LAH-1093 Study Guide - Midterm Guide: Gonzalo Pizarro, Quetzalcoatl, Cusco Region
Document Summary
The mayas were, among the ancient american civilizations, the most advance group in terms of cultural development. They had abilities in astronomy, architecture, mathematics, painting and sculpture. And even thought the base of the yucatan peninsula was filed with wild animals they could eat and supplies that they could use for construction; they had no metal, no water supply and no communication facilities. Even though they faced all of these adversities they bullied their largest ceremonial centers here in the classic period of mayan civilization from 250-900 ce. The mayas low land culture suffered a decline that led to gradual cessation of building activities and the eventual abandonment of the ceremonial centers after 800 ce. According to a new theory that tries to explain this, the cessation of political and commercial contacts with teotihuacan after about 550 ce led to the breakdown of centralized authority.
