The Maya developed their first civilization in the Preclassic period. Scholars continue to discuss when this era of Maya civilization began. Discoveries of Maya occupation at Cuello, Belize have been carbon dated to around 2600 BC. … See more

The great cities that dominated Petén had fallen into ruin by the beginning of the 10th century AD with the onset of the Classic Maya collapse. Although much reduced, a significant Maya … See more

The Spanish conquest stripped away most of the defining features of Maya civilization. However, many Maya villages remained remote … See more

1. ^ Estrada-Belli 2011, pp. 1, 3.
2. ^ Sharer and Traxler 2006, p. 98. Estrada-Belli 2011, p. 38.
3. ^ Estrada-Belli 2011, p. 1.
4. ^ Demarest 2004, p. 17. See more

The Classic period is largely defined as the period during which the lowland Maya raised dated monuments using the Long Count calendar. This period marked the peak of large-scale construction and urbanism, the recording of monumental inscriptions, and … See more

In 1511, a Spanish caravel was wrecked in the Caribbean, and about a dozen survivors made landfall on the coast of Yucatán. They … See more

From the 16th century onwards, Spanish soldiers, clergy and administrators were familiar with pre-Columbian Maya history and beliefs. The agents of the Catholic Church wrote … See more