In 2012, the Mayan prophecy gained force due to the alleged theory of the end of the world. Like in other occasions, absolutely nothing happened. Then experts in prophetic themes of the extinct civilization indicated that it was the end of an era, which occurs every 25 thousand years. Among the vestiges of the Mayan civilization, there are their beautiful jewelry, worn by Mayan emperors and the royal family.
According to the latest non-confirmed theory, the Mayan civilization, located in Mesoamerica, southeast of what is now known as the states of Yucatan, Campeche, Tabasco, Quintana Roo, and eastern Chiapas in Mexico, as well as much of the territory of Guatemala, Belize and western Honduras and El Salvador, developed until there was no more natural resources to be explored.
Among the resources exploited by Mesoamericans is jade, considered a precious stone with healing and even magical benefits. Besides healing diseases according to their primitive beliefs, they considered the mineral as good luck stone. It also had a meaning of fertility when used by women when they wanted to get pregnant. Wearing it among the courtiers of the empire was considered a symbol of social status.
Those who had power, used jade to make necklaces, earrings, bracelets, earrings, pectorals or necklaces in special moments for their culture. In addition, their belief in the mineral was such that funerary masks were made of jade when they made the requiem to their relatives and before proceeding with the ritual, a jade stone was placed under the corpse’s tongue in order to support him in his ascent to the beyond or to the new world to discover after death.
Jade was not the only mineral they used. Other precious stones were used by the Mayan civilization, such as turquoise, a substitute gem to make jewelry, necklaces, bracelets or earrings.
Similarly, its proximity to the Pacific Ocean made them exploit the products of the sea to feed themselves and later, use sea shells to make beautiful pendants.
Quetzal feathers, a tropical bird between 36 and 38 centimeters tall, has a spectacular combination of emerald green or turquoise blue and red carmine chest, used to decorate their pieces of jewelry.
For the Mayan culture and according to the rituals performed by their leaders, the symbolism of decorating with quetzal feathers established a magical communication with the formation and order of the universe during the performance of ceremonies held for that purpose.
Usually, the emperors and leaders were the only ones who could dress like that. It was also determined that the high hierarchies wore t-shirts made of mother-of-pearl shells that surely looked spectacular.
At that time, human relations in that civilization was similar to the one currently known in relation to the existing authorities in each community. Of course, wearing jewelry made of jade, turquoise or seashells, was common among the nobility of the Mayan Empire.
ALFA