Where did the Mayans live?
And how did we know about them?
The Mayans created a great civilization in parts of what are now Mexico and Honduras and in Guatemala. The ancestors of the Mayans were hunters but about 2,000 BC they adopted farming as a way of life. In the years from 300 BC to 250 AD organised Mayan kingdoms emerged. Then from 250 AD to 600 AD an advanced civilization emerged. The Mayans invented writing and they made great advances in astronomy and mathematics.
Mayan civilization was at its peak from 600 AD to 900 AD. However after 900 AD it declined. In the central rain forest cities were abandoned. We are not sure why. Perhaps there were ecological changes and famines occurred. Or perhaps warfare between the different Mayan kingdoms caused disaster. At any rate in the far north and south people continued to live in cities. Mayan civilization did not die completely.
Then in the 1520s Spanish conquistadors invaded and conquered the Mayans. However the descendants of the Mayans continue to live on today.
Mayan Life
Mayan Society
There was no single Mayan state. Instead there was a people with a single culture and religion divided into many city states. (Areas of countryside ruled by a city). Each city state or kingdom was ruled by an autocrat (a man with absolute power). However, although although they had unlimited power Mayan rulers usually had a council of important men to advise them. Warfare between Mayan kingdoms was common.
In the center of each Mayan city was an area of palaces, pyramid temples (some of them 70 meters high) and squares, where religious ceremonies were held. In the squares were stelae (upright stones) which were carved with the dates of important ceremonies and events.
Ordinary people lived in the surrounding houses. Most of the Mayans lived in the countryside but many cities were large. Some had populations of 45,000.
The Maya civilization was a group of people who lived in Central America. They lived there for a long time and some of the Maya people live there even today. They lived 4,000 years ago (about 2000 BC). The Maya people used a written language before Columbus came to the Americas in 1492 CE. The Maya people are known for their vast knowledge ofart, building, and math. They knew about stars and planets, which helped them make calendars.
The Maya civilization was biggest between the years of 250 CE and 900 CE. The Maya civilization spread all the way from central Mexico to Honduras, Guatemala, and northern El Salvador. The Maya people traded with other people in the Americas. Their art and buildings have lots of different styles. This shows they traded a lot. They made changes to their buildings to make them even better.
The Maya civilization started getting smaller after 900 CE.
The Spanish arrived in the 15th century and took over Central America, even in the Mayan areas. However, the Mayan people still live there today. Their relatives can be found in the same areas the Mayan civilization used to live in. They even keep the old Mayan traditions and beliefs. There are many Mayan languages still spoken today, including one called the Achi language. A play called Rabinal Achi is considered very important to the world.
