The Maya were a mighty civilization based in low, rainy forests of southern Mexico, Guatwmala and Belize whose culture peaked around 800 A.D. before going to steep decline.

For many years, archeologists though t that the Mayans were peaceful people, capable of war, but rarely enduldging in it. However, as archeologists explored more Mayan cities and more evidence was uncovered, they realized that Mayans often fought wars especially during the Late Classical era (600-900 A.D.) Earlier wars were fought for captives for human sacrifice and for land, natural recourses and control of trade networks. City-states might even have arranged battles for captives as th Aztecs did with their Flower Wars

The population growth and environmental destruction of the Late Classical era meant less food to feed the hungry cities. War for recourses became endemic with battles fought between big city centers that dragged in many smaller polities. As warfare became more extensive and constant, Mayan societies began to fall apart. Finally, surviving Mayans abandoned their lowland cities and disappeared from that area.

The Mayans had both long-distance weapons and melee weapons. He long distance ones include bow and arrow, blowgun, slings and throwing spears. When the atlatl or spear thrower was brought to the Mayans from Teotihuacan about 400 A.D., it was quickly adopted and became the Mayans' dominant long distance weapon. The altlatl greatly increased accuracy, force and range of the spear ; when thrown from an atlatl a spear reportedly could pierce the Spaninards metal armor. The blowgun was predominantly used for hunting, but it had some wartime uses as well. Mayan warriors used bow and arrows more during the Post-classical era.