Birth of Mayan civilization

The Mayan civilization was defined as that with the passage of time when the settlements began to acquire a social structure and forms of interaction between villages stronger and shared cultural characteristics. That is, at birth the first signs of society and hierarchy.

The Maya are dispersed and developed in Mesoamerica

Mesoamerica Mayab territory (regions inhabited by the Maya) is thus becoming by Guatemala, Mexico, Honduras, El Salvador and Belize. But even thrived throughout the region are fertile characteristics Guatemala that led to a higher density of Mayan cities in their territory, so Guatemala is considered the Heart of Mundo Maya.

The Maya did not form a mega-company unified

It's easy to get confused and think of the Maya as a "whole", encompassing all Mayan cities in a social or political model similar to "country." Mayan cities were living in constant rivalry, but the cities were forming alliances or other extensions of distant realms.

History recognizes the progress, interactions, and traces of tremendous civilization. However, the key to understanding the history of the Maya is based on understanding that it was not a unified society spread throughout the territory of Mesoamerica. Contrary to this was a collection of city states, each independent of one form or another and other cities were more powerful extensions.

Put another way, all these groups shared enough characteristics of language, religion and lifestyle to be considered as a single culture, but not all cities work as well or lived under the command of a single hierarchy to reign supreme over all, and even had variations in words and writing.

History of alliances and conquests

History reveals that the Mayan cities formed alliances economic, political and military together. Some of the partnership ended when a city finally conquered the other, perhaps driven by ambition, lust of conquest, wars or ancient, purely for economic benefits and empowerment, something that is happening in the world today.

Maya periods, peak and decline

Mayan history is divided into periods:

1. comienzo de la civilización y desarrollo. Preclassic Period: beginning of civilization and development.
2. crecimiento poblacional, apogeo y máximo desarrollo. Classical Period: population growth, peak and maximum development. At this time large buildings were constructed. Introduction of zero and large avannces in all branches, scientific, astronomical, political, social and artistic.
3. aumento de conflictos entre ciudades, llegada de invasores y comienzo del declive de la civilización maya en general. Post Classic period, increasing conflicts between cities, the arrival of invaders and the beginning of the decline of Mayan civilization in general.

Each period has subperiods (early, mid and late). Late Postclassic is the case when the Spanish conquest, found in Guatemala and Mesoamerica in general to separate Mayan descendants mostly in conflict and lack of power that characterized during the Classic Period.