Introduction

The Classic lowland Maya civilization existed in the tropical lowlands of the Yucatán peninsular region of Mesoamerica. Its mental and material achievements were considerable. The Maya lowlands are marked by considerable microhabitat diversity within broad environmental patterns. The origin of the lowland Maya, or at least the antecedents of the lowland culture, has been a topic of controversy. Agriculture, the livelihood base of the lowland Maya, has not escaped a part in the elements of the mystique. The Maya have been portrayed as inadequate cultivators who were either limited in their abilities or who degradated their “fragile” environs to the point of distinction. The central Maya lowlands as a composite of traits, stands as distinctive from the northern or Yucatan area, the southern Peten, the Maya Mountains, the Copan-Motagua area, and the Usumacinta drainage. The chapter also presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in this book.