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Undergraduate
Research
Symposium
2023

Melanie Moreno

McKay Keith

As the Sun Shines on the Maya Civilization

This essay delves into the rich history of the Indigenous Maya culture and the kind of influence their rituals and performances had on the classic period. With the Spanish colonization of the Maya, it resulted in the complete collapse and loss of their culture and much of their work. However, the Maya seemed to have begun to collapse politically before the Spanish came to their land to colonize but a lot of their records before the Spanish arrived had been lost and researchers aren’t sure what had happened between that time. Though the Spanish destroyed much of their records, it is still prevalent to make the connection as to how the Mayan culture influenced the classic periods politics, religion and rituals/theatre.