03-09-2021, 07:37 PM
4. The Maya Civilization
Civilization Name: Maya civilization
Period: 2600 BC–900 AD
Original Location: Around present-day Yucatan
Current Location: Yucatan, Quintana Roo, Campeche, Tabasco, and Chiapas in Mexico and south through Guatemala, Belize, El Salvador, and Honduras
Major Highlights: Complex understanding of astronomy
![[Image: Mayan-civilization-2600-BC.jpg]](https://www.ancienthistorylists.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/Mayan-civilization-2600-BC.jpg)
The ancient Maya civilization flourished in Central America from about 2600 BC and has been much talked about because of the calendar it introduced. Once established, the Mayan civilization went on to prosper and become highly sophisticated with a booming population of about 19 million at its peak. By 700 BC, the Mayans had already devised their own system of writing which they used to create solar calendars carved in stone. According to them, the world was created on August 11, 3114 BC, which is the date from which their calendar begins. The supposed end date was December 21, 2012.
The ancient Mayans were culturally rich compared to many of their contemporary civilizations, and the Mayans and Aztecs both built pyramids, many of which are larger than those in Egypt. But the sudden decline and abrupt end of the Mayans has long been one of ancient history’s most intriguing mysteries: Why did the Mayans, a remarkably sophisticated civilization made up of more than 19 million people, suddenly collapse sometime during the eighth or ninth century? The Maya people did not disappear completely however; their descendants still live in parts of Central America.
Civilization Name: Maya civilization
Period: 2600 BC–900 AD
Original Location: Around present-day Yucatan
Current Location: Yucatan, Quintana Roo, Campeche, Tabasco, and Chiapas in Mexico and south through Guatemala, Belize, El Salvador, and Honduras
Major Highlights: Complex understanding of astronomy
The ancient Maya civilization flourished in Central America from about 2600 BC and has been much talked about because of the calendar it introduced. Once established, the Mayan civilization went on to prosper and become highly sophisticated with a booming population of about 19 million at its peak. By 700 BC, the Mayans had already devised their own system of writing which they used to create solar calendars carved in stone. According to them, the world was created on August 11, 3114 BC, which is the date from which their calendar begins. The supposed end date was December 21, 2012.
The ancient Mayans were culturally rich compared to many of their contemporary civilizations, and the Mayans and Aztecs both built pyramids, many of which are larger than those in Egypt. But the sudden decline and abrupt end of the Mayans has long been one of ancient history’s most intriguing mysteries: Why did the Mayans, a remarkably sophisticated civilization made up of more than 19 million people, suddenly collapse sometime during the eighth or ninth century? The Maya people did not disappear completely however; their descendants still live in parts of Central America.
![[+]](https://xossipy.com/themes/sharepoint/collapse_collapsed.png)