The Maya civilization developed in Mesoamerica, covering parts of modern Mexico, Guatemala, Belize, and Honduras.

The Classic Period (c. 250–900 CE) was the peak of Maya civilization, characterized by powerful city-states.

The Maya developed the most sophisticated and fully developed writing system in the pre-Columbian Americas, using hieroglyphs.

They had an advanced understanding of mathematics and independently developed the concept of zero.

The Maya used complex and interlocking calendar systems, including the 260-day sacred calendar and the 365-day solar calendar, to track time.

Their cities, such as Tikal and Palenque, were dominated by steep-sided pyramids topped with temples and elaborate palaces.

Maya society was organized into competing city-states, each ruled by a divine king who acted as an intermediary with the gods.

Religion was central to Maya life and involved complex rituals, including bloodletting and human sacrifice.

The 'Classic Maya Collapse' around 900 CE saw the mysterious abandonment of their major cities in the southern lowlands.

Maya culture did not disappear; millions of Maya people continue to live in the region today.