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The Maya civilization (/ ˈ m aɪ ə /) was a Mesoamerican civilization that existed from antiquity to the early modern period. It is known by its ancient temples and glyphs (script). The Maya script is the most sophisticated and highly developed writing system in the pre-Columbian Americas.
Edzná [pronunciation?] is a Maya archaeological site in the north of the Mexican state of Campeche. The site is open to visitors since the 1970s. The most remarkable building at the site is the main temple located at the plaza. Built on a platform 40 m high, it provides a wide overview of the surroundings.
The final architectural achievement of Uaxaclajuun Ubʼaah Kawiil was Ballcourt A-III. It is one of the most imposing Mesoamerican ballcourts in the region, surpassed only by that of Chichen Itza. It is remarkable for the sloping benches used by players of the game, and by six macaw markers, the function of which is not completely resolved.
Most warriors were not full-time, however, and were primarily farmers; the needs of their crops usually came before warfare. [73] Maya warfare was not so much aimed at destruction of the enemy as the seizure of captives and plunder. [74] Maya warriors entered battle against the Spanish with flint-tipped spears, bows and arrows and stones.
Tikal was the capital of a conquest state that became one of the most powerful kingdoms of the ancient Maya. [5] Though monumental architecture at the site dates back as far as the 4th century BC, Tikal reached its apogee during the Classic Period , c. 200 to 900.
The most notable forms of tribute pictured on Maya ceramics are cacao, textiles and feathers. [53] The social basis of the Classic Maya civilization was an extended political and economic network that reached throughout the Maya area and beyond into the greater Mesoamerican region. [ 54 ]
The most common tools use were made of stone found in surrounding areas. Limestone was a huge part of the Maya tool making, as limestone was geographically very abundant in most settlements. Locations of the Maya cities were chosen with the access to necessary stones in mind.
Maya astronomy is the study of the Moon, planets, Milky Way, Sun, and astronomical phenomena by the Precolumbian Maya civilization of Mesoamerica.The Classic Maya in particular developed some of the most accurate pre-telescope astronomy in the world, aided by their fully developed writing system and their positional numeral system, both of which are fully indigenous to Mesoamerica.