Maya Civilization of Mexico

Maya Civilization of Mexico

Maya Civilization, an ancient Native American culture that represented one of the most advanced civilizations in the western hemisphere before the arrival of Europeans. The people known as the Maya lived in the region that is now eastern and southern Mexico, Guatemala, Belize, El Salvador, and western Honduras. The Maya culture reached its highest development from about ad 300 to 900. The Maya built massive stone pyramids, temples, and sculpture and accomplished complex achievements in mathematics and astronomy, which were recorded in hieroglyphs (a pictorial form of writing).

Maya Civilization The Maya civilization encompassed all of the Yucatán Peninsula in present-day Mexico and parts of present-day Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador. Ruins of Maya cities, which serve as an indication of the skill and artistry of their architects, have been discovered throughout this region. For reasons still unknown, the Maya civilization collapsed in about ad 900.

After 900 the Maya mysteriously declined in the southern lowlands of Guatemala. They later revived in the north on the Yucatán Peninsula and continued to dominate the area until the Spanish conquest in the 16th century.

Descendants of the Maya still form a large part of the population of the region. Although many have adopted Spanish ways, a significant number of modern Maya maintain traditional cultural practices.