MAYA ERAS

Very little is known about the beginnings of the Maya civilization, although it is a fact that by 2000BC people lived in villages and had learned agriculture.

To better study the Maya history, Archeologists have set this chronological framework following from an archaic period of hunter-gatherers:

The Preclassic period (2000 BC – AD 250)

The first phase of settled life and complex societies. By this end Maya had developed a civilized way of life, had already begun raising public buildings, several groups started migrating to new territories and leaders trying to expand their domains made war to enemy cities.

The Classic period (AD 250 – AD 909)

Maya civilization reached its greatest florescence, peak population, greatest social complexity and artistic and intellectual highpoint.

The landscape of kingdoms starts forging on the figure of a king who would legitimate his power in the divine origin of his ancestors. The writing system recorded in stone columns (stelae), the achievements of kings and also informed about war victories, alliances and biographies.

The Postclassic period (AD 909 – AD1450)

Considered to be the beginning of decadence since no more spectacular achievements were recorded on new stelae. Large scale movements in population, with western arrivals (from the central valley of Mexico) creating new series of city-states.

The Spanish Conquest (AD 1541)

Most representation s of Maya Culture ended definitely with the Spanish Conquest. Although some aspects of it survived even after the cruelty of a military conquest, slavery and transmitted diseases that reduced the population drastically.

The first inhabitants of America became for many years to come, the lowest extreme of a new social hierarchy even when they were the great majority. In this context no changes where achieved even after the greatest and most fortunate Maya insurrection, the so called “Guerra de Castas” (Casts war) 1947-1901; when the Maya of Yucatan conquered practically the whole peninsula.