Mayan Civilisation : Introduction

One of the great civilisations of human history as the Maya, who occupied large areas of Central America for more than 1,500 years. Their culture, which began to flourish just before the Christian era, made extraordinary developments in mathematics, astrology and hieroglyphics. But disaster struck around AD900, bringing about the abandonment of their ceremonial bases. The cause of this sudden collapse remains a mystery, though theories include famine brought on by drought, internal uprising and massacre by invading foreign tribes. Whatever the truth, the downfall of the Maya marked the end of the era of great imperial urban cultures in Mexico. Understanding the Maya has been a slow process because much was thought to be destroyed by he Spanish in the years following the Conquest. What is known comes from deciphering hieroglyphics carved on monuments and ceramics. Their descendants still practice traditional customs and beliefs.