The real scene in Tomb Raider is the best place to experience the mysterious Mayan civilization.

The game Tomb Raider: Underground World, which is popular all over the world, is deeply loved by players. In the game, the real scenes of some checkpoints in Mexico come from Chenchiiza and Smal in Yucatan Peninsula in eastern Mexico.

The mysterious Mayan civilization originated in Central America. The area of this land is less than one tenth of that of China. The east and west are surrounded by the Pacific Ocean and the Atlantic Ocean, the north is connected with the Chihuahua Desert in Mexico, and the south is separated by the isthmus of Panama connecting North and South America. About 1500 BC, Mayan civilization was born in such an isolated land. The Mayans can only survive by self-sufficiency. Compared with other civilizations that originated in Eurasia, the Mayans lost at the starting line when choosing their birthplace. There are no copper and iron mines in Yucatan Peninsula, so it is impossible to make metal tools. Even so, the Mayans used simple stone tools to build world-famous pyramids and temples. Uxmal is one of them.

Most ancient Mayans built highly civilized temple cities in dense forests. Compared with the crowded Izz, Woosmore is like a small jasper hidden in the deep forest. It is the representative of the post-classical period (about 9th century-16th century) in the heyday of the Mayan Empire. The construction of this city began around 700 AD and reached its peak in the 8th 8- 10/0th century. Covering an area of 600,000 square meters and inhabited by 25,000 people, this ancient city once flourished as a political and economic center. /kloc-in the 0/0 century, due to the cultural invasion of Torteks from central Mexico and the decline of Maya classical period, the city was gradually abandoned. The Mayans had high attainments in astronomy, mathematics and architecture. The buildings in the whole city are arranged according to the astronomical knowledge at that time, which is closely related to the known planetary positions at that time. It is not only a relic showing the unique architectural style of Maya, but also the most important one among the few Mayan civilization sites. From 65438 to 0996, Smal was listed as a world cultural heritage by UNESCO.

The natural environment of Yucatan Peninsula is not suitable for living. Although there are thousands of natural wells in central and eastern Ma Pingchuan, it is not suitable for farming because of the existence of large tropical rain forests. Smal is located in Puuc, a mountainous area in the northwest of the peninsula. "Puuc" means "mountain". The main feature of buildings in this area is that the external walls are covered with gorgeous and exquisite carvings. As can be seen from the map at the entrance of the scenic spot, there are urban relics including Smal, Kabah and Mayapan in Puke area. More than 200 years later, with the decline of classical Mayan civilization, most cities were abandoned. Smal is undoubtedly the most famous one.

The site is located in the jungle, and it takes about 5 hours to drive from the eastern part of the peninsula, whether it is the northern line or the southern line. There are not many hotels around for travelers to stay in, and the most suitable one is the resort opposite the scenic spot. I drove here the night before, woke up in the early morning with the birds singing in the tropical rain forest, and after breakfast, I could go to the ruins to "eat".

Walking on the path leading to the ruins, the dense rain forests on both sides soar into the sky, and I can't help but look forward to this ancient Mayan city. It's just that the modern gate of this scenic spot looks a little out of place with the surrounding environment.

There is a clear guide map at the entrance of the scenic spot. At present, the Mai Site in wu si is only a rectangular area about 600 meters long from east to west and about 1000 meters long from north to south. A series of buildings, such as temples, pyramids and kick halls, are arranged in turn along the central axis of the north-south direction, and the layout is very exquisite. The red line is a short tour, and the green line is a long tour. It is recommended to visit the whole scenic spot for 2-3 hours.

Unlike Ithaca, Chen Chi, there are no natural wells in Smal, so the ancient Mayans built a reservoir called "Chultun" to store rainwater. At the entrance of the scenic spot, there is a well relic.

Entering the entrance of the scenic spot, the huge "pira made del apino/ soothsayer pyramid" comes into view. It is the highest pyramid in the city, 38 meters high, with stone steps on the east and west sides, and the slope in the north-south direction is oval, which is different from the common square base. It is the only pyramid with an oval base in the Mayan world, with a long axis of about 70 meters and a short axis of about 50 meters. Compared with the square pyramids such as Itza and Thuram in Chen Chi, the stately rooms are a little more elegant.

Building the pyramids overnight must be just a legend. In Mayan language, "Uxmal" means "a city built three times". When the Mayans built buildings, they did not tear down the old ones and build new ones, but directly covered the old temples with a layer to form new ones. Archaeologists used laser scanning to find that there are four small pyramids inside this pyramid. The earliest one was built around 600 AD, and later a higher floor was added on the basis of the small golden pagoda, just like the "Russian doll". It took more than 300 years to build what it is today.

The pyramid used a lot of cement to "roughly" stick the round stones together, which looked a little rough. The front stone steps on the east side are steep, with a gradient of * * * 12 1, leading to the top platform. The stairs behind the west side are divided into three sections, each with a slightly wider platform buffer, and the high doorways on both sides are left over from the temple built for the fourth time. The Maya's superb astronomical knowledge was put to good use when building the pyramids. Every summer solstice, at sunset, the stone steps on the west side of the pyramid face the sunset.

Pyramids are mainly places where Maya held religious activities. There is a temple at the top of the tower, which is divided into three rooms, with the middle facing west. The Mayans have a tradition of offering sacrifices to the living. The priests dug out the hearts of the living in the temple at the top of the tower, and then threw the bodies down the steep stairs.

There are no rivers and lakes in Puke area, the climate is dry and rainy, and food depends entirely on the weather. Like China's ancient civilization offering sacrifices to rain, the Mayans also pinned their hopes on the rain god. The rain god "Chaak" is the rain god and lightning god in Mayan mythology. In charge of agriculture, he is one of the highest-ranking gods. Lightning is their axe, cutting clouds into thunder and lightning. Otherwise, some people always say that Maya civilization and Chinese civilization have something in common, and some even think that Maya migrated from Asia. Maya's rain god is fierce, with scales like the common monitor lizard in Yucatan Peninsula, and a long nose dragging over the square mouth. The wizard pyramid is engraved with a large number of images of the rain god, and both sides of the back ladder extend to the top hall.

At the top of the temple, a huge rain god was formed with a statue of the rain god. It opened its mouth wide and seemed to devour everything.

The porch (El Portico de Oriente/The Portico of the East) next to the east side of the pyramid is a quadrilateral surrounded by four buildings. When the Spanish colonists first arrived here, they felt that it was like a monastery, so they named it "Cuadrangulo de las Monjas/ Sister's Courtyard". In fact, there are no nuns in Mayan culture, let alone monasteries. The names of all the buildings were invented by the colonists who came here according to their own imagination. Archaeologists have different views on the use of these buildings at that time. Some people say they are palaces for priests and nobles to live in, or places where important ceremonies are held, while others say they are Mayan universities or government offices.

Around the monastery is a rectangular square 65 meters long and 45 meters wide. It has 74 rooms and was built in the 10 century. It is one of the best square buildings in Smal, and it is also a masterpiece of Puke architecture in the northern Yucatan Peninsula. There are exquisite carvings on both sides. The building in the north is relatively old, and it is also the largest and most typical Puke-style building.

The architectural sculptures in the west are the most abundant, and the buildings in the east are the best preserved. Above the middle gate, there are a large number of patterns of rain gods Chuck, Quetzalcoatl and Palindrome, which reflect the worship of gods by Maya. These patterns are complex, exquisite and imaginative.

western

East.

There is a Mayan stone tablet in the middle of the yard. Maya civilization is the only nation in America that left words. For example, the Incas in Peru and the Torteks in Mexico do not have their own scripts. But unfortunately, most of the Mayans were illiterate, and the characters were only in the hands of a few upper-class people, and they were not handed down and deciphered by archaeologists. It has brought great difficulties for future generations to study Mayan civilization and cast a mysterious veil on Mayan civilization.

Another reason why I recommend Wu Sima more is that there are fewer tourists and the site is quieter than Iza, Chen Chi, where tourist groups flock. All rooms in Sifang Temple are allowed to enter. Visitors can get close contact with Mayan buildings thousands of years ago, touch the ancient stone walls and imagine the life of Maya people at that time.

There is a pointed arch in the center of the south building, which is the only entrance and exit of the monastery. About 60 meters ahead is a small football court (El Juego de Pelota/The Ball Game Court), which was built about 800- 1000. Many people think that the pyramids are the standard of Mayan cities, but in fact, kicking the pavilion is also the standard. Cuju is an extremely important activity in Mayan life, but it is quite different from today's football rules. When using a solid rubber ball weighing 2-3 kilograms, players can only touch the ball with elbows, thighs and hips. The ball needs to return to the opponent's court before landing, and one point is scored when landing. If it passes through the stone ring on the wall, it will get extra points, and the loser will be killed and sacrificed.

In this way, the Mayans are playing football with their lives! Don't you have to train hard on weekdays? It is not surprising that the Mexican football team can shine in the World Cup, if it is passed down from generation to generation.

Palacio del Gobernador/ the governor's house is built on a three-story pedestal, with a height of15m. It is the treasure of Punk architecture, the longest palace in America before the arrival of the colonists, and the most magnificent and exquisite building in the existing Mayan ruins.

The Governor's Office is about 100 m long, 8 m high and 12 m wide. The specific purpose is not clear, but according to research, no official lives here. You can climb the "palace" along the steps in the center of the lower platform. There are 24 rooms above, and you can also go in and see them. After entering the room, I found that the interior was small and dark, just like a room in a monastery. I can't help thinking: It's so hot in Yucatan Peninsula, how can the Mayans work and live in such a room? But if these rooms are unoccupied, what are they for?

There is also an altar relic in the square in front of the palace, which is a double-headed leopard sculpture, which has weathered to the point where the leopard can't be seen. Such altars abound in Mayan ruins, and sacrifices are placed in the middle depression during sacrifice.

The roof of the Puke-style building is flat, the whole building is thick and rectangular, and the upper part of the outer wall is decorated with patterns inlaid with broken stones. Most of the Mayan buildings I have seen before are built with gravel, while the Puke-style buildings are built with concrete walls and then decorated with thin limestone slabs. The boundary of the outer wall is obvious. The lower part is a neatly arranged flat slate without any decoration. The upper part is inlaid with patterns composed of more than 20,000 carved stone slabs. The lintel on the upper part of the wall is covered with small columns arranged closely, mainly geometric patterns and masks of the rain god Chuck.

At the corner of the Governor's Palace, there is a temple called "El Templo de las Tortugas/The to Urtles Temple".

The builders of the city arranged these buildings one by one according to Mayan tradition. On the southwest side of the Governor's House is another pyramid. This 32-meter-high Great Pyramid was built in the 8th-9th century. When the site of Smal was discovered, the pyramid was in ruins, only a few steps in the north were left, and it was only restored at 1972.

You can climb to the top of the pyramid along the steps, which is the best place to overlook the whole site. Sitting on the stone steps at the top of the pyramid, the magnificent and diverse buildings are hidden among the green trees, just like an island emerging in the green ocean. As mentioned earlier, the city of Smal in Uzbekistan reached 600,000 square meters in its heyday. Today, its opening to the outside world is only the tip of the iceberg. There are many amazing wonders hidden under the endless tropical rain forest.

There is a temple at the top of the pyramid, but it is badly damaged. Archaeologists speculate that the Mayans may want to build a higher pyramid to wrap it, but perhaps the project was forced to stop because of the decline of civilization.

In the northwest of the pyramid, there is a group of "El Palomar/The Dovecote" composed of four buildings. In fact, it is a group of stone walls with lighting windows, named after its decoration reminiscent of pigeon cages. This kind of modeling is extremely rare in the vomit area, and its use is unknown.

In Smal, a Mayan relic that has not been commercialized, this unspoiled silence hidden in the jungle is extremely rare, and it is the best place to fully appreciate Mayan civilization.

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Author: desert rose

Global travel expert, travel experiencer, freelance writer and guest host. He has been to nearly 50 countries and more than 200 cities on five continents alone.