# data[].attributes.body
- located mainly in Guatemala and in the Yucatan Peninsula, but was also in smaller parts of Mexico/Central America
- lived in rainforests, with many water sources used for farming (especially irrigation), travel, and trade with other cities
- lasted from 1800 BC to 900 AD
- peak of civilization was around 250 AD

# data[].attributes.body
- split between different cities, with 5,000-50,000 people in each city, with around 2 million people as a total population
- very agricultural society, with kuhul ajaw (translates to holy lords, or kings) at the top of the hierarchy and citizens of city below them
- cities included many buildings, such as temples, palaces, homes, and the like
- a ball game called ulama was a large part of politics and society in general
- had a hieroglyph system for writing, and can be found inscribed on stones and buildings

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- excelled in math and astrology
- created calendar systems (i.e., the Calendar Round with 365 days)
- known for creating codices (books) using paper made from tree bark
- took advantage of natural resources for building pyramids, accessories for costumes for rituals, and other activities
- natural resources include jade,
limestone, marine shells, and
others
- first known people to use chocolate and rubber

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- the reason to why the Maya fell is unknown, but there are three main theories of how it could've happened...
- used up all natural materials
possible
- alliances with other cities and
within own cities were broken up
- nature-related causes like
drought

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Why are the Maya Important to Latin America?

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Why are the Maya Important to Latin America?

# data[].attributes.body
- many of their descendants live around Latin America, with 60% of these descendants living in Guatemala, which is where the bulk of these people existed
- is an integral piece of history
- Tikal National Park contains much of the history and characteristics of Tikal, a Mayan city, which gives scientists and other explorers an idea of what Mayan cities originally looked like

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https://www.history.com/topics/ancient-americas/maya#section_4

Images (in order)
- https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.timemaps.com%2Fcivilizations%2Fmayan-civilization%2F&psig=AOvVaw23wTbBW5afSCDVUn5yTJZh&ust=1586653163727000&source=images&cd=vfe&ved=0CAIQjRxqFwoTCIiR2OOV3-gCFQAAAAAdAAAAABAD
- https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.openculture.com%2F2018%2F10%2Fancient-mayans-used-chocolate-money.html&psig=AOvVaw0kqNGqrsrXlWJVFtfxsmFf&ust=1586653209585000&source=images&cd=vfe&ved=0CAIQjRxqFwoTCPihmvuV3-gCFQAAAAAdAAAAABAD
- https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&url=https%3A%2F%2Fthemayan-arts.weebly.com%2Fmusic-and-dance.html&psig=AOvVaw3fQG26T5X0MjF3jn2uq6xA&ust=1586653240674000&source=images&cd=vfe&ved=0CAIQjRxqFwoTCPja3YiW3-gCFQAAAAAdAAAAABAD
- https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.history.com%2Ftopics%2Fancient-americas%2Fmaya&psig=AOvVaw139M_Tzf3x6xPdj8Wz30Cl&ust=1586653267938000&source=images&cd=vfe&ved=0CAIQjRxqFwoTCNCOuJWW3-gCFQAAAAAdAAAAABAD
- https://meet.google.com/?pli=1&authuser=0