What makes Mayan structures unique?

Features of Maya architecture include multi-level elevated platforms, massive step-pyramids, corbelled roofing, and monumental stairways. Exteriors were decorated with sculpture and mouldings of Maya glyphs, geometric shapes, and iconography from religion such as serpent masks.



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The ruins left by the Maya are the remnants of a civilization going back 5,000 years ago. The remaining constructions are the living testimony of the sophisticated lifestyle they had. The Mayan temples, stelae and ceramic artifacts have an appealing history that attract curious visitors from all over the world.

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The Mayan Empire, centered in the tropical lowlands of what is now Guatemala, reached the peak of its power and influence around the sixth century A.D. The Maya excelled at agriculture, pottery, writing, calendars and mathematics, and left behind an astonishing amount of impressive architecture and symbolic artwork.

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The sacrificial pyramids' steps were used as a mean to “finish off” the sacrificed bodies by throwing them from the top of the stair to the bottom of the pyramid. The steepness in that case insured that the body would indeed roll all the way down.

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