The document discusses a simulation that allows users to explore the ancient Mayan city of Tikal through three quests. The quests aim to help understand how the thriving Mayan civilization vanished and their predictions for humanity. Users can explore remnants of Tikal to solve the mystery. The simulation incorporates Mayan calendars, sacrificial rituals in cenotes or underground wells, and the impact of such practices on Mayan culture. The simulation is intended to foster collaboration beyond limitations of time and space.
Mayan Temple Collaboration Beyond Space and Time tcc 3_12066
1. Collaboration Beyond Time and
Virtual Space
Dr. Andrew Stricker John Orosco
Dr. Cynthia Calongne Michael Spencer
Mayan Temple Holodeck Ali Soleimani
TCC 2012 April 18, 2012
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Se e e ba C l tl asg s
ta C l rt e s P sa e
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6. Maya Simulation Storyline
The ancient city of Tikal hides a secret for
helping to understand the Mayan view of
the five epochs of the human species. In
this simulation you will be presented with
three quests to help with understanding
how a thriving Mayan civilization vanished
from the pages of history leaving behind
their prediction for the future of humans.
Only remnants of the city of Tikal remain
for you to explore to help with
understanding the mystery.
7. Mayan Sacrifices into Cenotes
Interest Underground Caves and Wells – Impact on Culture
A
10. Thank you!
Collaboration Beyond Time and Virtual Space
Dr. Andrew Stricker John Orosco
Dr. Cynthia Calongne Michael Spencer
Ali Soleimani
Editor's Notes
Tikal. We’re atop the pyramid containing the cosmology items. Each has note cards which, once clicked, offers information about them. There are also “Easter Eggs” that will open web-site for future exploration. These two temples in Tikal are referred to as Temple 1 and Temple II The grassy area between the temples was once covered with a limestone plaster. The pavement was re-surfaced once every 150 years, may have served to further accentuate the incredible acoustics that exist between the two temples. We’re facing the Temple II, also known as the Temple of the Masks. It’s about 125 feet tall. Temple, which we are standing on almost identical temple, temple I. Temple II was constructed sometime after Temple I, in the middle of the 8th century AD. It is believed that Ah Cacau, ruler from A.D.684, created Temple II to honor his wife.
The “interest curve”, referred to my Jesse Schell in his book The Art of Game Design: A book of lenses. Point A: A person comes in with some level of interest. Point B: Called the “hook”; this as is something that grabs you. Once hooked we “settle down” and get to business. Point C & E: If the experience is done well, then the person’s interest will rise continually; peaking (temporality) at C & E, but dropping, temporarily to Point D & F: The temporary drops from the peaks. There is the anticipation of interest rising again. Point G: The climax Point H: the resolution. If done well, the person will leave with some interest left over and, perhaps, he has developed greater interest than when first engaging the event. Schell, J. (2008). The Art of Game Design: A book of lenses. New York: Morgan Kaufmann.
These offer the Easter Eggs. The information about each is extensive, so much so, that it cannot be contained on a note card. The website enhances the experience and should further motivate the person to continue with their exploration. Is December 21, 2012 the end of time – the end of the world? Or is it simply a designation, a metaphoric reminder that matter returns to light around that time? The calendar is the calendar system that was used by the Aztecs as well as other Pre-Columbian peoples of central Mexico. It is one of the Mesoamerican calendars, sharing the basic structure of calendars from throughout ancient Mesoamerica, such as the Mayans. It is a 365-day calendar cycle called xiuhpohualli (year count) and a 260-day ritual cycle called tonalpohualli (day count). These two cycles together formed a 52-year "century," sometimes called the "calendar round".
Tonatiuh's Face is the face of the sun, Lord of Heaven. The tongue, stuck out is the form of an obsidian knife, indicates that the deity demands to be fed with blood and human hearts. Four Rings: 1st from Center. Four Olin representing the Earthquake Epoch or Sun. The four epochs represented inside the square portions of this symbol correspond to the four previous epochs also called suns. 2nd The second ring from the center is composed of 20 named days contained in one month, also used for naming years. Each year starts on one of four of these 20 days. 3rd Sun Rays - Chalchihuite Ornaments - Splashed Blood Symbols 4th (Outer Ring) - Dedication Plate - Herbs with Buds - White Scrolls - Flame Sign - Xiucoatl's Tail
Seen here in the great plaza, the massive stones (Stelae) were used to record the events of the time. Many are covered with glyphic writing, and pictures. Over 200 stone stelae, altars and glyphic stones have been discovered in the city of Tikal. The stones provide much of the evidence that archaeologists have used to decipher the intricacies of life in the ancient Mayan civilization. Though they are not completely understood, ongoing research of the glyph-covered tablets continues to provide new revelations about the ancient Maya. Stelae (singular stela) were large stone carvings used by the Maya to celebrate the rise of a king or to mark celestial passages. They predate codices. The last stelae were erected near the end of the Classic period, codices were written even during the Spanish conquest. The Spanish did not destroy the stelae which is where the bulk of our knowledge of the Mayans comes from. Interestingly it wasn't until the last few decades that we have been able to translate the stelae or the codices. Codex could be linked to religion, astronomy, the agricultural cycles, history or prophecies. There are almanacs and day counts for worship and prophecies; two astronomical and astrological tables, one dealing with eclipses and the other Venus; and katún (a 20-year period) prophecies. It contains references and predictions for time and agriculture, favorable days for predictions, as well as texts about sickness, medicine, and seemingly, conjunctions of constellations, planets and the Moon. It also contains a page about a flood, a prophecy or maybe a reference to the rainy seasons so vital to the Maya.
The prevalence of warfare at Tikal is a feature throughout most of the life of the city. Virtually the entire Classic period is characterized by escalating warfare. Warfare by the Mayans had a limited and focused aim, to take prisoners. Low status captives generally wound up as slaves to their captor, but high-status captives were scheduled for ritual sacrifice. The taking of human life was deemed necessary to sanctify certain ritual occasions, such as the ascendancy to the throne by a new ruler or the dedication of a new building. The usual method of such a sacrifice was decapitation in a public ceremony. But on occasion they would remove of the heart. Women and children were sacrificed just as often as men The intended victim was stripped and painted blue before being led to a courtyard or temple where the victim would be placed face-up over a convex altar-like stone also painted blue. The arms and legs of the victim were held by specially designated priests while a fourth, called the nacom, would penetrate the victim's chest with a flint knife just below the left breast. Reaching inside the chest cavity, the nacom would pull out the still beating heart and hand it to another priest, who would then smear the blood on that idol to which the sacrifice had been made. If the sacrifice had taken place on the top of a pyramid, the corpse would be thrown to the courtyard below where priests of lower rank would skin the victim except for the hands and feet. The skin would then be worn by the officiating priest who would solemnly dance among the spectators. If the victim had been an especially brave warrior his body might be butchered and eaten by the nobles and other spectators. The famous Sacred Cenote (a natural well) located at Chichen-Itza was found to contain numerous skeletons of men, women and children who were sacrificial victims. An interesting question, could the disposal of bodies into their drinking water, in effect poisoning it, have contributed to the collapse of the civilization.
Further explanation of the Haab’ Haab refers to a 365 days calendar which is similar to our western calendar and is formed into 18 months of 20 days each and there is the last short month which has only five days. Haab is a Maya word for “year”. It is the solar calendar of the Mayans. It was thought to be linked to agriculture so Haab was also called the “Mundane calendar” in colonial times and the month names are based on the seasons and agricultural events but researchers haven’t found any evidence that the Maya made any provision to reconcile the Haab with the season.
Tikal is located in Guatemala, about 50 miles northwest of it's border with Belize. The Maya began building Tikal around 600 B.C. and at its peak some 1,500 years ago Tikal was a wealthy metropolis, home to an estimated 1000,000 Mayans, as well as an important religious, scientific, and political center.