Those were not bones in their noses--they were ornaments made from turquoise and other natural minerals of the area.
google "Mayan Bonampak Murals", you'll see absolutely no nose piercing in Mayan art.
The sacrifices represented in Mayan art, Aztec, Olmec, Toltec, etc., depict the deeds of the gods.
When you watch Jesus on a Cross in a Christian bas-relief, fresco, painting or sculpting, you're not thinking " these European dudes nail some dude on a cross and leave him to bleed to death, every year, on Easter"...
The accounts of human sacrifices by the Myans, Aztecs, etc. come from European conquerors, who almost exterminated the native Americans.
Apocalypto is Indiana Jones + Mad Max Thunderdome, claiming to be socially-historically-politically relevant.
It is not. It's kitsch. A dope head surfer trying to tell me that it was the Mayans' fault for being quasi exterminated by the Europeans.
reply
share
srterese
8 years ago
I believe your problem is that you hate Mel Gibson. Many do. But, that does not take away the factual premise of this movie. My guess is that it's not just Mel Gibson you hate, but his Catholic faith. My guess is you've never seen "The Passion of the Christ". Maybe I'm wrong, but that's the "take" I see with you.
reply
share
criztu
8 years ago
My problem is with putting bones in the noses of the Mayans... sticks, stones, whatever, when you have proof that they didn't pierce their noses, and they didn't wear no bones as ornaments, as you can see in Mayan art.
Then putting a big motto "civilizations collapse from within", like it was the Mayans' fault for being quasi exterminated by the Europeans.
Then showing absurd scenes of mass human sacrifices, like it was an historical truth, when in fact, there is no proof for human sacrifices in the American cultures. The sacrifices depicted in Mayan art, depict stories about their gods, like Europeans show Jesus' sacrifice, as a story about their god.
How can you call such kitsch, a masterpiece? i don't care about Mel Gibson, really, he's funny in Maverick...
reply
share
srterese
8 years ago
This is the last time I'm going to respond. Those were NOT bones in their noses. The Mayans as well as the Aztecs, Egyptians, and other ancient civilizations wore ORNAMENTS made of precious stones like turquoise, Jade, obsidian rock, and other such gems. These ornaments were worn on and in the nose and other parts of the face and neck. Also, these ornaments were worn by men (and some women) higher up in the society.
"In the earliest period of Mayan civilization, metal was hard to come by so the Mayan's created jewelry out of bone from jaguar teeth and claws, stones, feathers, and various colorful shells. As natural resources became more readily available, the Mayans would craft beautiful jewelry out of gold, silver, copper, jade and bronze.
Both men and women were known to wear much of the same jewelry with the exception of lip and nose plugs. Nose plugs and nose ornaments were reserved for men with a high social status. Lip plugs were known to be quite sophisticated pieces of jewelry and made of similar materials as nose plugs. Earplugs were also worn by the Mayans and were often so heavy that they would permanently disfigure the earlobe." (Encyclopedia of Ancient Civilizations, Ancient Jewelry History, 2005)
Are you saying that it is not possible for a civilization to destroy itself from within? If so, then you know less than I thought. Have you researched Ancient Rome? Ancient Egypt? Ancient Greece? They all began their destruction from within. You are trying to blame the Spanish explorers on all the ills of South America and other ancient civilizations. That's absurd. Of course they were conquerers! And brutal! So were the Vikings, Greeks, Egyptians, ROMANS, and English! The Mayans had begun its decline long before the Spanish explorers came on the scene. Researchers and archaeologists believe that the Mayans were in complete decline by the year 900 A.D. The Spanish didn't arrive until the 14th century.
No proof of human sacrifices in the American cultures? You rely too much on the U. of Google. Try doing some real research instead of looking at the pictures in National Geographic.
With that, I'm done.
reply
share
criztu
8 years ago
The Mayans did not wear stuff in their noses, there's extensive Mayan art for documentation. Do you understand?
The pre-columbian civilizations did not destroy themselves from within, they were destroyed by European invaders, through diseases carried by them, and more devastating weapons - steel, cannons, horses. Do you understand?
The "real research" invokes exactly the Mayan art, which depicts the deeds of the gods, like the Europeans depict the human sacrifice of Jesus or the saints and martyrs. Do you understand?
Take a good look at this 3000x1000 pixels mural of Bonampak. There is not a single nose pierced, among more than 60 characters depicted - http://www.bu.edu/archaeology/6054-2/
What, you're quoting from a history of jewelry, as "real research"??? lol?
reply
share
srterese
8 years ago
Believe what you want to believe.
reply
share
criztu
8 years ago
take a look at Mayan art, with your own eyes, and don't trust the European Establishment telling you stories about savages piercing their noses...
reply
share
srterese
8 years ago
Good-bye.
reply
share
criztu
8 years ago
Look with your own eyes, at Mayan art, there is no bone worn as ornament by the Mayans, there is no nose piercing worn by the Mayans, in their own art.
You don't need some schmuck to tell you what did the Mayans wear, you can see for yourself, with your own eyes.
reply
share
carrot_handvo
8 years ago
Look with your own eyes, at Mayan art, there is no bone worn as ornament by the Mayans, there is no nose piercing worn by the Mayans, in their own art.
That's not true.. There are tons of nose piercings and bone head dresses:
http://research.mayavase.com/kerrmaya.html
reply
share
criztu
8 years ago
That's not true.. There are tons of nose piercings and bone head dresses:
You are referring to representations of gods of death. The parallel in European art would be the Devil - a dude with horns who eats people or boils them in cauldrons, and stabs them with his trident.
Or think of Saturn, who is represented in 16th century European art, as a man who tears babies apart with his teeth.
One has to have no insight, no discernment, to assert that Europeans would wear bloody wings and horns and dragon tails, and ritually eat babies, or torture them in infinite ways, because look, there's European art with Saturn and Satan.
The Mayans depicted in Mayan art, not the gods of destruction, have zero nose piercings, and zero bones as decorations.
reply
share