For many, December 21, 2012 was an ordinary and unusual day. If you were at work or school, you would find someone staring at the cloudy sky waiting for something, and someone calculating the time to guess if something unpredictable would happen when a certain point actually came.
This "mystery" that involved almost everyone had to do with the Mayans. Legend has it that the Mayans once left a prophecy that by this day in 2012, the end of the world would come and the earth would be destroyed.
The disaster scene depicted in the movie "The End of the World 2012", of course, naturally nothing happened on that day. But it's not that the Mayans' prophecies have failed, it's that there are many myths about this suddenly disappearing civilization.
For example, the term "end of the world" is actually a misunderstanding caused by our lack of understanding of the unique Mayan concept of time.
Unlike modern people, who believe that time is gone forever, the Mayans believe that time does not disappear but repeats itself. Archaeologists and astronomers have calculated that December 13, 2012 was the time when the Mayan time epoch completed a cycle. The so-called end of the world is actually the end of an old cycle in their conception, but it is also the beginning of a new cycle.
This is not the only misconception we have about the Maya. Many people's impression of this 3,000-year-old civilization may be limited to "ancient" and "backward". But judging by the artifacts found in archaeology, there is a highly developed society hidden in it that is very different from what we imagined. Moreover, the Mayans actually lived a more "cool" life than modern people:
The modern popular leopard print outfit has long been tried by the Mayans. On a clay cup excavated from the Maya, you can see the moon goddess sitting on a throne on the right side of the picture, wearing a bodysuit made of jaguar skin.
Pottery cups excavated from the Maya, the goddess of the moon in a leopard-print bodysuitWhen we consider milk tea to be popular, in the manuscripts, murals, and carvings of the Mayan period, the Maya can be seen grinding cocoa beans into powder and mixing them with other ingredients to make a hot drink to drink. Of course, there are also some strange ingredients mixed in, such as chili peppers, to make a cup of "spicy cocoa", which also tastes very wonderful. It is worth mentioning that these drinks were very expensive at the time and were generally only available to the aristocracy.
Mayan aristocrats enjoying a sparkling cocoa drink When we still thought that the ancients were bored, we can see a large number of scenes of Maya people "smoking cigars" in the artifacts unearthed in Maya. After a full meal, smoking a cigar is both a relaxing pleasure and a way for them to enter a psychedelic state and get closer to the gods.
The clay pots depicting the rulers smoking cigars, the once thriving Mayan civilization, would have been limited to a limited imagination if archaeologists had not told us. Without archaeology, we would not know about the rise and fall of other civilizations such as Egypt, the Xiongnu, and the Great Yue, as well as their magnificent architecture, complex calendars, intricate writing, and mysterious beliefs. Those brilliant cultures that guide us to "where we come from and where we will go" can only wait for the wind erosion of time. As Professor Li Zero of the Department of Chinese at Peking University said, archaeology helps people "find the world back" again, both in Chinese history and in global history.
Why do we need to know a little archaeology: archaeology allows us to maintain an objective understanding of the world, of ourselves.
The archaeology of the ruins of Mirador in the late pre-classical era of the Mayan civilization brings us objective wisdom. Without archaeology, the existence of Atlantis, Babylon, and ancient Rome would only be distorted by word of mouth. What archaeology brings to us is the wisdom of competition. The race for the survival of civilization is more brutal than war and commercial competition, and the result of losing is that it will completely disappear from human civilization and have no chance of restarting. Under such competition rules, we will see how hard civilization works in order to survive and develop. Archaeology also gives us an opportunity to observe the world's civilizations: while our civilizations have lit up the technologies of papermaking, gunpowder, and printing, some civilizations have only developed into the Stone Age.
Mayan ball game
Unlike the study of history, archaeology requires the constant excavation of evidence, reasoning through evidence, and finally drawing conclusions. It looks like a funny science fiction novel, but the reality is extremely difficult, and archaeologists are very good miscellaneous people. They are detectives in history, who know history, but do not fully believe in history, and need to restore the truth through repeated scrutiny and argumentation through evidence.
Underwater archaeology team members can establish a more complete world view by searching ancient waterways to understand archaeology, which will bring great upgrades to our cognition. Luckily, we now don't need to spend a lot of time looking at the hard-to-tell information on the Internet to get this upgrade. In the excellent course of "Great World Civilizations", 10 national archaeological captains have gathered overseas to explore the top ten unmissable mysterious ruins such as Maya and Egypt for you! The book of the same name has been published. Buy the "Great World Civilization" course worth 99 yuan now, and give a physical book worth 108 yuan for a limited time, and you only need 48% off when you get it. 10 archaeological captains tell about the 10 unmissable mysterious sites 700-minute essence course takes you deep into the archaeological site to reveal the historical mysteries that have yet to be solved▼ Long follow the picture to identify the QR code, receive the gift book Friends who want to know more about it, may wish to take a look together: Why does the excellent course of "Great World Civilization" attract so many people to listen?
The "Great World Civilizations" course takes you to 10 of the world's first archaeological sites
We sincerely invite ten famous Chinese archaeologists, including Wang Wei, Li Xinwei and Li Zhanyang, to talk about the 10 first archaeological sites in the world that they have participated in or are still personally involved, and specially customize a map of world civilization drawn by sound "archaeology" for you.
Let us follow the eyes and mouths of Chinese archaeologists, trace the origin and drift along the long river of global history connected by these ten world archaeological sites, look at the general spectrum of the rise and fall of the world, look back at the journey of Sino-Western transportation, unravel the code of civilization, and unveil the archaeological veil.
General Preface: World Archaeology and the "Finding the World Back"
According to Professor Li Zero of the Department of Chinese at Peking University, "The discovery of antiquity is not only the discovery of a lost world, but also a great spiritual return. In the preface of the course, we are fortunate to invite Mr. Li Ling again to lead us to explore the development of world archaeology, reveal what kind of material foundation and spiritual preparation Chinese archaeology has today, and discover a "world to find back". ▶ Listen to the interpretation of archaeologists: (1) Why is archaeology a "world to find back"?(2) How is the map of the world "symmetrical"?(3) Why are the world's major civilizations "lost civilizations"?
Stop 1 The Great Rift Valley – In Search of the Common Mother of Mankind
To answer the question, "Where did we come from?" we must first go back to ancient times. In 1974, archaeologists discovered the first 3.2 million-year-old fossil of an ancient human walking upright in East Africa, considered the "grandmother of man". Professor Li Zhanyang, leader of the China-Kenya archaeology team on the origin of modern humans and professor of Shandong University, will tell us in combination with the latest archaeological discoveries in Africa, whether the Chinese came out of Africa? Listen to the interpretation of archaeologists: (1) Why is "human origin" not equal to "modern human origin"? (2) Did our ancestors all come out of East Africa? (3) What kind of prehistoric collision did China and Africa have? ▶
Stop 2 Honduras – Step into the mysterious Mayan civilization
Maya, how mysterious is it? Why do Maya people have some strange fetishes? They may have been the first to start using drugs and eating chocolate, they also like to play football, they seem to like the theory of infinite loops, the buildings are like "matryoshka dolls", and they are obsessed with tattoos and make their children look at each other. In the opinion of archaeologists, the Maya were a complex and strange civilization. Mr. Li Xinwei, the leader of the archaeological team of the Maya Copan site and a researcher at the Institute of Archaeology of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, will unveil the mystery of the Mayan civilization for us. ▶ Listen to the archaeologists' interpretation: (1) Why did the mysterious Mayan civilization suddenly disappear?(2) What was the life of the aristocracy like during the Mayan period?(3) Why did the Maya have the prophecy of "the end of the world"?Stop 3 Egypt - Discover the secrets of the ancient Egyptian temple
The Egyptian civilization, which is as ancient as the Chinese civilization, is actually divided into the early, middle and late stages, but what everyone knows more is the "Pharaonic Civilization" in the later period, and this course is about the early Egyptian civilization, and the archaeological site is the Mentu Temple with a history of more than 3,000 years, which is basically the same period as the Shang Dynasty in China. This is an extension of Egyptian history, and when we talk about Egypt later, we can talk about more than just the pyramids. Mr. Wang Wei, former director of the Institute of Archaeology of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, as the Chinese general director of the Sino-Egyptian joint archaeological project, will take us through the past and the present, from the pharaonic tombs in the Valley of the Kings to the Temple of the God of War in the ancient city of Luxor, and into the site of ancient Egyptian civilization. ▶ Listen to the archaeologists' interpretation: (1) Why did ancient Egypt believe that people could be resurrected after death?(2) Why was the temple of Mentu rediscovered after 80 years?(3) What is the relationship between the Egyptian temple and the Yin Ruins of the Shang Dynasty?Stop 4 Uzbekistan - Trace the life history of the Da Yue clan
Unlike the farming peoples, the nomads have always had relatively little pen and ink in history, and when they appeared, they were basically fighting wars and plundering resources, which was very one-sided. This lesson is to dispel the public's "prejudice" against nomads, how do they live? Why do they have no fixed residence? Do they really love killing? Wang Jianxin, the Chinese leader of the Sino-Ukrainian joint archaeological team and a professor of the Department of Archaeology of Northwest University, will lead us back to that turbulent era. ▶ Listen to the interpretation of archaeologists: (1) Where are the footprints of the Da Yue clan that Zhang Qian sent to the Western Regions to find?(2) The ancient nomads were not in fact indefinite? (3) Why did the ancient Da Yue people not like to fight and do business? Stop 5 Mongolia - Explore the past and present life of the Xiongnu Dragon City
In history, the Xiongnu, who fought against the Han Dynasty for a hundred years, were also ancient and powerful nomads. After their temporary defeat at the hands of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, the whereabouts of the Huns became a mystery for the ages. Mr. Chen Yongzhi, the Chinese leader of the Sino-Mongolian archaeological team and the director of the Inner Mongolia Museum, will explore the past and present life of the Xiongnu "Dragon City" in combination with important archaeological discoveries in recent years. ▶ Listen to the interpretation of archaeologists: (1) What mysteries did the Xiongnu who swept across Eurasia leave behind?(2) How to find the missing 2,000-year-old "Dragon City" from the cliff carvings of the Han Dynasty?(3) Why is the legendary Xiongnu "Dragon City" not for the common people? Stop 6 Bangladesh - Looking for the lost legend of Buddhism
As a former Buddhist center in India, Bangladesh retains many precious Buddhist relics. Buddhism in this land has gone through different stages such as the beginning, the sects, the Mahayana, and the Vajrayana, and the different sects have fought with each other and merged with each other. It was once the center of Buddhism in India, and it was also the place where the originator of Tibetan Buddhism once lived, and it was once a prominent holy place, and the architectural style of the "cross-shaped" central shrine here also influenced the Dunhuang Caves and Angkor Wat in Cambodia. Mysterious religious stories are waiting for you to explore. Mr. Chai Huanbo, the Chinese leader of the Sino-Bangladesh joint archaeological team and a researcher at the Hunan Provincial Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology, excavated the ruins of a huge cross-shaped Vajrayana monastery here. What kind of lost legend of Buddhism will be unveiled for us by this precious Buddhist heritage?Listen to the interpretation of archaeologists: (1) What kind of lost legend of Buddhism is hidden in Bangladesh?(2) Why is the architecture of the central holy place of Buddhism popular "cross-shaped"?▶(3) How to dig out an ancient medieval Buddhist city with a hoe?Stop 7 Cambodia – Saving the Fourth Wonder of the Ancient East
Cambodia is a country with a long history of Buddhism in Southeast Asia, and once became the center of Buddhism in Southeast Asia. The world-famous Angkor Wat and other large Buddhist temple buildings are a sign of the prosperity of Buddhism in Cambodia. So, why did the once splendid Angkor complex become in ruins, and how did the rescue of Angkor become an international action? Liu Shuguang, the general director of China's aid to Cambodia's Angkor heritage conservation project, former deputy director of the State Administration of Cultural Heritage, and former president of the Chinese Academy of Cultural Heritage, will tell us this story of ups and downs. ▶ Listen to the interpretation of archaeologists: (1) Where is the mysterious temple in Tomb Raider?(2) How did Angkor Wat come back from the ruins?(3) What secrets are hidden in the unfinished Khmer buildings 1,000 years ago?Stop 8 Iran – the "engine" of the ancient Silk Road
As one of the origins of ancient civilizations, Iran not only gave birth to the brilliant Persian civilization, but also an important hub connecting West Asia and Central Asia, northern nomadic civilization and southern agricultural civilization. Professor Zhang Liangren, the Chinese leader of the Sino-Iranian joint archaeological team and a professor at the School of History of Nanjing University, will take us to a mound site that has been in use for 6,000 years and unravel the secrets of this mysterious land in Central Asia. ▶ Listen to the archaeologists' interpretation: (1) What role did Iran play in the ancient Silk Road?(2) Why did the ancient Iranians choose to build houses on the ruins?(3) Why did Chinese blue and white porcelain become popular in Iran?Stop 9 Saudi Arabia – Uncovering the underwater world of the Maritime Silk Road
On the other side of the Persian Gulf, Saudi Arabia on the Red Sea has also had a long history of exchanges with China through the Maritime Silk Road since ancient times. According to the literature, Du Huan in the Tang Dynasty, Wang Dayuan in the Yuan Dynasty, Ma Huan in the Ming Dynasty and others have left their footprints here. From the perspective of Mr. Jiang Bo, the leader of the "China-Saudi Arabia Port Salin Site Archaeological Project" and the director of the Institute of Underwater Archaeology of the State Administration of Cultural Heritage, we will remove the mist and get a glimpse of the grand scene before the advent of the Age of Discovery. ▶ Listen to the interpretation of archaeologists: (1) Why did the underwater world form a fierce "battle for national treasures"?(2) Why did the Arabs use coral stone tombs?(3) What kind of animal was the "unicorn" brought back to China from Mecca?Stop 10 Kenya - The "bloodline" of Zheng He's fleet in Africa
The most prestigious voyage in ancient China was Zheng He's seven voyages to the West. This 28-year maritime expedition has visited more than 30 countries and regions, and the farthest known destination is Kenya in Africa. Professor Qin Dashu, the leader of China's terrestrial archaeology project in Kenya and a professor at the School of Archaeology and Museums of Peking University, will lead us across the Indian Ocean to distant Africa to find the true purpose of Zheng He's voyage to the West. ▶ Listen to the interpretation of archaeologists: (1) Why do black Africans call themselves "descendants of the Middle Ages"?(2) Why are porcelain objects that cannot be seen in China found in Africa?(3) What is the real purpose of Zheng He's voyage to the West?"The Great World Civilization" physical book World Archaeology First-hand Information Exclusive Disclosure 01
10 front-line archaeologists with multi-dimensional perspectives
In the book, ten front-line archaeological leaders who "went out" will return to 10 ancient civilizations around the world, such as Egypt and Angkor Wat, from a Chinese perspective, and personally tell what they thought during the excavation, as well as the connotation of civilization behind the archaeological remains.
When you turn the pages of the book, your questions about lost civilizations will be answered one by one: what archaeological imprints did the Xiongnu leave behind when they swept across Eurasia? How did Angkor Wat come back from the ruins? Did Zheng He's fleet really leave its "blood" in Africa? How did the map of global civilization form?02
More than 500 precious pictures + a large number of first-hand information, the content of the book is professional but easy to read. In order to give everyone a more intuitive understanding of archaeology and history, the book is not only equipped with 500+ precious archaeological detail maps, but also combined to help you easily build a broad map of world civilization in your mind. 03
It is an archaeology-related book, and it is also a must-have manual for museums, and it also sets up special topics such as museums and typical artifacts. Each artifact has a detailed text interpretation underneath. Many places involving tombs and coffins have also been drawn with relevant schematic diagrams. By letting the cultural relics "speak", you can have a more intuitive feeling of the brilliant civilization submerged in the torrent of history. In addition, after learning about the "treasures" of major world-class museums through this book, you will never be afraid to visit museums again.
With the development of society and history, the world is gradually becoming "flat". However, the splendid civilization that mankind has experienced together is not just lying in the literature and screens. Only by looking at the world can we have a world view. Let's follow the perspective of archaeologists and embark on a remarkable journey of world civilization. 10 Overseas Archaeological Captains Tell the World's Top 10 Archaeological Monuments You Must Not Miss 700-minute Essence Course Takes You Deep into the Archaeological Site to Uncover the Mystery of History Unsolved Author: Madoka