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.