Brief History of the Maya Civilization. The Mayan civilization arose in Mesoamerica around 250 AD , influenced by the culture and religion of the Olmecs. The Mayan urban culture flourished until about 900 AD but thrived in various places until the Spanish conquest. During this first 650 years, which scholars call the Classic Period , the Mayan civilization comprised more than 40 sizeable cities spread across modern-day Mexico, Guatemala, and northern Belize. Cortez At its peak, the total population may have reached 2 million people, most of whom lived in modern-day Guatemala. The cities have been mainly ceremonial centers, with most of the Maya living a rural, agricultural life around the towns. Sometime after 900 AD, the Mayan culture declined dramatically, and most cities were abandoned. The latest scholarship attributes this decline to the loss of trade routes due to war. The tremendous southern cities became depopulated, but the cities of the Yucatan peninsula in Mexico (such ...
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