United States History Student Edition

Centuries later, the Maya (MY•uh) civilization developed in the rain forests of present-day Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, and Belize. The Maya civilization reached its peak between 250 and 900 C.E. Their population grew to perhaps 2 million people, with many living in large cities. The Maya, like the Egyptians of North Africa, built large pyramids. The Maya structures most likely served as temples. Maya civilization was a theocracy (thee•AH•kruh•see), a society ruled by religious leaders. Maya priests studied astronomy because they believed the Gods were visible in the stars, sun, and moon. These studies and their advanced mathematics helped them predict eclipses and develop a 365-day calendar. The Maya also developed a system of writing that used hieroglyphics (HY•ruh•glih•fihks), symbols or pictures that represent things, ideas, and sounds. The Maya were active traders. Farmers brought maize and vegetables to city markets. They exchanged their goods for items such as cotton cloth, pottery, deer meat, and salt. Maya traders used canoes to ship goods, such as jade statues, turquoise jewelry, and cacao beans up and down Mexico’s east coast. By about 1200, the once-great Maya cities were nearly deserted. Some theories for the

decline of the Maya point to overpopulation, drought, and warfare. However, the Maya people did not disappear entirely. Descendants of this great civilization still live in parts of Mexico and Central America today. The Aztec and the Inca In central Mexico in 1325, centuries after the fall of the Maya, a group of hunters called the Aztec (AZ•tehk) were trekking through the Valley of Mexico when they came upon a lake with an island in the middle. There they saw what they thought was a divine sign—an eagle with a snake in its beak, sitting on a cactus. According to Aztec legend, this sign meant that the island was to be their home. On this site they built their capital city, Tenochtitlán (tay•NAWCH•teet•LAHN). Today it is the site of Mexico City. Tenochtitlán was a marvel of building skill, knowledge, and human labor. Workers toiled day and night constructing causeways linking the island and the shore. A causeway is a raised passageway across water or wetlands. They also filled in parts of the lake, creating fields for growing crops. Tenochtitlán became the largest city in the Americas and one of the largest in the world. As a center of trade, it attracted thousands of merchants to its outdoor marketplaces.

theocracy a society that is ruled by religious leaders

hieroglyphics a form of writing that uses symbols or pictures to represent things, ideas, and sounds

These Maya ruins are found at Palenque, Mexico.

Rodrigo Torres/Glow Images

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