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It is estimated that the Mayan civilization was founded between 2000 and 1500 BCE. They began as nomadic farmers, but eventually settled down in citys, -
Pok-a-Tok was a famous ball game that was estimated to be invented around 2000 B.C.E. It was played all throughout the Mayan era and was a big part of there culture. The game was played by hitting a ball into a stone hoop at the end of the field, but the ball could not touch hands, feet, or head. The game was played for fun, but sometimes used to settle conflict. It was also used in religious ceremonys. -
One of the many techniques used was irrigation channels that harnesses rainwater. They would cycle there fields, and use handmade stone tools. They also used there knowledge on astronomy to determine best months to plant and harvest crops. -
During the Olmec period many people settled in cities and towns. They were known for there large 20 ton stone heads that commemorated their rulers. Olmec is an Aztec word meaning "the rubber people" as the Olmecs traded rubber throughout Mesoamerica. -
There are many reasons that early mayan civilizations settled along the coast. The first was that the coast provided water, and seafood. It also allowed for transportation and trade routes. -
The Maya solar calandar was called Haab. It had 18 months made of 20 days, and a final month with 5 days, which totals up to 365 days. The Mayans didnt invent the calandar, but they made major improvements to it. -
There were many Mayan kings with each city-state having its own king. Mayan kings had many powers such as religious authority, ritual leading, and they had power over the military, and resource allocation. They were considered "mediators" between morals and the gods. -
This writing is called hieroglyphs. It is thought to have developed from earlier Mesoamerican civilizations such as the Olmec. The Maya used there writing systems until about the end of the 17th century -
This period was considered the height of the mayan culture. Their population was estimated to be in the millions, and they had many sophisticated art forms, and arcitecture designs. They were known for their calandar and hieroglyphic writing system.
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The Mayans are considered to have developed the concept of 0. They also developed a base-20 number system. The mayans used math in trade and calandar calculations. One estimation as to why they used a base-20 system was the 20 fingers and toes humans have. -
Mayans began recording eclipses in 4th century AD. Mayans believed that solar eclipses were a sign of heavenly clashes. They believed that if they looked into them birds would be ready to peck out the eyes leaving people who looked at the blind. -
Tikal was considered one of the largest and oldest Mayan cities. It is located in the Peten selva of Guatemala. It had many temples and pyramids, and was estimated to have 4,000 buildings. It is estimated that there was 50,000-70,000 people at the height of its power. -
It is estimated that the classic Mayan civilization fell due to a mix of political and environmental problems. Scientists were able to show that there were several long droughts. Another theory was that warfare broke out and the mayans fell. -
Chichen Itza was a center for religious rituals and ceremonies. It was also a major economic power. Chichen Itza's Temple of Kukulcan is the most famous building there. -
Mayapan was located in the southern port of Mexico, about 100 kilometers west of Chichen Itza. Mayapan was capital city from 1220-1440. It had a population of about 15,000-17,000, and had more than 4,000 buildings within the city walls. The architecture was very similar to that of Chichen Itza. -
After being one of the most powerful city-states, Chichen Itza was conquered by the Mayapan, which was another Maya culture. About 100 years later it was abandoned. Historians believe this was due to droughts, exausted soils, or warfare. -
The post-classic period comes to an end with the arrival of Spanish explorer Hernandez de Cordoba. He came to find gold, slaves, and new land. His journey wasn't really that successful, but he brought back news of the Maya civilization, and marked the beginning of the Spanish conquest of the Maya. -
Cortes led an expedition to Mexico in order to claim land for the Spanish government. He was involved in many battles with native people, but ended up winning and conquering them. The Spanish's new territory included parts of North, Central, and South America. Cortes was appointed the governor of this new land that was called "New Spain". -
The ruins of Tikal were rediscovered in the 1840s. In 1881 Alfred Maudslay mapped the center of Tikal. In the 1950s a small airstrip was built at the ruins making them accessable, and later that decade the University of Pennsylvania began the Tikal Project which investigated the Tikal architecture. -
In 2023 experts found several pyramid-like structures measuring more than 15m in height. Pottery unearthed at the site appears to indicate it was inhabited between 600 and 800 AD. The area it was found in was dense wth vegetation which made it hard to find.