by Sophia Lyn

Created on: January 30, 2007   Last Updated: May 08, 2007

Christopher Magallanes

Mesoamerica: A region extending south and east from central Mexico to include parts of Guatemala, Belize, Honduras, and Nicaragua. In pre-Columbian times it was inhabited by diverse civilizations, including the Mayan and the Olmec.

Mesoamerican civilization can be put into three major time periods:

The Pre-Classic period extending from 1500 B.C.A.D. 300

The Classic period extending from A.D. 300-950
And the Post-Classic period extending from A.D. 950-1521.

It is generally believed that what we recognize as the ancient Maya culture began around 300 AD as an offshoot of the Olmec civilization. The central Mexican city of Teotihucan traded with the Maya and its influence can clearly be seen in some Maya sites, such as Tikal. In fact, the collapse of Teotihucan in the sixth century had a notable effect on the Maya, causing a virtual standstill of new construction for several decades.

Between 600 AD and 800 AD, the Classic Maya flourished in the southern lowlands. Then, for what may prove to be a multitude of reasons, the great Maya centers of the southern lowlands fell into ruin abandoned and left to be reclaimed by the surrounding rainforest. Many theories have been proposed to explain this "collapse" including: over-population, extensive warfare, revolt of the farmer/laborer class, or any number of devastating natural disasters. Whatever the reason, its effect was contained to the central region and the northern lowlands continued to prosper during what is called the Late Classic period. During this time there was an infusion of the Mexican/Toltec culture that is evident in sites such as Chichn Itza and Uxmal.

By the time of the Conquest, the Maya civilization was in its Post Classic phase and had reverted to an essentially Maya culture in scattered city-states. It was this lack of cohesion that would thwart the Spaniard's attempts to conquer the Maya.
Although the Maya have endured repression and persecution in one form or another for the past 500 years, more than 6 million descendants still maintain a culture that is distinctly Maya in areas of Mexico, Guatemala, Belize and Honduras.

Pre-Classic leaders secured the powers they needed to centralize authority. Incipient forms of writing begin to appear as early as 500 B.C. in Oaxaca. Between 500 and 200 B.C. precocious ceremonial centers emerged in the Maya lowlands at sites like El Mirador, Nakb, Cerros, and Uaxactn. "Neolithic" farming villages; pottery, looms, ground stone figurines; rule by groups

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