Proof Mayan Language Exists Research Proposal Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Proof Mayan Language Exists - Research Proposal Example It also included the Yucatan Peninsula, the northwest to the Isthmus ÃŽ ¿f Tehuantepec and southwest into Honduras and El Salvador (Brainerd 7). The Maya culture had interesting aspects in their civilization or that they accomplished over time. The important aspects ÃŽ ¿f the Mayas are their physical characteristics, how they dress, their social organization, the agriculture, art and techniques, religion, god and goddesses, architecture, trade, mathematics and government. The physical characteristics ÃŽ ¿f the Maya culture are the following; they were short, long-bodied, and chunky, with good muscle development and a tendency to gain weight. The heads were broad, lips prominent, noses had a high convex bridge and curved pendulous tip. The chin and forehead were somewhat receding, eyes had a mongoloid cast with heavy lids and cheekbones were prominent. Skin color varied from medium to dark-brown, and the hair was black, straight to rarely wavy (Brainerd 9). A greater physical variability among the highlands Maya, the language diversity, and the historical accounts all suggest that they have been subject to much more outside influence than have the lowland peoples. (Robinson 2002) The Maya language is spoken by most Yucatecans. But many ÃŽ ¿f them do not speak Spanish. There is evidence ÃŽ ¿f impoverishment ÃŽ ¿f Maya vocabulary over the last 200 years, but the language is still in good form (Brainerd 10). In the warm climate ÃŽ ¿f the Maya area, clothing as protection from the elements had never been a necessity. Maya clothing was used as decoration and the most spectacular clothes were for the priest. The Maya personages wore large earplugs, necklaces, breastplates, ornaments attached to the nose, lips, waist, legs, arms, all were used for resplendent effect (Brainerd 68). Mayan peasants wore very little. The men had a simple loincloth or rather a band ÃŽ ¿f material that went once around their waist and then between their legs.