Ancient Maya Practiced Forest Conservation 3,000 Years Ago

Ancient Maya Practiced Forest Conservation 3,000 Years Ago

www.sciencedaily.com

ScienceDaily (July 23, 2009) — As published in the July issue of the Journal of Archaeological Science, paleoethnobotanist David Lentz of the University of Cincinnati has concluded that not only did the Maya people practice forest management, but when they abandoned their forest conservation practices it was to the detriment of the entire Maya culture.

“When you clear all the forests, it changes the hydrologic cycle,” says Lentz. “The world is like a flat surface with all the trees acting as...

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I think its neat that one of the most advanced, known civilizations in history practiced forest conservation. Its a really selfless way of thinking, compared to today where we destroy our forests and fight over timber.

I wonder if they knew about the detrimental effects of using trees from the "sacred grove". Could it have been passed down from a previous civilization?

Regardless, cool story. Even when the world was chalked full of resources the Mayas, who didn't have the luxury's we do, chose to respect them.

www.sciencedaily.com
(visit the link for the full news article)

They knew about co-creation with God. The rainbow children are the ones who will restore the earth back to its pristine origins known as paradise.
You can read about co-creation in the ringing cedars books.

[edit on 24-7-2009 by Applesandoranges]

Most ancient / indigenous cultures and civilizations looked after their environments; they respected nature. They were at one with nature, the land, the flora and the fauna. They were more spiritual, and in touch with life. Today spiritualists are labeled as lunatic hippies.

Today, these values have been lost. People don't have values or respect for anything, not even themselves. We are apparently the most technologically advanced "version" of humans, yet we have no respect for the planet? We have no intelligent or realistic views on how we should be treating our world.

Money has a big part in this. It blinds people, and they don't care how much of the rainforest they're culling, as long as there is a huge paycheck when it's all done.

I've said it before and I'll say it again; I'd happily rather live back in the times of the ancient Mayans, compared with what we have today.

I'll go out on a limb and note that the problem began with the concept that people can 'own' things like land and water.

Once the object was to amass control of it all, the greed factor kicked in and it became a race to get 'all of it' before someone else did.

I would think that the "western" "civilized" "enlightened" people of the world would have figured that out, but the notion of bloodline leadership and feudal loyalties overrode the common sense approach in the name of vain pride.

The Maya were not alone in their understanding that people really can't "own" land, and that stewardship of our surroundings was more vital to our existence than impressing each other with our 'mojo.'

Great article, I'd like to say it's amazing that they did such things so long ago.. but with the history of mayans it isn't really that amazing!

Really interesting how they used the different tree types for the ornate decoration on the temples aswell. A race well advanced of our own for the limited technology they had at the time

S & F

[edit on 24-7-2009 by ItsallCrazy]

reply to post by Kevin_X2


Yet more proof that more advanced cultures than ours once ruled the Earth.

It explains alot about the Earth. About the ancient buildings and monoliths throughout the world.

Maybe aliens built the pyramids, or maybe a more advanced form of ancient Egyptians did, and the technology to do so has been lost.
Great find, star and flag for your efforts.

Originally posted by dmorgan
Most ancient / indigenous cultures and civilizations looked after their environments; they respected nature.

This is a huge myth. I suggest you read a book called "Killing the While Mans Indian"

They were at one with nature, the land, the flora and the fauna. They were more spiritual, and in touch with life.

Once again, another huge myth which is debunked in the book mentioned above.


Nothing can be said one way or another about Native Americans because they were all different.

Notice how in the end the Maya destroyed their environment and thus their culture.

Some Indians had slaves, others did not. Some had priests, others did not. Some were spiritual, and others were not.



[edit on 24-7-2009 by HunkaHunka]

reply to post by HunkaHunka


That book looks like it only covers the native American Indians?

And I notice you reference only native American civilizations in your post. There were and are many other indigenous cultures outside of the Americas, which I had in mind when made my post.

Notice I said "most", not all

[edit on 24/7/09 by dmorgan]

Originally posted by dmorgan
reply to post by HunkaHunka

 

That book looks like it only covers the native American Indians?

And I notice you reference only native American civilizations in your post. There were and are many other indigenous cultures outside of the Americas, which I had in mind when made my post.

Notice I said "most", not all

[edit on 24/7/09 by dmorgan]

Good point! You are right.. I did read too much into your post.

Either way, even though I myself would love to go back to the Hallstatt period of the Celts, or any other one to be honest, I can't say they were any better than today. Todays world is a Roman one. And as a descendant of the Celts I tend to resonate with the way things were done within that culture.

Then again, we know absolutely NOTHING about the megalithic peoples other than they were astronomers and builders...

Lots of people practiced forest conservation before they figured out they could use timber and how to get the trees down.

You know who didn't conserve their trees? The Easter Islanders.

You know what happened to them?

Right.