D250 in present-day Mexico, Guatemala, Belize, Honduras, and El Salvador. Inheriting the inventions and ideas of earlier civilizations, The Mayas developed astronomy, a calendar system, hieroglyphic writing, ceremonial architecture, and masonry without metal tools. Maya civilization started to decline around A.D900, although some centuries continued to thrive until the Spanish conquest in the early sixteenth century.
THE BEGINNING.
The ancient civilization of the Mayas are said to be part of an era known as the postclassical (900-1500) period. The Mayas of the Yucatan peninsula and Guatemala are said to have lasted more than 2000 years (100B.C-A.D 1542) (www.ragz-international.com).
The ancient Maya civilization occupied a region of the world known as the Yucatan peninsula (Mexico and Central America). The region they occupied had many different terrains: in the south there were volcanic mountains, tropical lowlands in the central and northern region. From February to May the climate was very hot and unbearable. During this time of the year the Mayas practiced the slash and burn form of agriculture (www.indians.org).
Evidence of the Maya civilization is found to be since some 3000 years ago. The Maya civilization seems to have been influenced by the Olmecs (people living in the south-central Mexico from about 1200b.c to about 800b.c). After the fading of culture, the Mayas established the well-known cities of Tikal, Palenque, Copan, and Kalakmul (Dos Pilas). There civilization also consisted of many independent city-states (www.wikipedia.org).
The Mayas arrived in this area of Mesoamerica because they are said to have been nomadic hunter-gathers. It is said to believe that the ancestors of the Mayas crossed the Bering Strait about 20,000 years ago. Although the Mayas came from the classic culture of the Olmecs, they developed their own character, which are believed to be nothing to the classic Mayas (www.