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Hunac Ceel becomes king and makes Mayapan his capital. He conquers his rivals and starts the Cocom dynasty, who rule the Yucatan for about 250 years.
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The Maya are known for keeping accurate calendars. They have three of them-a solar, divine, and astronomical calendar.
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Tikal, El Mirador, and other communities in the southern lowland region begin to develop.
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Originally a simple village with thatch huts, Cerros, along the Belize coast, starts building a pyramid temple. It is two-tiered with a temple of three rooms at the top.
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The Maya use stelae carvings to write the histories of their rulers. The earliest known stela is at Tikal, dated from AD 292. Scroll Ahau Jaguar is ruler around this time. Cities now have temples overlooking main plazas.
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Yax Moch Xoc becomes the first king of Tikal. All Maya cities have independent states with their own rulers.
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The Maya villages grow into large cities with temples, palaces, and roads. There are now nobles and priests, as well as farmers. A middle class forms with traders, artisans, and officials. Astronomy, writing, and calendars are perfected.
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The Maya civilization is divided into three distinct periods. The first is the Preclassic Period where the people live in simple houses in family communities that are surrounded by farmland.
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.Copan in southern Guatemala starts developing. King Yax-Kuk-Mo oversees the city's first major temple. Smoke-Jaguar begins ruling in AD 630. His 67-year reign ushers in a large period of growth.
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The people of Copan leave in AD 822
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Tikal does the same in AD 869. No one knows exactly why the cities in the southern lowlands start to decline. No more writings are found which could mean problems in the religious and ruling classes.
