The Mayan culture settled in Central America, were located in the high
lands of the current Guatemala around the year 2100 BC., and later on they were
disseminated by the whole region. Due to Olmecan influence, they became town
builders of type villager's permanent populational centers.
Then between the years 292 and 900 AC., the biggest splendor in the Mayan
civilization took place. Later (900-1527 AC), the toltecas imposed the Mayan
their religious political domain, and the cultural coalition took place of
both.
The Mayan culture was divided in Old Empire and New Empire. The Old Empire
originated in the century IV AC., starting from the Olmecan culture of neolithic
type that inhabited the region of Tabasco and Veracruz (Mexico). The Old Mayan
Empire arrived to its biggest splendor toward the century X AC. in Teotihuacán,
to the southeast of Mexico. The New Empire existed from final of the century X
until the Spanish conquest. It unified the Mayan cultures and tolteca
(population Otomís and Nahuas) that had as center the city of Tula (century X),
and the peninsula of Yucatán.
All the Mayan shared the same religion and culture, they didn't have just one
capital neither an only ruler. Each city was governed by itself and it had its own
leader of noble origin. Mayan statuettes as this, coming from the island of
Jaina, they have been an important informatión about source the life and
the customs of the Mayan town.
The Mayan highlighted in arithmetic and astronomy and they had their own
hieroglyphic writing. However, the four Mayan codexes that are conserved don't
count much of their history, but rather they were in charge of of such topics as
rituals, astronomy and calendars.
For the Mayan the corn was the base of the economy; also, they cultivated frijol, pumpkin, yucca, chili, tomato, cocoa, cotton, tobacco and fruits like
avocado, sideburn and sapota. Simultaneously, they tamed dogs, doves, ducks,
pheasants and partridges, besides bees that provided them wax and honey; and
they fished in the sea, lakes, lagoons and rivers.