On March 13, 1697, Spanish troops from Yucatán attacked and occupied Nojpeten, the capital of the Maya people known as Itzas, the inhabitants of the last unconquered native New World kingdom. This political and ritual center--located on a small island in a lake in the tropical forests of northern Guatemala--was densely covered with temples, royal palaces, and thatched houses, and its capture represented a decisive moment in the final chapter of the Spanish conquest of the Mayas. The capture of Nojpeten climaxed more than two years of preparation by the Spaniards, after efforts by the military forces and Franciscan missionaries to negotiate a peaceful surrender with the Itzas had been rejected by the Itza ruling council and its ruler Ajaw Kan Ek’. The conquest, far from being final, initiated years of continued struggle between Yucatecan and Guatemalan Spaniards and native Maya groups for control over the surrounding forests. Despite protracted resistance from the native inhabitants, thousands of them were forced to move into mission towns, though in 1704 the Mayas staged an abortive and bloody rebellion that threatened to recapture Nojpeten from the Spaniards. The first complete account of the conquest of the Itzas to appear since 1701, this book details the layers of political intrigue and action that characterized every aspect of the conquest and its aftermath. The author critically reexamines the extensive documentation left by the Spaniards, presenting much new information on Maya political and social organization and Spanish military and diplomatic strategy. This is not only one of the most detailed studies of any Spanish conquest in the Americas but also one of the most comprehensive reconstructions of an independent Maya kingdom in the history of Maya studies. In presenting the story of the Itzas, the author also reveals much about neighboring lowland Maya groups with whom the Itzas interacted, often violently.

The invasions of Guatemala -- Pedro de Alvarado's letters to Hernando Cortes, 1524 -- Other Spanish accounts -- Nahua accounts -- Maya accounts

Long before European boats reached the shores of the Americas, sophisticated civilizations had already developed throughout the continents. The empire of the Maya, located in modern Mexico and Central America, influenced civilization there for centuries. The ancient Maya had fully developed the idea of the calendar, detailed a writing system, pioneered new ideas in agriculture, and built towering palaces and temples that still stand today. Empire of the Ancient Maya gives a brief summary of the history of the empire, placing it within the context of its time period and geographical location, and then explores the evolution of Maya civilization from its origin through the classic period to the Spanish conquest. Delving into daily life, the book includes Maya achievements in mathematics, astronomy, technology, political organization, commerce, architecture, and the arts.

Describes geography and natural history of the peninsula, gives brief history of Mayan life, discusses Spanish conquest, and provides a long summary of Maya civilization. 4 maps, and over 120 illustrations.

Chichén Itzá Although many ancient civilizations have influenced and inspired people in the 21st century, like the Greeks and the Romans, none have intrigued people like the Mayans, whose culture, astronomy, language, and mysterious disappearance continue to captivate people today. Chichén Itzá, the most visited and most spectacular of the Late Classic Maya cities, is at the center of the fascination. In the later years of Maya civilization, Chichen Itzá had been inhabited for hundreds of years. In developing columns and exterior relief decoration, Chichén Itzá probably had over 30,000 residents at its peak, with a spectacular pyramid, enormous ball court, observatory, and several temples to boast. The sacred cenote at Chichén Itzá, a sinkhole used for Maya rituals surrounding water, is of particular interest. The Maya regarded it as a primary concern because adequate water was rarely found on the limestone-based Yucatan surface. The underwater archeology conducted in the cenote at Chichén Itzá found that offerings (including people, possibly) were thrown into the sinkhole in honor of the Maya rain deity Chaac. Despite its long history, Chichén Itzá had a relatively short period where it dominated the region, lasting from 800-950 CE. Nowadays, guides take tourists to one of the temples called the Nunnery for no good reason other than that the small rooms remind them of a nunnery back home.

The two main kinds of roads were "sacbe" and "highways." Sacbes were the smaller, more local roads which connected cities to each other. They didn't have any pavement on them, but they're still considered roads by many Mayan scholars. highways are bigger and connect cities with each other. The highways were built using a combination of natural materials and man-made structures such as bridges, ditches, rivers etc.. These structures helped make sure that people could cross waterways without getting their feet wet in the process. The sacbes were made with small stones placed side by side along their entire length; however there are some cases where larger stones used for paving stone can be found at regular intervals within this type of infrastructure – even though these do not seem necessary for walking across since you would fall through them anyway! Some of the roads were made by cutting down trees to make canals for them to cross over. The canals were built to drain water from the fields. The roads were built to carry people and goods, as well as help with trade, military campaigns and religious ceremonies. On top of all that, they also helped with agriculture by transporting food from one place to another. The Mayans also built bridges across canals for people to cross over, made artificial hills so that the canals could be channeled more easily, and even built aqueducts to bring water into their cities. The canals of the Mayans were an engineering marvel in their day, and they still stand today as a testament to the ingenuity of ancient civilizations. However, one thing is often overlooked: these canal systems were not just built out of dirt and stone; they also had many artificial hills that helped channel the water more efficiently. These hills weren't just for decoration—they were actually critical to how water flowed through the city. It is interesting but there are different theories about how their ancient engineering and technology was used. We can only speculate. Some scientists believe that the Mayans had mastered a complex understanding of astronomy and mathematics. They also believed that they had a detailed knowledge of where the sun, moon, planets and stars would be at any time throughout history. The Mayans were able to predict eclipses thousands of years ago with great accuracy using only simple tools like shadows on stones or trees as indicators of when an eclipse would happen. Some scientists believe that the Mayans used their engineering skills to build massive pyramids which still stand today as testaments to their greatness as an ancient civilization. There have been suggestions in recent times that some kind of unknown energy lies within these structures; some say it's electromagnetic energy while others say it's gravitational forces coming from deep within our planet Earth itself!