Mid-Term Reflection on Anthropology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 3

Mid-Term Reflection on Anthropology - Essay Example The Maya has had advanced in mathematics and astronomy. The story says that God created people from maize after several attempts. The idea of a God who creates people from maize is reasonable for the people of South America because they depended on maize. Maize cultivation provided them with enough calories to settle in cities and invest time in pursuit of mathematics and other intellectual pursuits (Morgan 23). The story is almost similar to biblical story because the Heart of the sky creates from nothing. Other than Heart of the sky, another deity of the Mayas was the feathered serpent. This god was part of pantheon of deity believed to have created the cosmos from scratch. This deity is equivalent to Greek gods. In ancient American religions, shamans were people who could achieve altered consciousness and communicate with the spirit world. They played the role of leading in religious rituals and in practicing divination. Based on the story about Mayas, tribal people, their creation, the gods, and the role of shamans in society, it is clear that humanity and civilization goes through the same steps. The first step towards civilization is settlement. Without settled living, it is hard for people to live a civilized life. In South America, the discovery of maize changed the course of the history of Mayas. Maize allowed the Mayas to lead a settled life. Even today, millions of people rely on maize to provide their daily calorie requirement. Maize is a highly productive grain and a single cob produce considerable calories. Once the people have enough to eat through farming, they start engaging in intellectual activities. This explains why the Mayas had made huge advances in mathematics and astronomy. Presence of enough food allowed them the luxury of pursuing these intellectual activities. Another aspect of intellectual pursuit is religious. Tribal people