Get Engineering An Empire The Maya Worksheet Answer Key

The Mayan Empire Prior to the appearance of colonizers, the Mesoamerica area consisted of the territory of modern-day northern Mexico, southwards into Central America and as far South as El Salvador. Mayan cities during the Classic Period maintained robust populations, including cities as large as 120,000 people.

This destruction occurred not only through the atrocities of war but also through the violent imposition of Christianity on the natives by early missionaries—this genocidal war of conquest, disease, and forced labor dismantled Indigenous Maya populations as they were forcibly separated from their ancient traditions.

The Mayan Empire, centered in the tropical lowlands of what is now Guatemala, reached the peak of its power and influence around the sixth century A.D. The Maya excelled at agriculture, pottery, writing, calendars and mathematics, and left behind an astonishing amount of impressive architecture and symbolic artwork.

Scholars have suggested a number of potential reasons for the downfall of Maya civilization in the southern lowlands, including overpopulation, environmental degradation, warfare, shifting trade routes and extended drought.

In an extraordinary burst of creativity from 250 AD to 900 AD, without the use of metal, pack animals or even the wheel, the Maya engineered sky-high temple-pyramids, ornate palaces and advanced hydraulic systems - all to appease their gods and support their growing populations.

As early as 1500 BCE the Maya had settled in villages and were practicing agriculture. The Classic Period of Mayan culture lasted from about 250 CE until about 900. At its height, Mayan civilization consisted of more than 40 cities, each with a population between 5,000 and 50,000.

Two thousand years ago, the ancient Maya developed one of the most advanced civilizations in the Americas. They developed a written language of hieroglyphs and invented the mathematical concept of zero. With their expertise in astronomy and mathematics, the Maya developed a complex and accurate calendar system.