, recent studies by a group of archaeologists led by Takeshi Inomata and Daniela Triadan of the University of Arizona have revealed the Mayan civilization Ceibal to be 200 years older than La Venta. This new information means the Mayan culture could not have been influenced by La Venta when it was being formed. The archaeologists who made this discovery now believe the civilizations of Ceibal and La Venta were both part of a social change in the Olmec culture that created a new cultural center as well as new rituals and architecture. This new, complex idea of the Mayan origin explains why the Olmec and Mayan cultures are very similar, but also why the Mayans are not just the next Olmecs.
Themes of Nature of Science:
- Science is Collaborative
- Science is Based on Evidence
- Science is Subject to Debate and Tentative
- Conflicts within the Scientific Community
- Role of Chance
- Role of Motivation and Curiosity
Site:
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/04/130425142343.htm
I read online that La Venta and Ceibal freely traded ideas, technologies, cultural elements, and even population. This would explain why the two cultures are so similar.
ReplyDeletehttp://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2013/13/130425-maya-origins-olmec-pyramid-ceibal-inomata-archaeology-science/