Maya civilization was strong for many centuries. But then, people began leaving nearly all the Maya cities in the southern lowlands.
This went on from about A.D. 800 to 900. Experts have many ideas about why that happened. It might have been armies of Mexicans or changes in the climate. It could have been earthquakes, diseases, or a bad economy. Maybe society broke down. Perhaps there were too many people, or they were starving. The masses may have rebelled. It might have been a mix of all these things. Most likely, troubles from outside and inside society both led to the fall of the Maya.
The southern lowlands were almost empty. But Maya life still went on in the Yucatán peninsula. Spanish explorers got there in the early part of the sixteenth century. They found cities full of people. They saw amazing palaces, and temples on stepped pyramids. They found stone roads and busy markets. They met leaders wearing jade and gold jewelry. Maya leaders also wore fancy headdresses, jaguar-skin skirts, and feathered capes. The Spanish met warriors who had bows, arrows, and clubs.
For years, the Spanish had been looking for the legendary El Dorado. They thought they’d find gold and gems there. The cities of the Maya may have been it. But the Spanish wanted to convert everyone to their religion. That’s why they destroyed the most brilliant civilization on the continent.
