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1500 Maya
1500 Maya
History
10) The Maya lived in villages by about 1500 bce.
11) By 200 CE they were living in cities.
12) By 900 they had built more than 40 cities. Some of the most important cities were Tikal,
Palenque, Copán, and Bonampak. Today these cities are found in Guatemala, Honduras, and
southern Mexico.
13) After 900 the number of Maya fell. They abandoned many of their cities.
14) In the early 1500s the Spanish arrived in Maya territory. The Spanish forced the Maya to
work for them. Many Maya died from diseases that the Spanish brought with them. Today
descendants of the Maya live in Mexico, Guatemala, and Belize.