The rise of the Maya civilization is believed to have begun around 2000 BC in the area that is now modern-day Guatemala, Belize, and the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico. The early Maya were agriculturalists who relied heavily on maize cultivation, but they also hunted, fished, and gathered wild foods.

As the Maya population grew, they began to establish more complex societies with centralized political systems and social hierarchies. By 600 BC, the Maya were constructing large, permanent settlements and developing a system of writing.

Over the next few centuries, the Maya civilization flourished, with a number of powerful city-states emerging throughout the region. These city-states engaged in trade and diplomacy with each other, and their rulers competed for power and prestige. The Maya also made significant advancements in mathematics, astronomy, and art.

Around 800 AD, the Maya civilization went through a period of decline, with many of the large city-states being abandoned or conquered by neighboring peoples. Despite this, the Maya continued to survive and adapt, and their descendants still inhabit the region today.