Chapter TenThe Maya
The Story of the Maya
The mysterious Mayan civilization existed in South America from sometime before 500B.C.
evolving through the Olmecs, the Toltecs, the Mayans and the Aztecs, who held power over the
lands until the arrival of the Spanish. A complete run down of the History of the Maya is not
required for the purposes of this work however a brief history is in order.
Like that of ancient Egypt, the civilization of the Mayans is one that seems to have sprung ‘full
blown’ into existence. There is no period of development, suddenly it was just ‘there!’ Though
unfortunately there exists now only very little information at all about the actual Civilization due
to the brutal irresponsible acts committed by the Spanish Conquistadors under the callous
leadership of Hernando Cortez in their invasion, destruction and vandalism of the Empire in 1519
A.D. In their Ego and greed, the Spanish invaders sought to thoroughly loot the whole country,
kill or enslave the entire population and systematically destroy every trace of the culture in the
name of Spain, the Roman Catholic Church and of course, gold.
But just stop and think about that for a minute –
Why gold?
Gold has always been considered a prize throughout our entire history. It is but a soft yellow
metal of little practical use, yet it has always been considered worthy of invasion, war or even
murder to obtain. Few substances on earth can arouse more lust or greed in the hearts of men.
Why?
Why was gold, a metal for which there was no real use for in the ancient past, ever considered
to be so valuable? It is soft and can be polished. Its great stuff for making pretty trinkets from but
it is virtually useless in regards to any practical application. It’s much too soft to be used for items
that would have been considered of value in the past such, as weapons or armor, or for use in
building or industry or really for anything but decoration. Of course it has unique electrical
properties but would people in ancient have known or needed that?
How and why could gold have ever served any useful purpose to have been deemed so
valuable and sought after in such remote and ancient times?
The Aztecs used no form of money or metal tools yet when the Spanish arrived they were
astounded and amazed by the beauty and sheer volume of treasures the Indians possessed. When
they arrived at Cuzco they found a city that was quite literally covered with gold, even the