Preclassical History

The transition from the Preclassical to the Classic period in the 3rd century AD was possibly turbulent in some regions, as it is characterized by the abandonment of some of the most important cities, and there is evidence of destruction of sculptures and buildings.

In any case, these events gave rise to the emergence of new political entities and the beginning of a new era in Mayan history.

The term Early Classic It is defined between 250 and 600 AD. Its beginning is characterized by the appearance of important elements, especially the extensive use of writing in the cities of the Lowlands, which coincides with its disappearance in the Highlands and Pacific Coast. A general tendency can also be defined towards the cult of the ruler as the personification of political power.

This period is also marked by the relations that existed with the city of Teotihuacán in the Central Highlands of Mexico, possibly populated by Nahua groups.

Since this city was much larger than the Mayan cities of that time, it has been considered that Teotihuacán exercised a certain degree of dominance in some areas, due to commercial interests. Although this has not been proven, there was a strong influence coming from the Mexican highlands regarding the use of certain symbols associated with the war, as well as other purely artistic aspects, which could well have been the result of friendly economic and political relations.

In the Early Classic there is evidence of the founding of ruling dynasties in the main archaeological sites of the Lowlands, and expansionist programs also began in some of them, which include the first direct references to battles and captures of prisoners.

The beginning of Late Classic in the year 600 AD does not constitute a significant difference in relation to the previous period. In reality there is a continuous process that gradually led to maximum demographic growth in the Lowlands, reaching millions of inhabitants. This is reflected because each city was identified with a symbol, called an "emblem glyph", and it has been possible to establish the political maps of the time according to its geographical distribution.

In the mid-8th century AD, the Central Lowlands experienced accelerated decentralization and political fragmentation that was accompanied by an increase in conflicts, but at the same time caused the greatest artistic splendor in Mayan history. It is at this time that we find the finest expressions in polychrome ceramics, jade lapidary art, mural painting, architecture and sculpture. Likewise, the development of writing reached a level of sophistication that few civilizations in the world have achieved.

This process culminated in the rapid abandonment of some cities during the last years of the 8th century AD, followed by a more gradual process in others. This phenomenon, known as the “Mayan Collapse”, resulted in the almost total abandonment of all the Central Lowlands at the beginning of the 10th century AD, and its causes were the combination of political and environmental factors.

Although this massive abandonment is an almost unique event in the history of humanity, it in no way meant the “end of the Mayans”, as has often been misinterpreted. On the contrary, it was a process of political transformation, which is better understood when the continuity that occurred in the Postclassic period is taken into account.

Of course, it cannot be denied that many of the “cultural markers” that distinguished the Classic Maya disappeared, such as the extensive use of writing, the erection of stelae, and the making of jade and polychrome glass jewelry. Due to its eminently political nature, the Collapse must be understood as the end of a monarchical system, so all those elements or markers also disappeared along with the kings, because they were tools that justified their positions. With no kings, there was no need to glorify their stories or have ostentatious funerary offerings.

On the contrary, postclassical societies were somewhat more efficient by investing less in their kings, creating councils for decision-making. The leading theory is that much of the population that left the Central Lowlands migrated northwards, where other prosperous centers were located. In the case of the Highlands and the Pacific Coast, not much is known about their Late Classic centers, although there is evidence that many were abandoned.