Mayan civilization is broken up into three distinct periods, Preclassic, Classic and Postclassic. Preclassic began around 1800 BC with the civilization steadily growing until around 150 AD, when major city centers were abandoned for some unknown reason. Around 200 AD, the ancient Maya began a massive building campaign centered in the area of what is now Chiapas, Mexico and the Peten, Guatemala. They built massive pyramids and cities, and connected them with white limestone roads called sache. This second stage, known as the Classic Maya civilization and centered around Chiapas, flourished until about 900 AD. Suddenly, at what seemed to be the peak of their civilization, the Maya once again mysteriously abandoned their cities and disappeared. It is estimated that between 90 and 99 percent of the Maya population perished at the end of 900 AD.  The ones that were left re-settled outside of the Classic Maya sites in the Yucatan area of Mexico and their numbers slowly increased. This period, from 900 to 1521 is known as the Postclassic Maya civilization. In 1521 the Spanish arrived, bringing guns and unknown diseases, and many of the Postclassic Maya died during the years that followed, with the survivors retreating deep into the jungles of Guatemalas Peten and the jungles of Chiapas, Mexico.

Chiapas today is home to several groups of Maya, including the Chol Maya, the Tzeltal Maya and the Lacandon Maya. The Maya alive today are descendants of the ancient people that built the stone cities that lie abandoned hidden deep in the jungles of Chiapas. These indigenous people still make pilgrimages to the ancient pyramids to burn copal incense (a type of tree resin) and offer prayers to the deities they believe inhabit the ancient stone cities. Many still wear as their daily garb styles that pre-date the Spanish arrival - traditional skirts, called cortes, and intricately sewed blouses, called huipiles. Most speak an ancient native Maya dialect as well as Spanish. And they are all part of the living archeological record and offer us some clues to the ancient past.