Full Answer
When did the Mayans develop their first civilization?
The Maya developed their first civilization in the Preclassic period. Scholars continue to discuss when this era of Maya civilization began. Discoveries of Maya occupation at Cuello, Belize have been carbon dated to around 2600 BC.
Where did the Maya live in the Classic period?
During the Early Classic period, the Maya cities of Tikal and Kaminaljuyu were key Maya foci in a network that extended beyond the Maya area into the highlands of central Mexico. At around the same time, there was a strong Maya presence at the Tetitla compound of Teotihuacan.
When did the Mayans settle in Belize?
Discoveries of Maya occupation at Cuello, Belize have been carbon dated to around 2600 BC. [10] Settlements were established around 1800 BC in the Soconusco region of the Pacific coast, and they were already cultivating the staple crops of the Maya diet, including maize, beans, squash, and chili pepper. [11]
What were the major Mayan cities of ancient Mexico?
Becan was another major Mayan city which was founded in the middle pre-classic period and remained inhabited throughout the classic period. It was finally abandoned around 900AD, at the end of the classic period. Among the major Mayan cities from the classic period, Calakmul is noteworthy which at its peak was almost as powerful as Tikal.
What was the first Mayan settlement?
Nakbe in the Petén department of Guatemala is the earliest well-documented city in the Maya lowlands, where large structures have been dated to around 750 BC. The northern lowlands of Yucatán were widely settled by the Middle Preclassic.
Where did the Mayans live first?
The Maya are probably the best-known of the classical civilizations of Mesoamerica. Originating in the Yucatán around 2600 B.C., they rose to prominence around A.D. 250 in present-day southern Mexico, Guatemala, northern Belize and western Honduras.
How old were some the of Maya 1st settlements?
The first people to occupy the Yucatán Peninsula were hunters and gatherers who arrived some 11,000 years ago.
When did the Mayans start and end?
Maya Civilization TimelineEvolution of Maya cultureLate Preclassic Maya300 B.C. - A.D. 250Early Classic MayaA.D. 250-600Late Classic MayaA.D. 600-900Post Classic MayaA.D. 900-15005 more rows
When did the Mayans start?
When did Mayan civilization begin? As early as 1500 BCE the Maya had settled in villages and were practicing agriculture. The Classic Period of Mayan culture lasted from about 250 CE until about 900. At its height, Mayan civilization consisted of more than 40 cities, each with a population between 5,000 and 50,000.
How did the Mayans start?
Mayan origins Nomadic hunter-gatherers had a presence in Central America for thousands of years. However, permanent village really took off when these people began cultivating maize in what archaeologists call the Preclassic period (1800 B.C. to A.D. 250). This lead to the creation of early Maya cities.
Who killed the Mayans?
The Itza Maya and other lowland groups in the Petén Basin were first contacted by Hernán Cortés in 1525, but remained independent and hostile to the encroaching Spanish until 1697, when a concerted Spanish assault led by Martín de Urzúa y Arizmendi finally defeated the last independent Maya kingdom.
How many Mayans are left?
The Maya today number about six million people, making them the largest single block of indigenous peoples north of Peru. Some of the largest Maya groups are found in Mexico, the most important of these being the Yucatecs (300,000), the Tzotzil (120,000) and the Tzeltal (80,000).
Are Mayans still alive?
Today they inhabit southern Mexico, Guatemala, Belize, El Salvador and Honduras. "Maya" is a modern collective term for the peoples of the region, however, the term was not historically used by the indigenous populations themselves.
Why was Chichen Itza abandoned?
Though they left behind amazing works of architecture and art, the city's inhabitants left no known record of why they abandoned their homes. Scientists speculate that droughts, exhausted soils, and royal quests for conquest and treasure may have contributed to Chichén Itzá's downfall.
How long ago did Mayans live?
4,000 years agoThe Maya lived there 4,000 years ago (about 2000 BC). At that date complex societies were living in the Maya region. The staple foods of the Maya diet were cultivated. Their food included maize, beans, squashes, and chili peppers.
Did the Mayans have a golden age?
The Maya Classic Period (c. 250–900 CE) was the “golden age” of the Maya Empire in Central or Meso-America (see map below). Agriculture flourished, resulting in the civilization reaching its peak population of up to 2 million people during this time.
Where did the Mayan live?
Unlike other scattered Indigenous populations of Mesoamerica, the Maya were centered in one geographical block covering all of the Yucatan Peninsula and modern-day Guatemala; Belize and parts of the Mexican states of Tabasco and Chiapas; and the western part of Honduras and El Salvador.
When did the Mayans live?
The Maya lived there 4,000 years ago (about 2000 BC). At that date complex societies were living in the Maya region. The staple foods of the Maya diet were cultivated. Their food included maize, beans, squashes, and chili peppers.
Where do the Mayas live?
The largest populations of contemporary Maya inhabit Guatemala, Belize, and the western portions of Honduras and El Salvador, as well as large segments of population within the Mexican states of Yucatán, Campeche, Quintana Roo, Tabasco and Chiapas.
Are the Mayans Mexican?
Definition. The Maya are an indigenous people of Mexico and Central America who have continuously inhabited the lands comprising modern-day Yucatan, Quintana Roo, Campeche, Tabasco, and Chiapas in Mexico and southward through Guatemala, Belize, El Salvador and Honduras.
What was the first capital of the Maya civilization?
El Mirador is considered to be one of the first capital cities of the Maya civilization. The swamps of the Mirador Basin appear to have been the primary attraction for the first inhabitants of the area as evidenced by the unusual cluster of large cities around them.
What are the most important monuments of the Maya civilization?
The most notable monuments are the pyramid-temples and palaces they built in the centres of their greatest cities. At this time, the use of hieroglyphic script on monuments became widespread, and left a large body of information including dated dynastic records, alliances, and other interactions between Maya polities. The sculpting of stone stelae spread throughout the Maya area during the Classic period, and pairings of sculpted stelae and low circular altars are considered a hallmark of Classic Maya civilization. During the Classic period almost every Maya kingdom in the southern lowlands raised stelae in its ceremonial centre. The epigrapher David Stuart first proposed that the Maya regarded their stelae as te tun, "stone trees", although he later revised his reading to lakamtun, meaning "banner stone". According to Stuart this may refer to the stelae as stone versions of vertical standards that once stood in prominent places in Maya city centres, as depicted in ancient Maya graffiti. The core purpose of a stela was to glorify the king.
How long did the Maya period last?
The Preclassic lasted from approximately 3000 BC to approximately 700 AD; this was followed by the Classic, from 700 AD to roughly 950 AD, then by the Postclassic, from 950 AD to the middle of the 16th century. Each period is further subdivided: Maya chronology. Period. Division.
What are the three main periods of Maya civilization?
The history of Maya civilization is divided into three principal periods: the Preclassic, Classic and Postclassic periods; these were preceded by the Archaic Period, which saw the first settled villages and early developments in agriculture. Modern scholars regard these periods as arbitrary divisions of chronology of the Maya civilization, rather than indicative of cultural evolution or decadence. Definitions of the start and end dates of period spans can vary by as much as a century, depending on the author. The Preclassic lasted from approximately 3000 BC to approximately 700 AD; this was followed by the Classic, from 700 AD to roughly 950 AD, then by the Postclassic, from 950 AD to the middle of the 16th century. Each period is further subdivided:
What were the most powerful cities in the Usumacinta region?
Palenque and Yaxchilan were the most powerful cities in the Usumacinta region. In the highlands, Kaminaljuyu in the Valley of Guatemala was already a sprawling city by AD 300. In the north of the Maya area, Coba was the most important capital. Calakmul was one of the most important Classic period cities.
What was the main trade route in the late preclassic?
In the highlands, Kaminaljuyu emerged as a principal centre in the Late Preclassic, linking the Pacific coastal trade routes with the Motagua River route, as well as demonstrating increased contact with other sites along the Pacific coast. Kaminaljuyu was situated at a crossroads and controlled the trade routes westwards to the Gulf coast, north into the highlands, and along the Pacific coastal plain to the Isthmus of Tehuantepec and El Salvador. This gave it control over the distribution networks for important goods such as jade, obsidian and cinnabar. Within this extended trade route, Takalik Abaj and Kaminaljuyu appear to have been the two principal foci. The early Maya style of sculpture spread throughout this network. Takalik Abaj and Chocolá were two of the most important cities on the Pacific coastal plain during the Late Preclassic, and Komchen grew to become an important site in northern Yucatán during the Preclassic.
Where is the Mayan calendar?
The 260-day tzolkʼin ritual calendar continues in use in modern Maya communities in the highlands of Guatemala and Chiapas, and millions of Mayan-language speakers inhabit the territory in which their ancestors developed their civilization.
What were the major cities of the Mayan civilization?
Among the notable Mayan cities which came into being during the Pre-Classic period were Tikal , El Mirador and Nakbe . With the advent of the Mayan Classic period beginning in 250 A.D., a large number of Mayan cities rose ...
What was the most important city in the Mayan period?
and 1500 A.D., Mayan civilisation largely shifted to the northern lowlands. It was at this time that the later Mayan city of Chichen Itza rapidly grew in population. With the growth in population, the city became more prosperous and influential, becoming the most important Mayan city in the post-Classic period. However, the glory of this city was rather short-lived as it was abandoned sometime in the 11th century.
What was the Mayan civilization's major rival?
While Tikal was already a major power in the Mayan lowlands, the city of Calakmul emerged as a major rival during this period.
What was the post-classic period?
Post-Classic Period. With the fall of the Mayan civilisation in the southern lowlands, the golden phase of the Mayan civilisation came to an end. It is generally regarded as the end of the Mayan civilisation proper. However, this does mean that the civilisation altogether came to an end after this period.
Why did the Mayan civilization collapse?
This is the period of the rapid decline of the Mayan civilisation. To this day, historians have been unable to ascertain exactly how and why the Mayan civilisation collapsed in the 9th century A.D. Some have claimed that this was because of the steadily deteriorating environmental conditions. Others have theorised that an attack for another tribe or people from outside of the Mayan regions, such as the Toltecs, brought about the end of the civilisation. Whatever the reason, most Mayan centres in the southern lowlands rapidly declined and their populations eroded within a few decades.
How long have the Mayans been around?
The Mayans survived despite many radical changes to their society and culture, but remained under the yoke of the Spanish culture in the later centuries. Mayan Timeline Summary. Mayan civilisation came into being sometime in the 1st millennium B.C., although Mayan settlements date back to 1800 B.C.
What happened to the Mayan civilization in the 16th century?
During this period of conquest, many Mayan temples were demolished, the social life was disrupted and Mayan culture underwent rapid decline .
What are the three main periods of Maya civilization?
The history of Maya civilization is divided into three principal periods: the Preclassic, Classic, and Postclassic periods. These were preceded by the Archaic Period, during which the first settled villages and early developments in agriculture emerged. Modern scholars regard these periods as arbitrary divisions of Maya chronology, rather than indicative of cultural evolution or decline. Definitions of the start and end dates of period spans can vary by as much as a century, depending on the author.
What was the postclassic period?
The Postclassic period saw the rise of Chichen Itza in the north, and the expansion of the aggressive Kʼicheʼ kingdom in the Guatemalan Highlands. In the 16th century, the Spanish Empire colonised the Mesoamerican region, and a lengthy series of campaigns saw the fall of Nojpetén, the last Maya city, in 1697.
What were the main crops of the Maya?
2000 BC to 250 AD) saw the establishment of the first complex societies in the Maya region, and the cultivation of the staple crops of the Maya diet, including maize, beans, squashes, and chili peppers.
Where were the Triadic Pyramids built?
The largest known triadic pyramid was built at El Mirador in the Petén Basin; it covers an area six times as large as that covered by Temple IV, the largest pyramid at Tikal. The three superstructures all have stairways leading up from the central plaza on top of the basal platform. No securely established forerunners of Triadic Groups are known, but they may have developed from the eastern range building of E-Group complexes. The triadic form was the predominant architectural form in the Petén region during the Late Preclassic. Examples of triadic pyramids are known from as many as 88 archaeological sites. At Nakbe, there are at least a dozen examples of triadic complexes and the four largest structures in the city are triadic in nature. At El Mirador there are probably as many as 36 triadic structures. Examples of the triadic form are even known from Dzibilchaltun in the far north of the Yucatán Peninsula, and Qʼumarkaj in the Highlands of Guatemala. The triadic pyramid remained a popular architectural form for centuries after the first examples were built; it continued in use into the Classic Period, with later examples being found at Uaxactun, Caracol, Seibal, Nakum, Tikal and Palenque. The Qʼumarkaj example is the only one that has been dated to the Postclassic Period. The triple-temple form of the triadic pyramid appears to be related to Maya mythology.
What was the most important city in the northern Maya region?
Chichen Itza was the most important city in the northern Maya region.
What were the buildings of the Maya?
Architecturally, city buildings included palaces, pyramid-temples, ceremonial ballcourts, and structures specially aligned for astronomical observation. The Maya elite were literate, and developed a complex system of hieroglyphic writing. Theirs was the most advanced writing system in the pre-Columbian Americas.
How to identify glyph blocks in Maya?
Glyph blocks are usually arranged in a grid pattern. For ease of reference, epigraphers refer to glyph blocks from left to right alphabetically, and top to bottom numerically. Thus, any glyph block in a piece of text can be identified. C4 would be third block counting from the left, and the fourth block counting downwards. If a monument or artefact has more than one inscription, column labels are not repeated, rather they continue in the alphabetic series; if there are more than 26 columns, the labelling continues as A', B', etc. Numeric row labels restart from 1 for each discrete unit of text.
Why did the Mayans leave their settlements?
The Maya could have been invaded by a foreign power or else they fell victim to an epidemic. Other historians blame drought for the abandonment while the collapse of trade routes could have caused the Classic Period Mayans to leave their settlements. Despite the depopulation, this was not the end of the Maya.
What was the Mayan population known for?
The Late Preclassic Period began in approximately 400 BC and is known for the rapidly rising population of Mayan settlements, an increased centralization of political power and a heightened interest in the military and warfare. The growing population meant the Maya had to create complex mechanisms for coordinating, feeding, and organizing people.
How did the Maya civilization fall apart?
The complex Maya civilization started to fall apart from 700 AD onwards. The increase in conflict between states caused a rapid fall in population. Fighting intensified as resources became more scarce and important centers such as El Pilar, once a hotbed of new construction, were allowed to fall into ruin. Crucial centers in the lowlands such as Tikal were the first to collapse although Eastern centers such as Xunantunch fared a bit better.
What was the name of the Mayan city that was destroyed by a volcano?
It was during this era that large cities grew from small villages into great cities. Towards the end of the Preclassic Period, a Mayan city called Cuicuilco rivaled Mesoamerican giant Teotihuacan, but it was possibly destroyed by a volcano sometime during the Second Century AD. (In answer to queries, while Teotihuacan was named by the Aztecs and is admittedly not a Mayan city, it possibly hosted Mayan population at some point along with the Mixtec and Zapotec. No one knows for sure who built Teotihuacan.) The growth of these cities was indicative of the flourishing society as there were several cities with populations of over 50,000.
How many people live in the Mayan civilization?
Although the Maya civilization has supposedly vanished, there are six million people who continue to follow the old traditions. The Maya may have abandoned their cities for reasons historians can’t agree on, but they left behind plenty of evidence of their existence including a range of impressive structures such as the stunning complex at Tikal.
What were the accomplishments of the Mayan civilization?
This is deemed to be the peak of Maya civilization as it included accomplishments such as the creation of distinctive writing and calendar systems, the development of impressive public architecture and polychrome ceramics. One of the trademarks of the Mayan Classic Period is the building of dated monuments called Stelae which were likenesses of an important figure with a written record of his accomplishments. The Maya also used the Long Count, a calendrical system using a 360-day year with a start date of 3,114 BC, to record their social, religious and political history.
What was the end of the Mayan civilization?
4 – Spanish Conquest (1527-1697) When a Spanish ship wrecked off the Caribbean in 1511, it was the beginning of the end of the Maya civilization. This was nine years after Christopher Columbus’ brother, Bartholomew, made contact with Mayan traders on an island off the coast of Honduras.
Where Did The Maya Live?
Mayan Pyramids of The Classic Maya, A.D. 250-900
- The Classic Period, which began around A.D. 250, was the golden age of the Maya Empire. Classic Maya civilization grew to some 40 cities, including Tikal, Uaxactún, Copán, Bonampak, Dos Pilas, Calakmul, Palenque and Río Bec; each city held a population of between 5,000 and 50,000 people. At its peak, the Maya population may have reached 2,000,000 or as many as 10,…
The Mayan Calendar and Culture
- The Classic Maya built many of their temples and palaces in a stepped pyramid shape, decorating them with elaborate reliefs and inscriptions. These structures have earned the Maya their reputation as the great artists of Mesoamerica. Guided by their religious ritual, the Maya also made significant advances in mathematics and astronomy, including the use of the zero and the …
Maya Life in The Rainforest
- One of the many intriguing things about the Maya was their ability to build a great civilization in a tropical rainforest climate. Traditionally, ancient peoples had flourished in drier climates, where the centralized management of water resources (through irrigation and other techniques) formed the basis of society. (This was the case for the Teotihuacanof highland Mexico, contemporaries of th…
What Happened to The Maya?
- From the late eighth through the end of the ninth century, something unknown happened to shake the Maya civilization to its foundations. One by one, the Classic cities in the southern lowlands were abandoned, and by A.D. 900, Mayan civilization in that region had collapsed. The reason for this mysterious decline is unknown, though scholars have developed several competing theories…
Do The Maya Still Exist?
- Descendants of the Maya still live in Central America in modern-day Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador and parts of Mexico. The majority of modern-day Maya live in Guatemala, which is home to Tikal National Park, the site of the ruins of the ancient city of Tikal. Roughly 40 percentof Guatemalans are of Mayan descent.
Overview
The history of Maya civilization is divided into three principal periods: the Preclassic, Classic and Postclassic periods; these were preceded by the Archaic Period, which saw the first settled villages and early developments in agriculture. Modern scholars regard these periods as arbitrary divisions of chronology of the Maya civilization, rather than indicative of cultural evolution o…
Preclassic period (c. 2000 BC – 250 AD)
The Maya developed their first civilization in the Preclassic period. Scholars continue to discuss when this era of Maya civilization began. Discoveries of Maya occupation at Cuello, Belize have been carbon dated to around 2600 BC. Settlements were established around 1800 BC in the Soconusco region of the Pacific coast, and they were already cultivating the staple crops of the Maya di…
Classic period (c. 250–950 AD)
The Classic period is largely defined as the period during which the lowland Maya raised dated monuments using the Long Count calendar. This period marked the peak of large-scale construction and urbanism, the recording of monumental inscriptions, and demonstrated significant intellectual and artistic development, particularly in the southern lowland regions. The Classic period …
Postclassic period (c. 950–1539 AD)
The great cities that dominated Petén had fallen into ruin by the beginning of the 10th century AD with the onset of the Classic Maya collapse. Although much reduced, a significant Maya presence remained into the Postclassic period after the abandonment of the major Classic period cities; the population was particularly concentrated near permanent water sources. Unlike during previou…
Contact period and Spanish conquest (1511–1697 AD)
In 1511, a Spanish caravel was wrecked in the Caribbean, and about a dozen survivors made landfall on the coast of Yucatán. They were seized by a Maya lord, and most were sacrificed, although two managed to escape. From 1517 to 1519, three separate Spanish expeditions explored the Yucatán coast, and engaged in a number of battles with the Maya inhabitants. After the Aztec capital Tenochtitlan fell to the Spanish in 1521, Hernán Cortés despatched Pedro de Alva…
Persistence of Maya culture
The Spanish conquest stripped away most of the defining features of Maya civilization. However, many Maya villages remained remote from Spanish colonial authority, and for the most part continued to manage their own affairs. Maya communities and the nuclear family maintained their traditional day-to-day life. The basic Mesoamerican diet of maize and beans continued, although agricultural output was improved by the introduction of steel tools. Traditional crafts such as wea…
Investigation of the Maya civilization
From the 16th century onwards, Spanish soldiers, clergy and administrators were familiar with pre-Columbian Maya history and beliefs. The agents of the Catholic Church wrote detailed accounts of the Maya, in support of their efforts at evangelisation, and absorption of the Maya into the Spanish Empire. The writings of 16th-century Bishop Diego de Landa, who had infamously burned a …
Notes
1. ^ Estrada-Belli 2011, pp. 1, 3.
2. ^ Sharer and Traxler 2006, p. 98. Estrada-Belli 2011, p. 38.
3. ^ Estrada-Belli 2011, p. 1.
4. ^ Demarest 2004, p. 17.
Pre-Classic Period
- According to archaeological evidence, the Maya people had already given up a nomadic lifestyle and were settling down to an agricultural lifestyle as early as 1800 B.C. The earliest settlements in this period were situated near the Pacific coast. It was during this period that Mayans began cultivating large amount of their staple crop, maize. This ...
Classic Period
- The Classic period of the Mayan civilisation extends from 250 A.D. to 900 A.D. It was during this period that the Mayan civilisation reached the peak of its development, making significant advancements in arts, culture, architectureand in other aspects of society. In this period, many Mayan cities grew populous, had long-established ruling dynasties and began to develop as wel…
Late Classic Period
- The Mayan civilisation reached such a height during the late Classic period that many highly advanced cities began rivalling each other for alliances with other cities and regional influences. While Tikal was already a major power in the Mayan lowlands, the city of Calakmul emerged as a major rival during this period. At the same time, Copan emerged as the leading Mayan urban hu…
Terminal Classic Period
- The terminal Classic period of the Mayan civilisation continued from 830 A.D. to 900 A.D. This is the period of the rapid decline of the Mayan civilisation. To this day, historians have been unable to ascertain exactly how and why the Mayan civilisation collapsed in the 9th century A.D. Some have claimed that this was because of the steadily deteriorating environmental conditions. Other…
Post-Classic Period
- With the fall of the Mayan civilisation in the southern lowlands, the golden phase of the Mayan civilisation came to an end. It is generally regarded as the end of the Mayan civilisation proper. However, this does mean that the civilisation altogether came to an end after this period. Rather, Mayan populations shifted mostly to northern lowlands and Mayan highlands. During the post-Cl…
Rise of Northern Lowlands
- During the period between 950 A.D. and 1500 A.D., Mayan civilisation largely shifted to the northern lowlands. It was at this time that the later Mayan city of Chichen Itza rapidly grew in population. With the growth in population, the city became more prosperous and influential, becoming the most important Mayan city in the post-Classic period. However, the glory of this cit…
Arrival of The Spaniards
- The Spaniards had been planning on exploring the Mayan lands since Christopher Columbus discovery of the Americas. Early expeditions by the conquistadors were dispatched at the beginning of the 16th century but these were mostly met with failure. It wasnt until the time of the arrival of Hernan Cortes in the 1520s that Spanish finally made direct contact with major Mayan …
After The Spanish Conquest
- By the end of the 16th century, the Spanish conquerors had gained control of the nearly all major Mayan urban centres, including important Mayan cities in the Yucatan region. During this period of conquest, many Mayan temples were demolished, the social life was disrupted and Mayan culture underwent rapid decline. Spanish conquerors burnt and eliminated a vast body of the Mayans lit…
Mayan Timeline Summary
- Mayan civilisation came into being sometime in the 1st millennium B.C., although Mayan settlements date back to 1800 B.C. During the 1st millennium B.C., these settlements clustered into populous towns which, in turn, grew into large cities. Among the notable Mayan cities which came into being during the Pre-Classic period were Tikal, El Mirador and Nakbe. With the adven…
Overview
The Maya civilization was a Mesoamerican civilization developed by the Maya peoples, and noted for its logosyllabic script—the most sophisticated and highly developed writing system in pre-Columbian Americas—as well as for its art, architecture, mathematics, calendar, and astronomical system. The Maya civilization developed in the area that today comprises southeastern Mexico, al…
History
The history of Maya civilization is divided into three principal periods: the Preclassic, Classic, and Postclassic periods. These were preceded by the Archaic Period, during which the first settled villages and early developments in agriculture emerged. Modern scholars regard these periods as arbitrary divisions of Maya chronology, rather than indicative of cultural evolution or dec…
Mesoamerica
The Maya civilization developed within the Mesoamerican cultural area, which covers a region that spreads from northern Mexico southwards into Central America. Mesoamerica was one of six cradles of civilization worldwide. The Mesoamerican area gave rise to a series of cultural developments that included complex societies, agriculture, cities, monumental architecture, writing, and cale…
Geography
The Maya civilization occupied a wide territory that included southeastern Mexico and northern Central America. This area included the entire Yucatán Peninsula and all of the territory now incorporated into the modern countries of Guatemala and Belize, as well as the western portions of Honduras and El Salvador. Most of the peninsula is formed by a vast plain with few hills or mou…
Politics
Unlike the Aztecs and the Inca, the Maya political system never integrated the entire Maya cultural area into a single state or empire. Rather, throughout its history, the Maya area contained a varying mix of political complexity that included both states and chiefdoms. These polities fluctuated greatly in their relationships with each other and were engaged in a complex web of rivalries, periods of dominance or submission, vassalage, and alliances. At times, different polities achiev…
Society
From the Early Preclassic, Maya society was sharply divided between the elite and commoners. As population increased over time, various sectors of society became increasingly specialised, and political organization became increasingly complex. By the Late Classic, when populations had grown enormously and hundreds of cities were connected in a complex web of political hierarchies, th…
Warfare
Warfare was prevalent in the Maya world. Military campaigns were launched for a variety of reasons, including the control of trade routes and tribute, raids to take captives, scaling up to the complete destruction of an enemy state. Little is known about Maya military organization, logistics, or training. Warfare is depicted in Maya art from the Classic period, and wars and victories are menti…
Trade
Trade was a key component of Maya society, and in the development of the Maya civilization. The cities that grew to become the most important usually controlled access to vital trade goods, or portage routes. Cities such as Kaminaljuyu and Qʼumarkaj in the Guatemalan Highlands, and Chalchuapa in El Salvador, variously controlled access to the sources of obsidian at different points in Maya history. The Maya were major producers of cotton, which was used to make the t…