The history of the archaeological study of the Mayan cities

The first civilized people of America that the Spaniards encountered during the conquest of the lands of the western hemisphere were Maya. In 1517, on the rocky coast of Cape Katoch (Yucatan Peninsula), the first test of strength of two warring worlds occurred, separated from each other not only by the boundless expanses of the ocean, but also by whole epochs of historical development. Conquistadors armored in steel armor armed with European military equipment and tactics of those years agreed in a decisive battle with numerous armies of Maya Indians armed with spears and arrows with stone tips. The outcome of this unequal struggle was predetermined by history itself. But the Maya for many years fiercely defended their independence from the encroachments of foreign conquerors. Even in 1540, i.e. 20 years after the death of the powerful Aztec state, much of the Yucatan was still in the hands of the Indians. Continue reading →