Object Historical Context: Mayan Cultural Continuity in Central America

Worry dolls are part of a long-standing tradition with a historical base in the Mayan cultures that have lived in modern-day Guatemala for millennia. Mayan civilizations have consistently inhabited Guatemala and the neighbouring regions that make up Central America since approximately the 10th century B.C., and have shown remarkable continuity in their culture and social practices.
Early Mayan civilization appeared during the pre-classic era around 2000 B.C., and was centred around what today includes the southern Mexican states of Chiapas and Tabasco, and the Yúcatan Peninsula, as well as Guatemala, Belize, and parts of El Salvador and Honduras. The Maya engaged in extensive commerce and communication with other indigenous groups throughout the Americas, and as such developed a highly advanced society that reached its peak between 250 and 900 A.D. They made numerous advances in mathematics, architecture, and the arts, and are particularly well known for their elaborate and ornate textiles that were, and continue to be, used for personal adornment, religious ceremony, and food storage. The arrival of the Spanish conquistadores to the region during the Spanish colonization of the Americas dealt a severe blow to Mayan society; however, the civilization was not eradicated, and Mayan culture continues to exist in modern day Central America, characterized by a distinctive set of traditional practices and beliefs.
Today the Central American nation of Guatemala is home to the majority of Mayan indigenous tribes who still maintain their own unique linguistic, cultural, and religious identities. Approximately 40% of the population of Guatemala belongs to one of the numerous Mayan tribes including the K'iche', Mam, and Q'ekchi, among others, while another 42% is characterized as ladino, or of mixed indigenous and European descent. Sadly, the Maya were the most affected by Guatemala's bloody 36-year civil war. The war was characterized by primarily government-led massacres that left over 200,000 people dead, 83% of which were ethnic Maya. Today the Maya occupy the lowest social class in Guatemalan society, and are subject to extreme poverty and discrimination. They are among the most marginalized of Guatemalan society; however, despite this, the Guatemalan government and ministry of tourism celebrates the nation's Mayan heritage through the display and production of arts and textiles styled after the Mayan tradition, and heralds the civilization as a representation of Guatemalan identity.