Pre-Classic period (~2000 BCE – 200 BCE)

The exact date of the Mayan civilization's inception isn't known; the earliest artefacts associated with the early Maya have been carbon-dated to about 2600 BCE, but the first organized settlements probably appeared around 800 years later. These early villages began as simple farming communities, as local tribes developed from wandering foragers into more permanent, sedentary villages. They experimented with agriculture, pottery, and mining for gems; among the artefacts from this period, many clay figurines and bowls remain. Mayan control over the trade of precious stones like jade and obsidian in the highlands of Guatemala would prove an important foothold as the larger Mayan economy developed. Though most of their large buildings and cities were not developed until later, one vital innovation did appear in the Pre-Classic: the Mayan system of hieroglyphic writing, which would enable the Mayans to record their history, and, much later, allow archaeologists to begin decoding it.

The polytheistic Mayans are famous for their pantheon of gods.  As one of the Mayan Kingdom's most powerful and enduring metropolises, and today among of their most-visited relics, the city of Chichen Itza is famous for its pyramids and temples, which pay tribute to many of these gods, although two are represented with special frequency: Chak, the rain god, and Kukulkan, the feathered serpent.

Located approximately 50 miles from the country’s border with Belize, Tikal National Park consists of the abandoned city of Tikal, its intricate buildings stretching over 6 square miles, and the lush jungle surrounding it, filled with native flora and fauna that continue to flourish there. Many animals and birds also call this park home, including the rowdy Howler Monkey, gorgeous parrots, the illusive Gray Fox, and playful Spider Monkeys. Just outside the National Park’s entrance, there is a privately owned park, which offers a zip-line tour through the jungle’s canopy, and a museum that offers many exhibits, featuring captivating items recovered from the many excavations of the ruins.

Exploring the Tikal Ruins

Whether you wish to explore the ruins, which, to this day, are only a fraction of the true size of the city, or whether you want to see the 140 species of birds and countless other wildlife, Tikal is the ideal place for any traveler. It is perfect for an educational trip for the family, an endless treasure chest for birdwatchers and animal enthusiasts, and an adventure for anyone that just wants to get away from it all.

Tikal, the “City of Voices”, lies within the mystifying jungle canopy in the Petén Region of Guatemala. This ancient city is overflowing with an enchantment that draws not only hundreds of tourists each year, but also many archeologists and naturalists from around the world. Declared by UNESCO as a Natural and World Cultural Heritage Site, the ruins of Tikal combine the natural beauty of the jungle with the historic magnificence of the city’s architecture.

The steep walls of the Sumidero Canyon in Chiapas, Mexico are still sacred spaces where humans meet ancestors and deities much in the same manner as they did 2000 years ago before European influences came to this continent. This practice is maintained up to date by the so called “traditioners” (costumbreros). According to archaeologist Enrique Mendez Torres from the Mexican School of Anthropology and History (ENAH), surrounding Tuxtla, Chiapas and mainly on the Capoya Plateau, the Mountain Range and the Sumidero Canyon –whose walls rise to 1200 meters (4000 feet)- caves, rocky shelters and gullies are found that have been used for ritual means since pre-Hispanic times.