AMRAPAALI August 2014 | Page 5

WORDS Belize www.amrapaali.org 5 Contents UNCOVERED! By SYEDA RUBAINA WASI “Human history has become too much a matter of dogma taught by 'professionals' in ivory towers as though it's all fact. Actually, much of human history is up for grabs. The further back you go, the more that the history that's taught in the schools and universities begins to look like some kind of faerie story.” ― Graham Hancock The Mayas have been a perfect epitome in building of such fairy tales and have been under scrutiny and discussion for a long period now. The calendrical 2012 feature was a theatrical glimpse on the scientific advancement of the people. A lot has been done to reconstruct the history and advancement of Man throughout eras and ages and the Mayas had a lot to offer and contribute to the evolving of the human race. The beautiful town of Belize, set in the exquisite region of Central America has recently come under great speculation for the growing interest in the Mayan archaeology, the body of symbols and the architectural and antiquarian importance it holds. Every era has a story to tell. The Mayans were accordingly strong believers of communication through the art of the body and rhythms. Across time and culture, the use of the body has been known to be one of the most important medium of conveying thoughts and expressing feelings. Throughout the Americas, music and dance have always been an essential part of the spiritual, cultural and social lives of Natives. The Maize God of ancient Maya was a God of dance who is depicted emerging into the world, dancing and playing a turtle shell drum worn on his chest. After his mythic journey to the underworld, the maize god dances back t