The Maya excelled at agriculture, pottery, hieroglyph writing, calendar-making and mathematics,

and left behind an astonishing amount of impressive architecture and symbolic artwork.

Maya cities were the administrative and ritual centres for regions which included the city itself and an
agricultural hinterland (a region lying inland from a coast).

The largest Maya cities were home to many people. At the major centre of Tikal, for example, within a six-
square-mile area, there were over 10,000 individual structures ranging from temple-pyramids to thatched-roof
huts. Tikal's population is estimated at up to 60,000, giving it a population density several times greater than an
average city in Europe or America at the same period in history.

A Maya city from the Classic Period usually consisted of a series of stepped platforms topped by masonry
structures, ranging from great temple-pyramids and palaces to individual house mounds. These structures
were in turn arranged around broad plazas or courtyards. Maya architecture is characterized by a
sophisticated sense of decoration and art, expressed in bas-relief carvings and wall paintings. At major
sites like Tikal, large buildings and complexes might also have been interconnected by stone roads or
causeways.

Bas-relief - sculpting onto a 2D plane to create and accentuate figures and objects

 
The most impressive Maya site is likely Tikal in Guatemala. These photographs show the buildings
around the Great Plaza: the Temple of the Giant Jaguar (right-hand side; ca. A.D. 700), the Temple of
the Masks (ca. A.D. 699), and the North Acropolis. At the heart of the Temple of the Giant Jaguar is the
tomb of a high priest, buried with hundreds of offerings - vases, jade and so on. The sanctuary for
worship at the top of the structure sits on a nine-tiered pyramid.

Maya cities were rarely laid out in neat grids, and appear to have developed in an unplanned fashion, with
temples and palaces torn down and rebuilt over and over through the centuries. Because of this seemingly
erratic pattern of settlement, the boundaries of Maya cities are often hard to determine. Some cities were
surrounded by a moat, and some had defensive earthworks around them; however, this was unusual. City
walls are rare at Maya sites, with the exception of some recently discovered cities dating from the collapse of
Maya civilization, when protective walls were suddenly thrown up around cities under siege from outside
enemies.

 
 (left) The "Castillo" (actually a temple) and part of the walled city of Tulúm (Northern Yucatán, Post
Classic period).
(right) The Pyramid of the Magician in Uxmal (Northern Yucatán) has an unusual shape, being built on
a great oval platform, but otherwise conforms to the traditional temple-pyramid form. According to Maya
legend, the temple was created in the span of a single night by a child prodigy who became ruler of the
land. In reality it may have taken as long as 300 years to build what we see today, for it actually
comprises five structures superimposed one on top of the other.

Temple-pyramids were the most striking feature of a Classic Maya city. They were built from hand-cut
limestone blocks and towered over all surrounding structures. Although the temples themselves usually
contained one or more rooms, the rooms were so narrow that they could only have been used on ceremonial
occasions not meant for public consumption. The alignments of ceremonial structures could be significant.

Although the temples were the most imposing structures within a Maya city, the bulk of construction at a Maya
site was composed of palaces: single-storey structures built like temple-pyramids but on much lower platforms
and with as many as several dozen plastered rooms. Unlike temple-pyramids, palaces often contained one or
two interior courtyards.

 
(left) The "Nunnery" in Uxmal, actually a palace complex, stands adjacent to the Pyramid of the
Magician.
(right) The "Palace" dominates the central area of Palenque; sitting on a large artificial mound, this
complex of galleries and courtyards is about the size of a standard North American city block.

There is no real agreement on what the palaces were actually used for. Rulers and other elite might have lived
in them, although the rooms are cramped and spartan. Archaeologists suggest that nobles were more likely to
have lived in less permanent buildings which haven't survived. Archaeologists also suggest that the cell-like
rooms of the palaces could indicate that monks, nuns or priests lived there, although there is little evidence of
ecclesiastical or monastic orders among the ancient Maya.

In some regions, groundwater was scarce, and large cities like Tikal would have had large man-made
reservoirs to service their populations during the dry season. Many Maya sites had ball courts; others had
sweat baths, possibly adopted from Mexico. Important cities also had multiple stelae or pillars placed in the
stucco floors of plazas, usually facing important temples and palaces. The stelae were sometimes on
platforms, supporting temple-pyramids, and usually had a low, round flat-topped altar in front of them.

Typical Maya architectural features included the corbel vault and the roof comb. The corbel vault has no
keystone, as European arches do, making the Maya vault appear more like a narrow triangle than an archway.
It has been suggested that this unusual form exists because the Maya never mastered keystone technology.
Others suggest that the lack of keystone was deliberate: the Maya vault always had nine stone layers,
representing the nine layers of the Underworld. A keystone would have created a tenth layer, outside the Maya
cosmology.

The Great Gate at Labna, southern Yucatán, is a fine example of Puuc-

style architecture. Architects perhaps sacrificed the functionality of a "true
arch" (with keystone) for the symbolism of the Maya vault. The tall structure
was once free-standing, probably a ceremonial passageway between two plazas.

The Temple of the Sun, Palenque, was built by Chan-Bahlum ("snake-jaguar"),

son of Pacal, ca. A.D. 690. Its roof comb had no structural function, but can be
considered analogous to a headdress worn by a king. The Temple's mansard
roof is decorated with the beautiful stucco figures for which Palenque is justly
famous.

The Maya roof comb was a lattice of stone added despite the height of the temple-pyramids. Perhaps
Maya architects didn't feel the temples were grand enough, and so added an upper extension. The roof
comb was always highly decorated with painted stucco reliefs, as was the temple facade. Equally
decorated were the doorways, doorjambs and facades of many other Maya structures, which were
ornamented with heavy carving in stone or wood.

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The Maya excelled at agriculture, pottery, hieroglyph writing, calendar-making and mathematics,
and left behind an astonishing amount of impressive architecture and symbolic artwork.

Maya cities were the administrative and ritual centres for regions which included the city itself and an
agricultural hinterland (a region lying inland from a coast).

The largest Maya cities were home to many people. Maya architecture is characterized by a
sophisticated sense of decoration and art, expressed in bas-relief carvings and wall paintings. Temple-
pyramids were the most striking feature of a Classic Maya city. They were built from hand-cut
limestone blocks and towered over all surrounding structures. Typical Maya architectural features
included the corbel vault and the roof comb. The corbel vault has no keystone, making it to appear
more like a narrow triangle than an archway.

Maya architecture is best characterized by the soaring pyramid temples and ornate palaces which were
built in all Maya centres across Mesoamerica from El Tajin in the north to Copan in the south. The Maya
civilization was formed of independent city-states and, consequently, there are regional variations
in architecture but almost all buildings were constructed with a precise attention to position and layout
and a general style prevails.

Features of Maya architecture include multi-level elevated platforms, massive step-pyramids, corbelled
roofing, and monumental stairways. Exteriors were decorated with sculpture and mouldings of Maya
glyphs, geometric shapes, and iconography from religion such as serpent masks. Interestingly, unlike
in many other cultures, Maya architecture makes no particular distinction between religious and non-
religious buildings.

Maya architects used readily available local materials, such as limestone at Palenque and Tikal, sandstone at
Quiriguá, and volcanic tuff at Copan. Blocks were cut using stone tools only. Burnt-lime cement was used to
create a form of concrete and was occasionally used as mortar, as was simple mud. Exterior surfaces were
faced with stucco and decorated with high relief carvings or three-dimensional sculpture. Walls might also have
fine veneers of ashlar slabs placed over a rubble core, a feature of buildings in the Puuc region. Walls in Maya
buildings are usually straight and produce sharp angles but a notable idiosyncrasy is seen at Uxmal's House of
the Governor (10th century CE) which has outer walls which lean outwards as they rise (called negative
batter). The whole exterior was then covered in stucco and painted in bright colours, especially red, yellow,
green, and blue. Interior walls were often decorated with murals depicting battles, rulers, and religious scenes.
Mansard roofs were typical and made in imitation of the sloped thatch roofing of the more modest wooden and
wattle dwellings of the majority of the population.

The earliest monumental Maya structures are from the Petén region, such as the 1st century CE pyramid at
Uaxactun known as E-VII-sub, and are low pyramids with steps on all four sides rising to a top platform.
Postholes in the platforms indicate superstructures of perishable material once stood there. The pyramids also
carry sculptural decoration, masks in the case of E-VII-sub. Even at this early stage buildings were constructed
on precise plans according to such events as the winter and summer solstices and equinoxes. In addition, the
outline of structures when seen from above was also deliberate and could form or resemble Maya glyphs for,
for example, completion and time. Indeed, many structures were built to specifically commemorate the
completion of important time periods such as the 20 year katun.

The Mayan civilization thrived between 500 B.C. and 900 A.D. through various regions of present-day Mexico
and Central America. Their influence, of course, lasted until the time of the Spanish and historians still are not
entirely sure what led to their collapse and the abandonment of their great stone cities. Mayan Art substantially
influenced Olmec, Toltec, and Teotihuacan peoples. Mayan Art is characterized by stone sculptures,
architecture, ceramics, wood carving, and wall painting which are some of its most celebrated forms.

Mayan artists were exceptionally skilled at stone sculpture and stonework. Many Mayan buildings feature stone
carvings that were frequently based upon their religion. Divine beings and animals were often depicted on
stelae. Many carvings were dedicated to royalty. Various carvings reflected Mayan rituals and activities like
everyday life, battle, and even human sacrifice. Mayan temples and other ruins were ornamented with carvings
that demonstrate their craftsmen’s extraordinary artistry and skill. They rendered these works with nothing but
stone tools and wooden mallets.

Mayan artisans were also skilled makers of pottery. One of their earliest ceramic types is known as Amyan and
it may have originated in the highlands of Guatemala. Simple cooking pots and other vessels rendered simply
with single color designs are hallmarks of this period. Later styles feature more variety such as jars and vases
as well as many more decorative techniques like polychrome painting. These later Mayan ceramics are
regarded with great esteem and are considered the best examples of ancient Mesoamerican pottery. Many
works depicted monsters and animal deities and various colors like orange and red.

Aside from their great stone cities often dominated by temples and pyramids, Mayan architectural features
were frequently adorned with interior painting. The interior temple walls as well as the walls of palaces were
decorated with painted scenes that reflected Mayan life and religion. The painted murals of Bonampak in the
Mexican state of Chiapas are considered some of the best examples of their detailed frescoes. The ruins of the
Mayans also demonstrate their hieroglyphics.

Many Mayan artifacts are showcased in museums throughout Mesoamerica and demonstrate other Mayan
traditions. Mayan artisans were masters at carving wood and jade. They created various tools, bells, and
jewelry from copper and gold as well as other natural materials. Other important Mayan relics housed in
museums today include masks, mosaic works, and statues. The art works demonstrate considerable
information about the culture of Mayan people and scholars are still working to glean greater understanding
from these objects of art to determine more details about this civilization and why it collapsed.