when did the maya civilization begin and end
Maya civilization
The Archaic period , prior to 2000 BC , saw the first developments in agriculture and the earliest villages . The Preclassic period ( c. 2000 BC to 250 AD ) saw the establishment of the first complex societies in the Maya region , and the cultivation of the staple crops of the Maya diet , including maize , beans , squashes , and chili peppers . The first Maya cities developed around 750 BC , and by 500 BC these cities possessed monumental architecture , including large temples with elaborate stucco façades . Hieroglyphic writing was being used in the Maya region by the 3rd century BC . In the Late Preclassic a number of large cities developed in the Petén Basin , and Kaminaljuyu rose to prominence in the Guatemalan Highlands . Beginning around 250 AD , the Classic period is largely defined as when the Maya were raising sculpted monuments with Long Count dates . This period saw the Maya civilization develop a large number of city - states linked by a complex trade network . In the Maya Lowlands two great rivals , Tikal and Calakmul , became powerful . The Classic period also saw the intrusive intervention of the central Mexican city of Teotihuacan in Maya dynastic politics . In the 9th century , there was a widespread political collapse in the central Maya region , resulting in internecine warfare , the abandonment of cities , and a northward shift of population . The Postclassic period saw the rise of Chichen Itza in the north , and the expansion of the aggressive K'iche ' kingdom in the Guatemalan Highlands . In the 16th century , the Spanish Empire colonized the Mesoamerican region , and a lengthy series of campaigns saw the fall of Nojpetén , the last Maya city , in 1697 . 
The Archaic period , prior to 2000 BC , saw the first developments in agriculture and the earliest villages . The Preclassic period ( c. 2000 BC to 250 AD ) saw the establishment of the first complex societies in the Maya region , and the cultivation of the staple crops of the Maya diet , including maize , beans , squashes , and chili peppers . The first Maya cities developed around 750 BC , and by 500 BC these cities possessed monumental architecture , including large temples with elaborate stucco façades . Hieroglyphic writing was being used in the Maya region by the 3rd century BC . In the Late Preclassic a number of large cities developed in the Petén Basin , and Kaminaljuyu rose to prominence in the Guatemalan Highlands . Beginning around 250 AD , the Classic period is largely defined as when the Maya were raising sculpted monuments with Long Count dates . This period saw the Maya civilization develop a large number of city - states linked by a complex trade network . In the Maya Lowlands two great rivals , Tikal and Calakmul , became powerful . The Classic period also saw the intrusive intervention of the central Mexican city of Teotihuacan in Maya dynastic politics . In the 9th century , there was a widespread political collapse in the central Maya region , resulting in internecine warfare , the abandonment of cities , and a northward shift of population . The Postclassic period saw the rise of Chichen Itza in the north , and the expansion of the aggressive K'iche ' kingdom in the Guatemalan Highlands . In the 16th century , the Spanish Empire colonized the Mesoamerican region , and a lengthy series of campaigns saw the fall of Nojpetén , the last Maya city , in 1697 .
The Preclassic period ( c. 2000 BC to 250 AD ) saw the establishment of the first complex societies in the Maya region, and the cultivation of the staple crops of the Maya diet, including maize, beans, squashes, and chili peppers.
In the 16th century , the Spanish Empire colonized the Mesoamerican region, and a lengthy series of campaigns saw the fall of Nojpetén, the last Maya city, in 1697.
The Preclassic period ( c. 2000 BC to 250 AD ) saw the establishment of the first complex societies in the Maya region , and the cultivation of the staple crops of the Maya diet , including maize , beans , squashes , and chili peppers . In the 16th century , the Spanish Empire colonized the Mesoamerican region , and a lengthy series of campaigns saw the fall of Nojpetén , the last Maya city , in 1697 .
The Preclassic period (c. 2000 BC to 250 AD) saw the establishment of the first complex societies in the Maya region. The first Maya cities developed around 750 BC. In the 16th century, the Spanish Empire colonized the Mesoamerican region and a lengthy series of campaigns saw the fall of Nojpetén, the last Maya city, in 1697.
The Preclassic period ( c. 2000 BC to 250 AD ) saw the establishment of the first complex societies in the Maya region , and the cultivation of the staple crops of the Maya diet , including maize , beans , squashes , and chili peppers . The first Maya cities developed around 750 BC , and by 500 BC these cities possessed monumental architecture , including large temples with elaborate stucco façades . In the 16th century , the Spanish Empire colonized the Mesoamerican region , and a lengthy series of campaigns saw the fall of Nojpetén , the last Maya city , in 1697 .