All about the ancient tribes
Mayan Gold is a unique heritage variety, because they are the first potato in the UK from the indigenous Phureja potatoes of Peru. Mayan Gold have a rich golden colour and a moreish flavour. They have a fluffy flesh which results in excellent roasties, chips and jackets.
The Mayas wore a great deal of jewelry – earrings , nose rings , lip rings, necklaces, pins and more. The poor wore jewelry made of bone and sticks and painted clay. The rich wore jewelry of gold , silver , copper , turtle shell, and gemstones. The nobles wore hats, the higher the better.
Early on in the civilization metal was hard to find so the Mayans made jewelry form bone, jaguar teeth, claws, stone, and feathers. With the discovery of more metals they would eventually incorporate bronze, gold and silver. The precious stone jade was also used in jewelry .
The Maya . Although gold was panned in the Guatemala highlands, it was not produced in great quantity. For the most part, Mayans traded for their gold with other Mesoamerican peoples[5]. It is also considered the biggest collection of gold work discovered in the region.
The Aztec empire’s extravagant use of precious metals, gem stones and feathers beguiled the Spanish conquistadors when they arrived in the city. The Aztecs valued using gold for plates, ornaments, medals, and other decorations. Although Montezuma discouraged it, violence inevitably broke out in the city.
Two thousand years ago, the ancient Maya developed one of the most advanced civilizations in the Americas. They developed a written language of hieroglyphs and invented the mathematical concept of zero. With their expertise in astronomy and mathematics, the Maya developed a complex and accurate calendar system.
Scholars have suggested a number of potential reasons for the downfall of Maya civilization in the southern lowlands, including overpopulation, environmental degradation, warfare, shifting trade routes and extended drought. It’s likely that a complex combination of factors was behind the collapse.
Yucatec Maya
The Ancient Mayans developed the science of astronomy, calendar systems, and hieroglyphic writing. They were also known for creating elaborate ceremonial architecture, such as pyramids, temples, palaces, and observatories. These structures were all built without metal tools. The Maya were skilled weavers and potters.
The ancient Maya considered jade to be divine and therefore far more important than gold. The stone had much religious meaning and was used to make both artistic and sacred objects. The nobility wore jade ear plugs, pendants, necklaces, masks and wristbands. Kings even inserted jade chips in their teeth.
Commonly used materials were copper, gold and silver, shells, clay, wood, rock such as obsidian, and feathers. Various precious stones were used, such as jade, quartz (such as amethyst), opal, moonstone, and turquoise. These were highly polished when used in Aztec jewelry and ornaments.
The ancient Maya never used coins as money . Instead, like many early civilizations, they were thought to mostly barter, trading items such as tobacco, maize, and clothing.
Aztecs and the Importance of Gold The main use of gold in the ancient Aztec society was for personal adornment. Many items are unmistakably jewelry pieces although some encapsulated complex religious iconography.
jade