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| End of the world - BBC Guardian News |
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Mayan apocalypse is a shot in the arm for tourism in Central America.
One in 10 of us is said to be anxious that 21 December marks the end of the world. The Ancient Mayans predicted this doomsday, and the press is eating it up. But where are all the believers? That the world will end in 2012 is the most widely-disseminated doomsday tale in human history, thanks to the internet, Hollywood and an ever-eager press corps.
Recent hurricanes, unrest in the Middle East, solar flares, mystery planets about to collide with us - all "proof" of what the ancient Mayans knew would come to pass on 21 December 2012. Russians have been so worried that the Minister of Emergency Situations issued a denial that the world would end.
Authorities in the South of France have barred access to a mountain where some believe a UFO will rescue them. And survivalists in America - many of whom use the term "prepper" - have been busy preparing for all manner of cataclysm.
Deep inside the Guatemalan rainforest stand the ruins of the Maya temples that George Lucas used to film the planet Yavin 4 in Star Wars, from where Luke Skywalker and Han Solo launched their attack on the Galactic Empire's giant space station. Once at the heart of a conquering civilisation in its own right, the ancient city of Tikal is now a pilgrimage site for both hard-core Star Wars fans and enthusiasts of Maya culture eager to discover what exactly the modern interpretations of old lore portend.
Across the Mayans' ancestral homeland, a vast swathe of Central America including parts of Mexico, Belize, Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador, "The End of the World As We Know It", or TEOTWAWKI, has been a shot in the arm for tourism. Ancient Mayan sites will be buzzing with activity on Friday, hosting ritual reenactments, conferences and sound-and-light shows - often against the backdrop of protests by indigenous groups who complain their culture is being hijacked.
Discovered in 1848 when locals unearthed human skulls whose teeth were studded with jade jewels, Tikal draws tourists from around the globe. Visitors this week said they felt a powerful presence in the blue skies above them.
At its peak, the Maya civilization had one of the richest cultures in the Americas. The Maya civilization reached its peak between the years 250 and 900, but then slipped into decline around 1200. Three centuries later, during Spanish colonization, the Mayas were dispossessed of their lands and reduced to poverty as well as servitude. Today, there are currently an estimated 20 to 30 million direct descendants of the ancient civilization living in southern Mexico, Belize, Honduras, El Salvador and Guatemala, where the indigenous group is most prevalent.
While books and movies have sought to link the Mayan calendar to rumours of impending disasters ranging from rogue black holes and solar storms to the idea that the Earth's magnetic field could 'flip' on that date, archaeologists say there is no evidence the Maya ever made any such prophesy. Indeed, most Mayas probably never used the Long Count calendar, neither today nor at the culture's peak between A.D. 300 and 600. The long count was reserved for priests and astronomers, while Mayas measure time as farmers tend to do - by planting seasons and monthly lunar cycles.
Maya scholars and astronomers have dismissed the idea the world is on the brink of destruction but mystics and spiritual thrill-seekers have flocked to feed off Tikal's energy. Park guards said they had to throw out 13 naked women who were dancing and chanting around a fire pit near the temples last week
A worker gives the finishing touches to Santuario de la Esperanza (Sanctuary of Hope) during preparations for the celebration of the end of the Maya Long Count Calendar - Baktun 13 - and the beginning of a new era, in Cancun, Quintana Roo state, Mexico.
Honduras Maya Chorti players Olman Rosales and Hector Martinez warm up before their Mayan ball game against Guatemalas Quirigua in Copan Ruinas, some 400 kms west of Tegucigalpa, Honduras.
Mexicans wearing pre-Hispanic Mayan costumes take part in a display at Xcaret Park in Playa del Carmen in Quintana Roo state, Mexico
View inside the Kaminal Juyu archaeological site in Guatemala City. Ceremonies will be held here to celebrate the end of the Mayan cycle known as Bak'tun 13 and the start of the new Maya Era on December 21.
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