The ancient Mayan civilization contained nearly two-thirds of Mesoamerica. The area comprised mainly volcanic mountains and porous limestones, also called lowlands in the more central regions. The Mayan civilization stretched from Belize and Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula in the north to Honduras in the south. What struck me most were their complex societies, built and modernized well ahead of their time in a tropical rainforest climate (Aissen, 1992). Normally, ancient populations lived in much drier climates, where irrigation practices formed the foundation of societies. The Mayans excelled at pottery, hieroglyphic writing, calendar making, science and mathematics. The Mayan civilization, which spanned what is now Guatemala, began to decline around 900 AD, and researchers wonder what might be the cause of this decline. The golden age of the Mayans occurred around 250 AD. towns including Altun Ha, Caracol, Lamanai and Tikal, among others. At that time the population was around two million people. Farmers, who practiced slash-and-burn techniques as well as more modern techniques including terracing and irrigation, surrounded these towns. The religious beliefs of the Mayans and the complexity of their societies are just some of the topics that will be covered. In this article, we will discuss the methods used by the Mayans in their respective territories for food, shelter, home remedies and water. We will also discuss how the Mayans marked and defended their territories, their political views, and their livelihood strategies. Mayan Culture and Subsistence Agriculture Slash-and-burn agriculture is the process o...... middle of paper.... ..l which is believed to come from the decomposition of food many, many years ago. The Mayans, living today, continue to perpetuate as much of the culture they know. They do this through the clothes they wear, religious practices, rituals and their food. Works Cited Aissen, J.L. (1992). Subject and focus in Mayan. Language, 68(1), 43.Alexander, RT and Reed, NA (2004). The Yucatan Caste War. Latin American Antiquity, 15(3), 366.Coe, M.D. (1966). The Mayans. New York: Praeger. Haar, G. V. (2008). Mayan Voices for Human Rights: Displaced Catholics in the Chiapas Highlands – By Christine Kovic. Journal of the Royal Anthropological Institute, 14(2), 452-453. Hammond, N. (1972). Obsidian trade routes in the Mayan region. Science, 178(4065), 1092-1093. Rice, D.S. (1983). Mayan Subsistence, Studies in Memory of Dennis E. Puleston. Journal of Archaeological Sciences, 10(3), 307-308.