Apocalypto

The height of Mayan civilization may end some 1,600 years, but this enigmatic empire seems to make a comeback. Last Friday, December 8th, movie theaters in North America has released the highly anticipated feature Mel Gibson, Apocalypto, filmed in Mexico, bringing the late, great Mayan civilization to life on the big screen.

For centuries the world has been mystified and intrigued by this unique culture. Considered one of the greatest civilizations of all time, and regarded as the most remarkable minds of ancient Mexico, the Maya were an advanced society, incredibly enlightened for their time. Not only the Mayans an incredibly advanced civilization much like the Greeks, but their legacy continues today in areas ranging from central Mexico to Honduras, like the Greek heritage that has transgressed the tests time.

Mel Gibson's Apocalypto is entirely in Yucatec Maya language and the cast consists of local indigenous Mayan actors. Filmed in Veracruz, Mexico, the movie depicts ancient Mayan life and also connotes to the Mayan prophecy, "Fin de los Tiempos", in which they prophesized that the world would end its fourth year of current cycle in 5200 and the winter solstice of December 21, 2012. Cycles play a huge role in Mayan culture and a large amount of their time was spent studying astronomical rotations and synchronicity to human events.

While the great Maya cities portrayed in the movie are gone, the ruins remain offering visitors to Mexico a unique piece of history and culture to absorb.

Mayan Culture
The Mayans cultivated the most advanced written language of the hemisphere, excelled as astronomers and mathematicians were highly qualified, being the first in the world to arrive at the concept of zero, and use complex calculations. They were also admirable urban planners and their cities were filled with monumental temples which Grand was built without the use of tools such as we know them today.

Mayan cities were carefully designed with temples and places in the center and a nearby ball court, which enabled the Mayans to play a game considered the precursor to soccer. The ruins of these cities are amazing in all of Mexico, particularly in the states of Yucatan. Exciting new discoveries in the field of archeology are revealing countless treasures from their temples and pyramids as scientists work to unravel the mysteries of the past.

The area of the Maya civilization extended throughout the northern Central American nations that includes today's Guatemala, Belize, western Honduras and El Salvador and the southern states of Chiapas, Mexico , Tabasco, Quintana Roo, Campeche, Yucatan. Their history can be traced through three major periods: the Pre-Classic from 2000 BC to 200 AD, the Classic from 200 AD to 900 AD, and the post-classical from 900 AD to 1521 AD that people worldwide are in awe of these advances, it is becoming increasingly popular to study them and learn more about the Mayans via travel, literature and Now, the cinema.

Chichen Itza
In their most remarkable buildings, Chichen-Itza remains one of the most famous Mayan sites, and is currently a finalist to become a new Seven World Wonder. Located in Yucatan State, Chichen Itza in Mexico is one of the creations most impressive archaeological, and one of the most visited monuments in the country. When built by the Mayans, these magnificent pyramids were perfectly aligned with the sun and Chichen-Itza was constructed so that during the equinoxes the sun casts a shadow of a serpent descending the stairs of the north of the pyramid. This effect was the result of the Maya.