To some the jungle may seem inhospitable or even hostile, but the Maya transformed the elements of this environment into one of the world’s great civilizations...

From around 300 BC at a time when Persian armies were fleeing before Alexander the Great, the Maya world was ruled by a handful of immensely powerful kings, who were regarded as living gods by their subjects.

Pyramids were erected by peasant farmers and slaves without the aid of beasts of burden or the wheel. The ruling family, the nobility, the priesthood, and the warriors, all inhabited the cities they built, while the masses lived in agricultural villages in the hinterland. Their temples, pyramids and palaces were painted in the sacred colors of the Maya: red, blue, yellow and green.

The species-rich tropical forest supplied fruit, construction materials, game and medicines. Good soil for cultivation yielded corn, beans, squash and cotton. The river systems provided nutritious fish and transportation for trade goods. Extensive limestone formations supplied building blocks as well as flint for the creation of stone tools.

This was the environment that the Maya adapted to their needs and way of life for a span of nearly 20 centuries, during which they developed a rich cosmology, an arithmetic system that included the concept of zero, a complex calendar system based on a solid understanding of astronomy, and a system of writing which included both hieroglyphic and phonetic representation.

Belize is recognized as the center of the ancient Maya world. And it was here in the "central lowlands" of western Belize and the Guatemalan Peten that the ancient Maya flourished during the Classic Period from 300 to 900 AD. Archaeologists now estimate that 2 million Maya once lived in what is now Belize (current population 250,000) with a resulting population density approaching that of eastern China (today).

The Mayan Golden Age ended abruptly around 900 AD. Eventually, the crumbling cities were engulfed by the jungle and forgotten. It wasn't until the 18th century that intrepid explorers began to discover them. Modern-day archaeologists following in their footsteps have unearthed thousands of sites throughout the Maya World and satellite photos indicate that there are many more to be discovered.