Classic Period of the Mayans

    The classic period of the Mayans is dated from 300-900 A.D. In this time they enacted stelae or monuments that we use to this day to study their history. It's also important to know that the Mayan calendar began on August 11th, 3114 B.C. and was said to have ended on December 21st, 2012.

     The layout of the Mayan cities were similar to ours today. They were hierarchal city-states like DC that were built around a central plaza or plazuela. Several buildings surrounded the plazuela along one or two sides, with a palace, and a ball court. An example of a famous Mayan city is Chichen Itza which was one of the largest cities and it was likely to have been one of the mythical great cities, or Tollans. 

     A very interesting thing I learned was that the Mayans were the first to play competitive with a ball. They say the world began with the playing of the ball game, wars were decided by this game, and sometimes to lose the game meant to lose your life.

     Popul Vuh was a very important part of the classic period because it was their book of creation, and it translates to "the council book." This book related the story of the beginning of the world, and adventures of the Hero Twins, which were the central figures of a narrative constituting the oldest Mayan myth to have been preserved in its entirety. The Popul Vuh has not author because it was written by a variety of Mayan priests when the Spanish arrived.