Maya Civilization

Discover The Maya History & How They Lived!

This book’s coverage begins with the development of the Maya through the ancient eras, starting with their founding in Belize as a hunter-gatherer society in the Pre-Classic Period all the way through the Classic and Post-Classic Period during which they had flourished into the civilization they are known for today. The Maya was composed of several city-states that spanned the area, all with soaring stone architecture structured for its citizens and a network of roads and passages to make trading and travel easier for commerce.

Understanding the mystical nature of the Maya religion and their belief in the balance of the universe are keys to understanding how the Maya lived and worshipped. They believed in balance between all individuals and worked hard to always praise the gods who created them with their own godly blood. They believed the gods destroyed previous civilizations before them because those peoples refused to worship, and the Maya made certain they would not share that same fate. This is clear in their cities, where the temple is the center of most of the plaza city-states.

Maya architecture is left standing to this day, even after centuries of weathering and excavation from archaeologists. Their limestone structures were created carefully and mapped out using their mathematical skills, and they even used cement to hold stones together while also planning out the expansion of their temples to hold tombs.

Inside this book, you will find the following:

•     The history of the Maya people and where their civilization began and expanded from



•     How the name “Maya” came to be used for these people



•     The growth of the Maya as they became a booming society during the Classic Period



•     When colonists began to interact with the Maya civilizations in Central America



•     Results of the Spanish Conquest of Mesoamerica and what it meant for the Maya



•     Why archaeologists believe the Maya empire fell



•     Details on the Maya religious tradition of human sacrifice and what that entailed



• Other ways Maya sacrificed members of their society to the gods in religious gestures



•     Facts on traditional Maya cultural aspects and way of life such as the meals they ate, the clothes they wore, and their social classes



•     Where the descendants of the Maya reside today and how they fight to preserve their heritage



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