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The Mayan civilization begins to form with small agricultural communities. -
The Mayans begin to make villages and develop early ceremonial architecture -
The Mayans begin to use hieroglyphic writing to record their history and rituals. -
The city of El Mirador in modern-day Guatemala becomes a major Mayan center with massive pyramids and structures -
The height of Mayan civilization begins, with the growth of major cities like Tikal and Palenque. -
Mayans begin to excel in architecture, mathematics, astronomy, and building impressive pyramids and observatories
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Many large Mayan cities in the Southern Lowlands are abandoned, likely due to drought, warfare, or resource depletion. -
The decline of many major city-states in the Southern Maya lowlands marks the end of the Classic Period, though cities in the north continue to thrive -
The Toltec people, from central Mexico, invade Mayan lands and influence the culture, leading to the rise of new city-states -
The Spanish begin their conquest of Mayan territory, making the end of Mayan independence and the eventual fall of their last cities by the late 17th century