Maya

The Maya group is the peoples of the Mayan language family, spread across southern Mexico, Guatemala and Belize, from the Yucatec of the northern peninsula and the Ch'ol and Itza to the K'iche', Kaqchikel and Mam of the highlands, and the Huastec in the far north. In the Classic period, from about 250 to 900, their scribes left thousands of hieroglyphic inscriptions.

The K'iche' ruled from Q'umarkaj until Pedro de Alvarado destroyed their army in 1524. The Itza fled south to the Petén lakes and held out at Nojpetén until Martín de Ursúa stormed it in 1697, ending the last independent native kingdom in the Americas. Maya writers produced the Popol Vuh and the Books of Chilam Balam.