The Toltecs don't belong to the Maya,
they are more predecessors of the Aztecs.
The Maya were the culture with the most
elaborate and interesting writings.
But you are right, we can find on the one
hand extreme violence and brutality among
nearly all Mesoamerican cultures, and
on the other hand highest culture in form
of hierogylphs and writing systems.
I guess people back then were not that
different from today, some just wanted
to be peaceful farmers, while others
insisted on repulsive rituals, bloody
sacrifices and endless wars. The film
Apocaylpto from Mel Gibson describes
it well, I think it is quite authentic.
-J.
----- Original Message -----
From: Douglas Roberts
To: The Friday Morning Applied Complexity Coffee Group
Sent: Wednesday, April 28, 2010 1:03 AM
Subject: Re: [FRIAM] Palenque, Chichen Itza and more
I think the Toltecs were the most bloody, degenerate, disreputable culture
that has disgraced the planet in semi-recorded history (present company
excluded, of course). Handball games where the captain of the winning team
was obliged to decapitate the captain of the losing team and then do a
slam-dunk with the head?
No, thanks.
The ruins in Chichen-Itza are impressive, though.
--Doug
============================================================
FRIAM Applied Complexity Group listserv
Meets Fridays 9a-11:30 at cafe at St. John's College
lectures, archives, unsubscribe, maps at http://www.friam.org
