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Millennia have passed since the Mayan culture thrived amongst the jungles and shores of modern-day Cancun and the Yucatan Peninsula. A highly intelligent civilization with precise understanding of agriculture, astronomy, and math, the Mayans devised a complex hieroglyphic alphabet, charted paths of the moon and stars, invented the number "zero" for mathematical use and developed a calendar system that's more accurate than the one we use today.
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The Mayas were one of only two peoples to develop and sustain an urban culture in a rainforest setting. But Mayan cities were not cities in the modern sense. Because this ancient culture was so strongly devoted to its religion, the urban centers they built consisted primarily of massive temples and monuments used in worship for their gods. These urban centers were barely habitable because, as lush as rainforests are, the free-growing vegetation and other flora sap the soil of nutrients, making it extremely poor agricultural land. As a result, the Mayan's ceremonial centers served a population that was dispersed in the surrounding areas. |
In fact, it is estimated that during the classic period of Mayan culture, the population was less than 30 people per square mile. With so few people available for labor, the construction of Mayan temples and monuments is even more impressive.
Vestiges of these holy structures are still standing in Cancun, preserved by dense jungles and rainforests. In El Meco, just five kilometers from Cancun, a pyramid dubbed El Castillo (The Castle), features fans - symbols of commerce - encrusted on its facades, to mark its significance as a commercial center. In the Hotel Zone, the monuments of El Rey were erected and vestiges of brightly colored murals remain. Archaeological wonder even extends to Cancun's golf courses, where golfers encounter an isolated temple on the legendary "Pok-ta-Pok" course.
Other remarkable archaeological sites are found within a two-hour drive from Cancun's Hotel Zone. In the capital city of Chichen Itza, 117 miles west of Cancun, the majestic Kukulcan pyramid rises from the earth. Actually a calendar made of stone, the pyramid is joined by the largest Ball Game in Mesoamerica, a Mayan astronomic observatory and the building of the Nuns which features a crack that reveals various stages of the pyramid's construction.
The ancient city looming above five lagoons, Coba is 101.5 miles from Cancun and is made up of various Mayan communities. In its era, Coba extended over 70 square miles. Nohoch Mul, the tallest pyramid on the north of the peninsula, still stands and offers seemingly infinite views over the jungle.
The recently discovered Ek-Balam was once a sacred center and seat of power. Located 90 miles from Cancun, the walled city is just beginning to reveal its secrets through its buildings, temples and palaces.
Just 82 miles south of Cancun, the cliff-side city of Tulum is among Mexico's most-visited Mayan ruins. The walled city's remaining castle and temple are decorated figures of the god descending and overlook the vast turquoise ocean.
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Come celebrate the Mayan traditions in Cancun with ICOM, April 13-16, 2008. |
REGISTRATION DEADLINE - MARCH 11, 2008
2008 INTERNATIONAL WORLD MANAGEMENT CONFERENCE
CANCUN, MEXICO - APRIL 13-16, 2008
Information and Registration - click here
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