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Sacred plants of the Maya forest
BBC ^ | 05 June 2009 | Matt Walker

Posted on 06/05/2009 5:06:24 AM PDT by BGHater

Some of the Central American rainforest's hidden treasures are being revealed by the Maya, more than a millennium after their passing.

A study of the giant trees and beautiful flowers depicted in Maya art has identified which they held sacred.

Created during the Maya Classic Period, the depictions are so accurate they could help researchers spot plants with hitherto unknown medicinal uses.

The research is published in the journal Economic Botany.

Plants played a significant role in the ecology, culture and rituals of the Maya people, whose artwork reflected the rich diversity of plant life around them.

But while numerous examples of such artwork exist, few have been studied to see exactly which plants they depict.

So natural historian and archaeologist Charles Zidar of Missouri Botanical Garden in St Louis, US, and botanist Wayne Elisens of the University of Oklahoma, Norman, US, decided to find out.

They hope to discover plants of importance to the Maya that are either unknown to modern people, or have since been forgotten.

The team's first analyses focused on artwork produced within the southern lowland region of the Maya, located in the modern countries of Belize, Guatemala and Mexico.

They examined more than 2,500 images of Maya ceramics created within the Maya Classical Period of AD 250 to 900.

Art depicting life: a Mayan pot inspired by the trunk of a Ceiba tree

White blooms on ceramic: Quararibea painted on a cup for drinking chocolate

A Pseudobombax flower inspires a headdress worn by the Maya elite

(Excerpt) Read more at news.bbc.co.uk ...


TOPICS: Gardening; History; Science
KEYWORDS: godsgravesglyphs; history; maya; plants; science

1 posted on 06/05/2009 5:06:24 AM PDT by BGHater
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To: SunkenCiv

plants & maya. Non sacrifice or killing people ping.


2 posted on 06/05/2009 5:07:09 AM PDT by BGHater (It's easy to be a Conservative now.)
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To: BGHater
anything about this plant?
3 posted on 06/05/2009 5:12:09 AM PDT by Ancient Drive (will)
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To: BGHater

Seen or read “The Ruins” ?


4 posted on 06/05/2009 5:51:09 AM PDT by Nabber
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To: Nabber

Yeah.


5 posted on 06/05/2009 5:53:39 AM PDT by BGHater (It's easy to be a Conservative now.)
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To: BGHater

Heliconia champneiana 'Maya Blood'


6 posted on 06/05/2009 5:58:49 AM PDT by JoeProBono (A closed mouth gathers no feet)
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To: BGHater

Well, I’m just hopin’ that’s not part of the flora scene...

Years ago, I jeeped around in the Yucatan. That area really is completely out of Government control, and can be dangerous when off the beaten track.


7 posted on 06/05/2009 6:19:59 AM PDT by Nabber
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To: Nabber

Yeah, I know what ya mean. If you haven’t read the Relic, give it a shot[Child & Preston]. Worth a summer vacation read.


8 posted on 06/05/2009 6:21:48 AM PDT by BGHater (It's easy to be a Conservative now.)
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To: BGHater; StayAt HomeMother; Ernest_at_the_Beach; 1ofmanyfree; 21twelve; 24Karet; 2ndDivisionVet; ...

· join list or digest · view topics · view or post blog · bookmark · post a topic ·

 
Gods
Graves
Glyphs
Thanks BGHater.

To all -- please ping me to other topics which are appropriate for the GGG list.
GGG managers are SunkenCiv, StayAt HomeMother, and Ernest_at_the_Beach
 

·Dogpile · Archaeologica · ArchaeoBlog · Archaeology · Biblical Archaeology Society ·
· Discover · Nat Geographic · Texas AM Anthro News · Yahoo Anthro & Archaeo · Google ·
· The Archaeology Channel · Excerpt, or Link only? · cgk's list of ping lists ·


9 posted on 06/05/2009 7:03:48 AM PDT by SunkenCiv (https://secure.freerepublic.com/donate/__Since Jan 3, 2004__Profile updated Monday, January 12, 2009)
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To: BGHater

Ceiba tree, natural protection from tree huggers.


10 posted on 06/05/2009 7:07:41 AM PDT by Cold Heart
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To: BGHater
the depictions are so accurate they could help researchers spot plants with hitherto unknown medicinal uses.
I am by no means a tree hugger and think Spotted Owl should be a menu item and the Snail Darter sold for bait. But the 'unknown' plants and trees being destroyed in unexplored rain forests Jungles from the Yucatan and the Amazon, Borneo and New Guinea, and even parts of 'darkest' (still unexplored) Africa, does bother me.

Many years back there was documentary of two Dutch explorers who went into the Head Hunter area of New Guinea (not Papua New Guinea). One was stung by a bee that made him completely BLIND for over a week, then his sight returned. Now that type of bee venom is unknown. Who knows what that could be used for. And yes, there could be cure for cancer in one of those plants that may soon be destroyed forever.

And yeah I know the 'natives' are doing this slash and burn clearing for farm land and food, but somehow a middle ground should be struck.

11 posted on 06/05/2009 8:02:59 AM PDT by Condor51 (The difference between stupidity and genius is that genius has its limits)
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To: Condor51
Great book, btw.


12 posted on 06/05/2009 8:08:39 AM PDT by BGHater (It's easy to be a Conservative now.)
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To: Condor51

Not the flowers, THE ANTS!


13 posted on 06/05/2009 8:18:20 AM PDT by null and void (We are now in day 137 of our national holiday from reality.)
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To: Condor51

I agree, although I’m not sure about the spotted owl on the menu.


14 posted on 06/05/2009 8:42:56 AM PDT by twigs
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