Meet the Maya

Deep in the rainforests of Mexico and Central America, an ancient people called the Maya built enormous stone pyramids so tall they poked above the treetops -- without any trucks, cranes, or power tools. Some of those pyramids are still standing today, thousands of years later!

- Where the Maya lived and when their cities were built - What a Maya pyramid was used for - How the Maya kept track of time with a special calendar - One reason the Maya are still remembered today

The Maya lived in a hot, green rainforest area that today includes parts of Mexico, Guatemala, Belize, and Honduras. They didn't live in just one city -- they built many great cities, like Tikal and Chichen Itza, each with its own king. Maya cities were thriving thousands of years ago, long before many other famous history events you might know about.

The Maya built tall stone pyramids with steps going all the way up, topped with a small temple. Priests and kings would climb to the top to perform ceremonies, honor their gods, and watch the stars. Builders cut and stacked huge stone blocks by hand, using ramps and rollers -- an incredible feat without any modern machines.

The Maya were amazing at math and astronomy. They created calendars to track days, months, and years by watching the sun, moon, and stars very closely. Their calendars helped farmers know exactly when to plant crops like corn, which was their most important food.

Millions of people who are descendants of the Maya still live in Mexico and Central America today, and many still speak Maya languages passed down from their ancestors. The pyramids, artwork, and writing the Maya left behind teach us how clever and creative people were thousands of years ago.