Copn excavation in Honduras reveals similarities between Chinese and Maya civilizations

By Huang Tingting Source:Global Times
Published: 2018/4/16 18:38:39



A sculpture of the Maya feathered serpent god Kukulkan assisting in the rebirth
of the god of maize unearthed at the Copán excavation site in Honduras
Photo: Courtesy of Li Xinwei

Though sitting on separate ends of the ocean, the cultures of ancient China and the Maya civilization might bear more similarities than we originally thought, according to the findings of Chinese archaeologists working at the Maya site of Copán in western Honduras over the past three years.

Some of the sculptures unearthed at the site possess similar designs and decorations to those made by China's Neolithic Liangzhu Culture, notably sculptures of the Maya feathered god serpent Kukulkan found at the Copán excavation site have a strong resemblance to dragon images in China.

Shared cultural genes

These discoveries has drawn public attention to the concept of the "China-Maya continuum" proposed by late Chinese American archeologist Kwang-chih Chang in the 1980s, which suggests a link between the Chinese and Central American cultures based on their shamanistic roots.

Other similarities include parallels between the ancient Mayan calendar and the portion of the traditional Chinese calendar known as the 10 Heavenly Stems and 12 Earthly Branches.

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