Nobody knows where they came from, but about 2,400 years ago, a new tribe of people appeared in Central America. They settled in the rainforests of the Yucatan Peninsula. They were called the Maya. They were very clever people. They set about making cities in the rainforest. They did not use metal tools. They used stone tools, wood tools, and tools made from shells. They were skilled builders. They built palaces, temples, pyramids, walls, homes. They built hundreds of beautiful cities. Skilled Builders The cities were connected with well built roads that ran through the rainforests and jungles on the Yucatan Peninsula. Every city had a ball court, at last one and usually more than one temple, and a central plaza. Each city was a center of learning and religion. Each city had its own ruling family. The Maya city-states never unified. Like the ancient Greek city-states, the Maya cities often went to war with each other. Some historians believe they were almost always at war with someone. City-States Maya people had a class structured society. At the top were the nobles and priests. They had a middle class of craftsmen, traders, and warriors. At the bottom, as usually in ancient time, were the farmers and slaves. The Maya did not use their own people as slaves. Slaves were captured from other tribes. Archaeologists have pieced together a great deal about the ancient Maya daily life from the artifacts they have found in the ruins of Maya Cities. These artifacts include wall paintings, pottery, clay figures, huge statues, and the remains of pyramids and temples. Daily Life The Mayans created a writing system of hieroglyphics, a set of numerals, and a calendar. Communication The Ancient Mayan culture had a nature- worshipping religion. They worshipped nature gods such as the gods of rain, sun, and corn. At special occasional ceremonies, the Mayan culture would give human sacrifices to their gods. The Ancient Mayan religion has some very different beliefs. Religion The Mayans abandoned many of their cities around the year 900. The exact reason is a mystery. One theory is that there was a severe drought. This may have come about because there were about 10 million Maya. More and more cities were being built while forests were being cut down. Hillsides were being carved up to be used as farmland. This interrupted the natural rain cycle, affecting the amount of moisture going from the ground to the atmosphere. Many died due to starvation. Others migrated away, most likely to coastal areas. without enough people to take care of them, the great Maya cities fell into ruin. Some people remained, and their descendants still live in Central America today. What happened to the Mayans?