Archaic Period (8000–2000 BC) During this time, early villages and developments in agriculture emerged3. Hunter-gatherer cultures transitioned to agricultural practices5.

Preclassic Period (2000 BC – 250 AD) Farming villages started to form around the Maya region4. By 750 BC, the first Maya cities began to develop, and by 500 BC, they contained monumental architecture, including large temples3. The Maya began farming around 600 BC, which allowed their population to expand and cities to grow4.

Postclassic Period (950 AD – 1539 AD) During this period, many cities were abandoned5. The northern Maya region persisted in small villages until the Spanish conquest.

Contact Period (1511–1697 AD) The Battle of Utatlan in 1524 marked the crushing of the last Maya resistance by the Spanish conquistador Pedro de Alvarado.