Maya Civilization

Explore the Captivating History and Mythology of the Maya!

In this captivating guide, you will discover why Maya have gained such worldwide admiration over the many other civilizations that existed in Mesoamerica at the time. You will learn how the Maya civilization developed, the major turning points in their 3,000-year-long history, the mysteries surrounding their demise, and some of the unique places where Maya exist to this day.

In the first part of this book, you will discover the origins of the Maya civilization and the Mesoamerican cultures that may have influenced them. You will find out why Maya (out of all the different tribes that existed in the region at the time) have captured the imagination of the West so much. The book will reveal how they lived, ate, slept, whom they worshipped, and how they used herbal medicines and hallucinogenic plants to treat the sick.

You learn about their trading routes and rivalries with another famous Mesoamerican tribe—the Aztecs. The book will go into the decline of the Maya civilization and how their rivalries with the Aztecs aided the victory of the Spanish conquistadors in the 16th century, led by the famous Spaniard Hernán Cortés. You will also learn about the heroic efforts of the Maya to fend off the Spaniards, and why they were able to succeed at this task for much longer than the Aztecs. The book will also track down the Maya living today, a population that is still six-million strong and adhere to many of the traditions that their ancestors once held. In among the battle tales and gore of human sacrifice, you will get some delicious cocoa recipes, Maya-style, that you can make at home.

After you have discovered all about the Maya origins, their cuisine, and their most notable events to present day, the book will go into the aspect that’s often the reason why so many people have been fascinated by the Maya civilization throughout the ages. You will learn about their mythology, cosmology, and the solar calendar that resulted in the infamous doomsday scare back in 2012.

Some of the topics and questions covered in this book include:

• Maya Timeline


• Glossary of Important Maya Terms


• The Origins of the Mesoamerican Civilizations


• The Archaic period: 7000 – 2000 BC


• The Olmecs: 1,200 – 300 BC


• The Preclassic Period and the Magnificent Zapotec


• Early Preclassic period: 2000 to 1000 BC


• Cuello and early Maya architecture


• Middle Preclassic period: 1000 to 300 BC


• The Zapotec: 600 BC to AD 800


• Late Preclassic period: 300 BC to AD 250


• The Classic Period, Doomsday Calendar, and the Mystery of the Red Queen


• Early Classic – AD 250 to 600


• How Maya measured the time


• Late Classic – AD 600 to 900


• The mystery of the Red Queen


• Terminal C...