Maya Civilization

Maya civilization arose in the highlands of Guatemala centuries before the birth of Christ, forming thriving city-states and a trading network that stretched over a wide area. Many Maya leaders and people later migrated northward, into the Petén and Yucatán regions, where the civilization developed during the Classic period, between AD 300 and 900. During this period the Maya built impressive ceremonial cities at Tikal, Uaxactún, Quiriguá, Mirador, and at many other sites in northern Guatemala, as well as in Honduras and Mexico. These sites featured large temple pyramids and plazas, richly decorated with sculpture and carving. The Maya also developed sophisticated scientific knowledge, a complex calendar, and a hieroglyphic writing system.

After the collapse of Classic Maya civilization about AD 900, the Maya established new cities further north in the Yucatán Peninsula, which was the center of the Maya world during the Post-Classic period (AD 900 to 1521). Those Maya who remained in the Guatemalan highlands never achieved the scientific or architectural magnificence of the Classic or Post-Classic city-states, but their civilization survived longer. When the Spaniards arrived in the 16th century, several populous nations of Maya descent, notably the Quiché, the Cakchiquel, and the Zutujil, occupied the Guatemalan highlands.

Pre-Columbian epoch Temple II sight, west side of EL Gran Jaguar

Guatemala is placed inside the nucleus of the geographical area known as Mesoamérica. Inside the territorial limits it develops several cultures, which it’s emphasizes the Mayan Civilization. Guatemala is the cradle of this ancient civilization. It is notable for achieving a complex social development, making outstanding achievements in several scientific disciplines such as architecture, writing, and an advanced calculation of the time by means of mathematics and astronomy. They also stood out in painting,  sculpture, and engineering, going so far as constructing big metropolises from the Pre Classic period such as the cities of San Bartolo, Cival, Nakbé, El Mirador, in the Cuenca del Mirador, Uaxactún, Tikal, Ceibal, Rio Azul , Yaxhá, Dos Pilas , Cancuén, Machaquilá, Aguateca, in the low grounds of the North, placed in the department of Petén and Kaminal Juyú, in the high grounds of the central plateau, as well as Takalik Abaj in the department of Retalhuleu, placed in the coastal zone of the Pacific Ocean in the south area.

During the arrival of the Spanish to their territory, in 1524, the Mayans of the classic period were already missing, but the natives (proveniences of tula) were divided into a good number of dominions and/or cities - states as Utatlán or Gu'marcaj capital of the Ki'che ', Iximché, Capital of the Kakchikel, Zaculeu, Capital of the Mames, Mixco Viejo, capital of the Pokomames, Chuitinamit, Capital of the Tz'utujiles, which were fighting between them, which they used pretty well , to achieve a conquest with relative facility, nevertheless Cardinal Tayasal of the Mayan Itzá, and Zacpetén, Capital of the Mayan Ko'woj, both in Petén were not conquered, after multiple attempts (Hernán Cortés, resisted attacking Tayasal, on his way to Honduras, which was well defended ), until 1697, when the last cultures of America  were conquered.