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The Plants the Maya knew and used… There
is much to learn about the plants that are found in abundance all around the
Tikal National Park. Many of these
plants are still not even known to science, let alone, their uses. Let
us examine the plants that had domestic, ritual or medicinal uses for the Maya
at Tikal… Ficcus The Maya used the
ficcus, or amate, to make paper.
They would thin its bark out and cover it with stucco to make their
beautiful codices, or books, few of which have survived the passage of time, as
most were burnt by the Spaniards, because they were allegedly filled with sacrilegious
contents. Strangler
Fig One member of the ficcus family may be considered a far less “friendly” tropical tree, it is the strangler fig, that has many species in the
Guatemalan forest. The strangler
fig is so named because its seed (dropped by birds) is germinated in the high
branches of a host tree, which the newcomer proceeds to engulf slowly with its
bark, roots, and braches until death occurs.
The strangler fig eventually makes its way to the ground, anchoring the
tree when its unfortunate host rots and crumbles beneath its deadly grasp.
Cruel though it may sound, it is part of life, death and recycling of
organic matter in the tropical forest! Tres
Puntas or Mano de Lagarto This plant prevents and cures malaria…
It has other medicinal uses as well! Bayal
A highly resistant fiber used to make furniture and baskets. People who live in the Maya forest continue to make products out of this plant the Maya knew and used for the same purpose. Non-timber sustainable forest production includes handicrafts made from this sturdy and attractive plant. Maize The sacred maize was the basic ingredient in the Maya's diet. They used this much the same way modern day Maya use it, to make some of the most delicious food you could ever try, such as corn tortillas, tamales, atole, etc. For the Maya the life-giving corn was a God: Yum Kax. Beans Beans were another staple in the Maya's diet. Before it is mature, it is eaten as string beans, deep fried with an egg coating. When mature, they are made in an abundance of preparations... Maya agro-forestry plantations that survive to this day use a combination of maize and bean plots, where bean fertilizes the soil and provides enriched nitrogen for the corn plant to grow, which -in turn- provides support for the bean plant. The following chart will tell you more about the ancient Maya's use for these plants... PLANTS FOR DOMESTIC USE
PLANTS FOR EDIBLE USE
* Highly recommended for abdominal pain and to fight food poisoning…
PLANTS FOR RITUAL AND MEDICINAL USE
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