Let's start our trip to Central America by looking at a map...



How many countries do you see?

Some people consider Mexico a part of Central America.

Where is Mexico? To the north? south? east? or west?

Can you find Central America on the map of the world?



Now click HERE to take the geography quiz!

Now that we know where Central America is on a map, let's start at the beginning and learn the history of Central America.

The Mayan Civilization

Introduction
The Mayan civilization covered what is now Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, and part of Mexico in Central America. Most of the Mayan land was forest and mountains.

Go back to the map: Find Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, and where Mexico now is. Using what you know about this area. What kind of forests do you think the paragraph is talking about?

Much of what we know about the Maya comes from Spanish records. Spaniards came to Latin America in 1511. By then the Mayan civilization was already 1,100 years old. They Maya kept records, but most of them have been destroyed or lost.

Mayan History
When the Maya-speaking people came to Central American is unknown. The classic period in Mayan history began around A.D. 320. It was a peaceful time when advancements were made in knowledge, building, and farming.
The earliest known Mayan city was Uaxactun in northern Guatemala, dating back to A.D. 328.

Other important cities were Copan, Tikal, and Palenque. Tikal and Palenque were famous for their pyramids. One pyramid in Tikal reached over 190 feet.
Copan was a city of great learning. Scholars came there to study and work.

Click on this map to make it bigger. Find Copan, Tikal, and Palenque. What do you see?



Mayan cities in the highlands of Guatemala were religious and political centers. Most common people lived in small villages. They went into the cities only to worship.
It is believed that over-farming helped cause the fall of the early Mayan civilization. War, famine, and changes in climate added to the fall. By 889, the Mayan cities lay in ruins.

The Maya People

The Maya practiced many different customs and beliefs, but spoke a common language. Over 20 forms of the Mayan language are still spoken today in Central America. Ancient Mayan writing had over eight hundred glyphs, or carved symbols.

Look at these examples of Mayan writing. Do you think it was easy or hard to learn to write?



Mayan society was divided into several groups: the ruling class (nobility), scribes (who knew how to write), priests, craftsmen, and common people.

The common people were farmers, hunters, and soldiers. But they all worked in the fields. The main crop was corn (maize). Cacao, squash, beans, and cotton were also grown. Hunters and fisherman were expected to share their catch with the rulers.

Mayan Art, Music, and Dance
The Maya loved to dance. During ceremonies and festivals the men gathered in a circle and two dancers performed in the center. Women were not included.
The Maya’s favorite musical instrument was a drum made from a hollow log and skins. They also played gongs, flutes, and whistles.
A favorite Maya game was pok-a-tok. The object of the game was to drive a rubber ball through a ring located in the middle of the court. The players could use only their feet, legs, and hips.
The Maya painted murals on every available wall and sculpted statues in wood, stone, and metals. Their basket and cloth weaving was magnificent. They also worked with gold and silver.
Religon
The Maya believed the world was created by spirits. At some time, these spirits spoke the name earth and it appeared. Man was created from mud, but was so weak he was destroyed by a flood. Then the spirits sent twins, who conquered evil. The twins were believed to be the ancestors of the Maya people.
The Maya worshiped hundreds of spirits. Most of them were nature spirits. The Maya sacrificed birds and other small animals to these spirits.
The major celebration took place during Mol, the moth when all the spirits were honored. The Warriors’ Feast and the New Year were also special times.
Each celebration was marked by feasting, dancing, and sacrifices to the spirits.
The Mayan people were very careful. When a person died, a priest had to purify the house. Bad spirits were thought to be the cause to most sickness and death.
The Mayan Calendar
The Mayan Calendar was amazingly accurate. It had 365 days. There were eighteen months of twently days each. The remaining 5 days were “unlucky days.” No activities went on during this time.
There was also a 260-day calendar used to plan daily life. Priests studied the stars and decided which days were lucky and which were unlucky. No Maya took a trip, planted a crop, or married on an “unlucky day.”
The Maya also had a lunar calendar based on the cycles of the moon. This calendar told them when to plant and harvest.

Warfare
Until the Spaniards came, the Maya were among the mightiest people in the area. The Maya fought one another from time to time, but joined forces when threatened by an outside enemy.
In battle the Maya used bows and arrows, spears, and blowguns. Soldiers also used wooden swords, copper axes, and short lances. War paint was used to frighten the enemy, as was loud shouting and hissing.
Important prisoners were sacrificed to honor the ancestor of a town.
The Maya Today