Photo #2: Tulum, post-classical Mayan City 
Photo #3: Incense Stand
Being in southern Mexico, it is inevitable to see remnants of the Mayan civilization. During its height, or what they call its classical period from 200 AD to 900 AD, the Mayan empire occupied a large portion of Central America, from southern Mexico, including the Yucatan Peninsula and the state of Chiapas, to El Salvador. It covered about 650 miles, spanning from what is now Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador. During its height, the Mayan had several large cities with populations exceeding 10,000 people. I visited two of those cities, Palenque, in the state of Chiapas, and Tulum, about an hour south of Cancun. I couldn't help but notice that the Mayan culture was a very war-like culture but more so, an incredibly spiritual culture.
Above are two pictures of incense stands, reaching about 3 feet in height. The Mayan used these stands in their temples to give offerings of incense and oils to the gods for various occasions. They carved images of their gods and ancestors, decorating them with certain natural images such as birds, snakes and tigers that embody the specific god or ancestor featured on the stand. These beautiful works of art and sculpture were essentially spiritual offerings to honor God and family.
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