Discover The Maya History & How They Lived! This book's coverage begins with the development of the Maya through the ancient eras, starting with their founding in Belize as a hunter-gatherer society in the Pre-Classic Period all the way through the Classic and Post-Classic Period during which they had flourished into the civilization they are known for today. The Maya was composed of several city-states that spanned the area, all with soaring stone architecture structured for its citizens and a network of roads and passages to make trading and travel easier for commerce. Understanding the mystical nature of the Maya religion and their belief in the balance of the universe are keys to understanding how the Maya lived and worshipped. They believed in balance between all individuals and worked hard to always praise the gods who created them with their own godly blood. They believed the gods destroyed previous civilizations before them because those people refused to worship, and the Maya made certain they would not share that same fate. This is clear in their cities, where the temple is the center of most of the plaza city-states.