If you're fascinated by ancient civilisations, these are the fun facts for you! Get ready to learn all about central American society the Mayans! You'll find out where and when they lived, who they worshipped, and which sweet treat was super important to them! You might just be surprised by what you learn! We've got lots more history facts for you when you're done - why not learn all about the Great Fire of London, or Stonehenge?

1. They emerged a long time ago

The Mayan civilization began in around 1800 BC. The Classic Maya period happened much later, from about 250 to 1697 AD.

2. They're Mesoamerican

Mayan civilization existed in the Maya Region, which in current day consist of: southeastern Mexico, Guetamala and Belize, and western Honduras and El Salvador. It's a beautiful part of the world, with lots of lush jungle and interesting animals.

3. They were master builders

The Mayans were some of the best architects in the anient world - and maybe of all time! They built gorgeous cities for one - about 60 in total! Their cities contained pyramids, royal palaces, and amazing observatories! If you go on a tour of Mayan ruins, you will be totally spoiled for choice!

4. They had advanced agriculture

The Mayans lived in a tropical environment, which can be challenging when it comes to farming crops - but they really rose to the occasion! Mayan farming was a very sophistacated system. Their work included terraced farming (which is when you grow crops on the side of hills) and crop rotation (which is when you grow crops in the same area, varying in each season). This was a great way to build up the Mayan civilization!

5. And astronomy!

The Mayans knew a LOT about astronomy, which is super awesome when you think about how long ago they lived! The Mayans tracked the movements of all heavenly bodies - the sun, the moon, the stars and all the planets! They used this knowledge to build a calendar, where they would accurately predict solar and lunar eclipses.

6. They had a pretty cool ball game

The Mayans had a ball game called Pok-a-Tok. We're not totally sure how it worked, but it was probably like basketball crossed with football. The aim of the game was to hit a ball through a stonehoop - and you could only use your thighs and hips! The game was pretty high stakes - losers might be sacrificed to the gods!

7. And an awesome writing system!

Writing is the best way to communicate your thoughts and ideas - and the Mayans understood this! The Mayan system of writing consists over 800 glyphs (the symbols used in a writing system). They used this system to record everything - from astrological predictions to religious texts!

8. There is a huge pantheon

One of the reasons the Mayans enjoyed astrology so much is because they saw their gods in the night skies! There are about 250 Mayan deities, and each represented a different part of life. Important gods included Chaac (the god of rain), Itzamna (who created people and also the writing system), and Kulkulkan (a huge serprent covered in feathers). The Mayans believed that the earth was a giant floating turtle and the sky was held up by four gods called Bacabs! They also believed that there were 13 levels of heaven, and that warriors and those who were sacrificed (more on that later!) went to one of the top levels.

9. They invented zero!

Numbers are important for all of maths, but have you ever really thought about zero? It's a basic number - or is it? Is it a number at all, and is it necessary for maths? There are centuries of academic debate about zero, and the Mayans were the first to really think about it! It's pretty long and complex, but the Mayans were very able mathematicians and they loved their calendars. Zero was represented by a seashell in their writing. It was a placeholder more than an actual number though - zero as we know it now was invented by India.

10. They loved chocolate

Do you love chocolate? Then you owe a thank-you to the Mayans! Mayans and Aztecs were some of the first chocoholics in history, with modern Guetamala as the homebase of the delicious treat. Chocolate back then was very different from what we're used to - in fact, Mayans usually enjoyed chocolate as a bitter and spicy drink, adding chillis and cornmeal rather than sugar and milk. Cacao was believed to have medicinal properties, and it was used in religious rituals.

11. They practiced head-shaping

If you've seen Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull you might already know this fun fact, but it's a fascinating insight into Mayan religion and culture! Mayans (as well as Incans, and some North American native tribes) deliberately shaped the heads of infants by wrapping them with cloth and//or using boards. This meant the head would grow in an elongated, conical shape - babies have soft skulls when they're born, so it was easy to do. It had religious significance, and it was thought to be attractive.

12. And also human sacrifice

Heard of human sacrifice? It wasn't just for the Aztecs - the Mayans also participated. It was a way to please their gods, because blood was considered a very special offering. It was done in lots of different ways, and usually the people sacrificed were high status prisoners of war - lower-status prisoners would be enslaved instead.

13. The conquistadors came

Colonisation is when a country goes overseas and takes over other countries, and in the 1500s Spanish conquistadors came to the Mayans. "Conquistador" is Spanish for "he who conquers", and they stripped away most defining aspects of Mayan civilization.

14. They didn't believe the world was going to end in 2012

Were you around in 2012? If so, you might remember that there was a supposed Mayan prophecy that said the world was going to end in December 2012. It didn't (of course), but why did people think this at all? Well, the Mayans loved their calendars, and their most famous one was called the Long Count calendar. To make a complicated story short, the calendar appeared to end in 2012, so some claimed that meant the end of the world. It's unlikely the ancient Mayans thought this - they probably thought that they'd have to reset the calendar, but they didn't believe the world would end!

15. They are not extinct!

We often talk about the Mayans as if they're long extinct, but they certainly aren't! Even though the culture started declining about a thousand years ago, and lost a lot from the 1500s onwards after the conquistadors came, they kept going. Mayans still live in Guetamala, Mexico and Belize, and if you visit you can still experience parts of their preserved culture.