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Maya

Maya, pronounced MAH yuh, were an American Indian people who developed a magnificent civilization in Central America and south Mexico. The Maya civilization reached its period of greatest development about A.D. 250 and continued to flourish for hundreds of years. The Maya produced remarkable architecture, painting, pottery, and sculpture. They made great advancements in astronomy and mathematics and developed an accurate yearly calendar. They were one of the first peoples in the Western Hemisphere to develop an advanced form of writing.

The Maya civilization was at its peak from about A.D. 250 to 900. During that time, known as the Classic Period, it was centered in the tropical rain forest of the lowlands of what is now northern Guatemala. Many of the major Maya cities, such as Piedras Negras, Tikal, and Uaxactun, developed in this area. By about 900, most of the Maya abandoned the Guatemalan lowlands and moved to areas to the north and south, including Yucatan and the highlands of southern Guatemala. In those areas, they continued to prosper until Spain conquered almost all of the Maya in the mid-1500's. Today, descendants of the Maya live in Mexico and Central America. They speak Maya languages and carry on some religious customs of their ancestors.

Excerpt adapted from the "Maya" article, The World Book Encyclopedia © 1999