The Maya, an introduction

by Dr. Maya Jimenez.

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Map showing the extent of the Maya civilization (red), compared to all other
Mesoamerica cultures (black). Today, these sites are located in the countries
of Mexico, Belize, Honduras and Guatemala (image: CC BY-SA 3.0)
Map showing the extent of the Maya civilization (red), compared to all other Mesoamerica cultures (black).
Today, these sites are located in the countries of Mexico, Belize, Honduras and Guatemala (image: CC BY-SA
3.0)
The Maya are a culturally affiliated people that continue to speak their native
languages and still often use the ancient 260-day ritual calendar for religious
practices. The ancient Maya were united by belief systems, cultural practices
that included a distinct architectural style, and a writing system. They were
also joined by political interaction in the form of warfare and intermarriage.
They left an artistic legacy that ranges from intricately carved monolithic
sculptures to complex mural cycles. The ancient Maya are credited with
creating the most advanced Mesoamerican writing system, which was logo-
syllabic, meaning that it consists of pictorial symbols or glyphs that represent
either entire words or syllables. It is the only pre-Hispanic writing system of
Mesoamerica that has been largely deciphered (see image below).
 Vessel, Mythological Scene, 7th-8th century, Guatemala, Mesoamerica,
Maya, ceramic, 14 x 11.4 cm (The Metropolitan Museum of Art)
Vessel, Mythological Scene, 7th-8th century, Guatemala, Mesoamerica, Maya, ceramic, 14 x 11.4 cm (The
Metropolitan Museum of Art)

The Maya are also known for their advanced understanding of time, which
they acquired through their study of astronomy and which allowed for the
development of a complex calendrical system.
Public inscriptions—which decorated temples and palaces—have also
contributed to our knowledge of the Maya, providing archeologists with
important dates, names, and ritual information.

Periods in Maya history

Historians divide Maya history into three periods:

Pre-Classic: 1000 B.C.E.-250 C.E. Classic: 250-900 C.E. Post-Classic: 900-

1521 C.E.

The Classic Period is divided into Early Classic: 250-550 C.E. and Late
Classic: 600-900 C.E. During the early Classic Period, the Maya had built
only a few cities in Mesoamerica. By the Late Classic Period however, the
population had grown and Maya cities had been founded throughout the
region. Important Maya cities include Tikal in the east (in what is today
Guatemala), Palenque in the west (what is today Mexico), and Copán in the
south (in what is today Honduras).
 Glyphs from Lintel 25, c. 725, Structure 23, Yaxchilán, Classic Maya,
limestone, 121 x 85.5 x 13.5 cm (The British Museum)
Glyphs from Lintel 25, c. 725, Structure 23, Yaxchilán, Classic Maya, limestone, 121 x 85.5 x 13.5 cm (The
British Museum)

City States, ruled independently

With a population ranging in the millions and scattered throughout a vast
region, the Maya were organized into small independent kingdoms or, more
accurately, into city states. Each city state was ruled by a divine lord or
ajaw/ahau who controlled territory around the capital city and frequently
fought with neighboring states for preeminence. Political and economic
rivalries among the Maya lords were fueled by an interest in acquiring
territory and controlling trade routes—activities made more complicated by
the remoteness of many Maya cities as well as their diverse geographies
(Maya cities could be found in lowland rainforests and mountainous
highlands). Different from the later Aztec, who centralized power and created
a true empire, Maya power remained de-centralized and was spread
throughout numerous kingdoms.

The collapse of Maya cities in the tenth century is not fully understood but
may have resulted from complex factors including climate change (and
resulting drought and crop failures), overpopulation, and political unrest.
Following this collapse, Maya civilization continued on the northern tip of
the Yucatán Peninsula, where Chichen Itza emerged as an important city of
the Post-Classic Period. Though the city was abandoned by the thirteenth
century, it was the arrival of Hernan Cortés and his Spanish fleet in the early
16th century that marked the end of the Maya civilization.

Essay by Dr. Maya Jimenez