Saving Heirloom Seeds

Saving Heirloom Seeds

Learn about the value of saving heirloom seeds in a time capsule. The Mayan civilization was one of the most fascinating people groups on the American continents.  These people built cities in places that would be difficult today with engineering skills that rival those of today.  They brought in running water with pools for irrigation in mountain regions that were not ideal for growing crops.  They even built a city on a mountain where the crops they grew were overhanging nothing!  I would not have wanted to walk on the overhangs, must less be dependent on them to grow my food for survival.

They Mayans had an understanding of their place on the planet, their space in history, and time, as well as an understanding of their surroundings.  They grew knowledge and wisdom.  They honored the past by writing about it.  They had a written language that was both simple and complex.  (As a matter of fact, this written language was the only written language truly indigenous to the Americas!)  They were masters of Mathematics and Engineering.  They created a calendar that focused them on both the past, present, and future.

mayan More about the Mayans No, I am not going to write a commentary on the Mayan Calendar that ends in 2012, nor do I believe the world is coming to an end because of it.  If you truly study the Mayans, their calendar does not end in 2012, it is perpetual, which means that it continues on, long after that particular printed calendar does.  The people who believe the calendar ends in 2012 simply do not understand what they are looking at.Now, you may be wondering what all this has to do with a time capsule.  A lot, in fact.  You see, the Mayans wrote things on walls and tablets.  They kept a record of day-to-day life in temples and even created paper made of local tree bark.  This paper was used to create bound books of their writings . . . something that was not seen for more then 400 years later!

This knowledge is something that made their civilization climb to the top.  They flourished in every way.  They were able to accomplish more than any other civilization in the area.  This allowed them to dominate in every way.  But, what this their true legacy?  Was this what they wanted to pass on to future generations?  Was this what set them apart?  Was this what they wanted to leave in their time capsule?

Remember the MacGyver TV Show?

Let’s change gears for a moment to one of my childhood favorite things, “MacGyver.”  Being a nerd, I loved to watch MacGyver!  I loved the fact that he could look around and build a plane with nothing more than Duct Tape, Bamboo, a cement mixer, and his trusty Swiss Army knife.  I loved the fact that he could save the lives of scientists by making a bomb out of a cold pill.  MacGyver was my hero, and in a lot of ways, still is.  He taught me to not panic and to work the issues.  Don’t think about what you wish you had, but look at your surroundings and figure out what you can use.  MacGyver is my kind of ninja!

In one episode titled, “The Treasure of Manco,” MacGyver is pursuing a treasure left behind by the Mayans.  Everyone believes the temple will contain something like the “lost city of gold.”  No, MacGyver was not looking to get wealthy . . . he was being forced to find this.  In the end, [Spoiler Alert] we find that the Mayans did not leave gold, silver, or precious stones as their treasure.  They didn’t leave books, scrolls or texts filled with schematics, or philosophical debates.  They didn’t leave a pattern for government.  They didn’t leave star charts or engineering plans.  What they left was much more precious and valuable than any of this.  What they left were seeds.

You see, the most important thing for a Mayan was survival.  If a Mayan could not sustain his own life and the lives of those around him then no matter what knowledge or skills he/she had were useless.  Without the basics of food and water, no amount of knowledge would survive.  The Mayans had stockpiled tons of seeds for future generations in their time capsule because this was the most important thing for them.

At The Original Time Capsule Company, we want to celebrate and educate on all kinds of time capsules.  So, here is a picture of a few of the Mayan-style time capsules that we have “just laying around” the home of the owners . . .

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These seeds may not save a civilization in the future, but every homesteader needs to have a supply of heirloom vegetables they can plant and grow their food supply.  These vegetables are as important in what they represent as the knowledge and wisdom contained within a traditional times capsules.  All of these things are important to preserve for future generations.  What will you save?

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More on growing Heirloom Vegetables

What lessons will you pass on to your children? Put these lessons in your own Family Time Capsule from www.timecapsule.com.

Making Milestone Moments Count,

– Mark