The Mayans: A Civilisation in the Jungle

Imagine you are hacking through a thick rainforest with a machete. Suddenly, a huge stone pyramid rises up through the trees — taller than a ten-storey building. Nobody told you it was here. Nobody has lived here for hundreds of years. How did it get there? Who built it — and why? This is exactly what explorers found in Central America in the 1800s. These ruins belonged to one of the most extraordinary civilisations the world has ever seen: the Maya. Before we dive in, think about this warm-up question.

The Maya were a people who built a great civilisation in Mesoamerica — the region we now call southern Mexico, Guatemala, Belize, Honduras, and El Salvador. Their civilisation began to grow around 2000 BCE and reached its peak during the Classic Period, from about 250 CE to 900 CE. At their height, more than two million people may have lived in Maya cities. **Where did they live?** The Maya built cities deep in tropical rainforests and on flat limestone plains. Some of their most famous cities were Tikal (in modern Guatemala), Chichén Itzá (in modern Mexico), and Palenque (also in Mexico). Each city was ruled by its own king, called an ajaw. **What did the Maya build?** The Maya were master builders. They constructed enormous stone pyramids, grand palaces, and ball courts — all without metal tools or the wheel. Pyramids were used as temples to honour their gods and sometimes as royal tombs. **Writing and numbers** The Maya invented their own writing system using symbols called glyphs. A glyph is a small picture or sign that stands for a word, sound, or idea. They carved glyphs into stone and also wrote on folded books made of bark paper, called codices. The Maya also developed a sophisticated number system. They used a dot to mean 1, a bar to mean 5, and a shell shape to mean 0. Crucially, they were one of the first peoples in the world to use the concept of zero — a huge mathematical achievement. **Astronomy and the calendar** The Maya watched the stars and planets with great care. They tracked the movements of Venus and the Sun so accurately that they built a calendar system more precise than the one used in Europe at the same time. They actually used two calendars together: one with 365 days (like our year) and a sacred one with 260 days. **Religion and everyday life** The Maya believed in many gods connected to nature — the rain god, the maize god, and others. Maize (corn) was central to their diet and their religion. Farmers grew maize, beans, and squash. Merchants traded goods like jade, obsidian (a sharp volcanic glass), and cacao — the plant used to make chocolate. **What happened to the Maya?** Around 800–900 CE, many large southern Maya cities were abandoned. Historians think a combination of drought, warfare between cities, and food shortages caused this collapse. However, the Maya did not disappear. Millions of Maya people still live in Central America today, and their languages and traditions survive. **Worked Example — Putting Events in Order:** Let's look at the timeline: - 2000 BCE: Maya people begin farming and settling in villages. - 250 CE: Classic Period begins; great cities are built. - 695 CE: King Pakal of Palenque rules; art and writing flourish. - 800–900 CE: Many cities in the south are abandoned. - 1500s CE: Spanish conquistadors (conquerors) arrive in the region. - Today: Around 7 million Maya descendants live in Central America. Notice the huge span of time — the Maya civilisation lasted far longer than many other ancient cultures.