Preclassic Maya facts for kids
The Preclassic period was an important time in Maya history. It lasted from about 1000 BC to 250 AD. During this period, the Maya people went from living in small villages to building large cities.
This period is split into three parts:
- Early Preclassic (before 1000 BC)
- Middle Preclassic (1000–400 BC)
- Late Preclassic (400 BC – 250 AD)
Some famous places from this time include Nakbe, Uaxactun, Seibal, San Bartolo, Cival, and El Mirador. Towards the end of this period, around 100 AD to 250 AD, many big cities stopped building new structures. This time is sometimes called the "Preclassic Collapse" because their systems seemed to break down.
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What Was the Early Preclassic Period Like?
The very first steps of Maya civilization are still a bit of a mystery. But we know that people were farming in the Maya lowlands by about 3000 BC. However, they only slowly started to live in permanent farming villages.
Scientists have studied old Maya bones. They found that even though maize (corn) was a big part of their diet, people still ate a lot of fish, wild game, and other foods they hunted or gathered. Simple pottery also started to appear around this time.
At the same time, the Olmec culture began to grow nearby. The Olmec became important trading partners for the early Maya. This contact had a big impact on Maya society.
How Did Maya Society Change in the Middle Preclassic?
Around 1000 BC, the Maya city of Aguada Fénix was built. This was a huge change for the Maya people. Before this, they were nomads, moving from place to place, and didn't use pottery. They mostly hunted, fished, and grew corn.
But with Aguada Fénix, they started using pottery and settled down in one place. Aguada Fénix marks the beginning of the big Maya city-states that would become famous later.
After centuries of village life, Maya society started to become more complex. Special items like obsidian mirrors and jade mosaics began to appear. This meant people needed more trade.
People also started building canals and irrigation systems. These projects needed many people to work together. Villages slowly grew to include central plazas and earth mounds. Sometimes, these mounds were even covered with stone. For example, at La Blanca, there was a mound over seventy-five feet tall. It had a stone piece that looked like an Olmec head.
Carved stone stele (tall stone slabs) also appeared. They showed pictures of rulers but didn't have writing yet. It seems that fighting became more common during this time. Weapons improved, rulers were shown as warriors, and mass graves were found.
Around 900 BC, the La Blanca state became powerful along the Pacific coast. It fell around 600 BC and was replaced by a group centered at El Ujuxte. Another early state was probably at Chalchuapa, a town with many earth mounds.
However, the first true Maya city-state was likely Kaminaljuyu. This city, located near modern-day Guatemala City, had a strong government. It organized huge irrigation projects and built many stone monuments for its rulers. These monuments clearly show war captives and rulers holding weapons. This shows that Kaminaljuyu was involved in many wars. It controlled the Guatemalan highlands for hundreds of years. Kaminaljuyu's main export was obsidian. This volcanic glass was very sharp and used for arrowheads, knives, and other weapons. It was also used for special items like mirrors.
It's hard to know for sure what ethnic group people belonged to from old remains. But it seems the Maya began to move north during this period. They settled in the Petén Basin, where cities like El Mirador, Tikal, Calakmul, and Tayasal would later be built.
The most important early Maya settlement in this area was Nakbe. Here, the first Maya ballcourt and sacbeob (stone roads) were built. The rulers of Nakbe built stone platforms and carved stone and stucco monuments.
During this time, the Olmec culture was at its peak. Their main city was La Venta in modern-day Tabasco, close to early Maya centers. The Olmec are seen as the first true civilization in the Americas. Their city of La Venta had large earthworks and stone monuments, including the famous Olmec stone heads.
The Olmec shared many things with later Maya culture. This included worshiping jaguars, eating a lot of corn, and using the cacao plant. Some words from the Olmec language entered the Maya language. Many of these words were about important ideas and high culture. This shows that the Middle Preclassic Maya were very impressed by their Olmec neighbors.
What Happened in the Late Preclassic Period?
The Late Preclassic period saw two powerful states rise up. These states were as big and impressive as the later Classic Maya city-states. They were Kaminaljuyu in the highlands and El Mirador in the lowlands.
What Was the Terminal Preclassic Period?
The very end of the Preclassic period, around 100 AD to 250 AD, is called the Terminal Preclassic. Murals found in San Bartolo from around 100 BC give us important information. They show us about Maya myths and how kings were chosen.
Why Did the Preclassic Collapse Happen?
Many people know about the mystery of the "lost civilization" that suddenly collapsed. What's less known is that there were actually two such "collapses." The first happened at the end of the Preclassic period. The second, more famous one, was the Classic Maya collapse.
The "Preclassic collapse" means that major Preclassic cities like El Mirador slowly declined and were abandoned around 100 AD. Scientists have many ideas about why this happened. But there isn't one clear answer, just like with the later Classic Maya collapse.
Maya Culture in the Preclassic Period
Social Structure and Early Rulers
At the archaeological site of Kʼo, near the Classic Maya city of Holmul in modern-day Guatemala, scientists found what might be the tomb of the earliest known Maya ruler. This tomb dates back to 350–300 BC. It shows the first evidence of the "ajaw" (ruler) system in the Maya Lowlands.
Art and Architecture in the Preclassic Period
Early Maya architecture followed the general building styles of Mesoamerica. Stepped pyramids, which look like giant stairs, started to be built from the Terminal Pre-classic period onwards.
In 2010, archaeologists found an important tomb inside a pyramid at Chiapa de Corzo in Mexico. This might be the oldest type of burial ever found in Mesoamerica. The grave is about 2,700 years old.
See also
In Spanish: Preclásico maya para niños
