AROUND 300 B.C. AD
The Mayans begin to build spectacular stone cities:
The rainforest is humid in Central America . The cities built by the Maya are arranged around a complex of plazas, temples, palaces and ball courts (where people practice the sacred ball game). The buildings are covered with engraved designs of Mayan gods and kings.
ABOUT 100 B.C. AD – 250 AD. AD
Construction of the city of Teotithuacán:
The city of Teotithuacán (present-day Mexico) was the largest ancient city in the Americas. The Citadel located in the center of the city, shelters the splendid palaces of the sovereigns of the city. Most of the population lives in large apartments, spacious enough for several families.
AROUND 250 – 900 AD. AD
Peak of Mayan culture.
Craftsmanship:
The craftsmen of Teotithuacán shape clay pots and figurines. They also make ornaments from polished stones and shells, and tools and weapons from obsidian, a hard, glassy stone.
The trade:
Teotithuacán is an important commercial city . On the market square, merchants barter pottery and obsidian tools for shells, scented incense and the magnificent tail feathers of a bird , the quetzal , which are used to decorate the clothes of rich people.
Wars, Blood and Sacrifice:
The Maya have many gods whom they honor with offerings of human blood. This is why they sometimes stick a thorny rod through their tongue. The kings of the Mayan cities fight against each other, for power and wealth. They capture prisoners that they sacrifice to their gods .
Writing and numbers:
The Mayans invent a system of writing by pictograms (or glyphs) and write in bark paper books. Specialists are only beginning to decipher these writings. The Maya use three symbols for numbers. They invent the zero hundreds of years before anyone had the idea.
AROUND 500 AP. AD
Teotithuacán is a prosperous and powerful city:
Teotithuacán ranks sixth in the world.
AROUND 750 AD. AD
The city of Teotithuacán is destroyed by a fire .
Useful link:
It's not rocket science:The Mayas