A.D. 200, amid the highlands of Guatemala and the plains of the Yucatan, the Maya began to lay the foundations of their great cities: Tikal, Palenque, and Copán. Notorious for their architecture, many pyramids and temples were built to tower above the grand cities. The Maya civilizations were the only fully literate society in the new world, this is shown by the tablets that displayed the vibrant and ornate carvings found inside of these extravagant temples. The great cities thrived for 2,000 years up until the 16th century when the flames of the Spanish Inquisition burned throughout the civilization with the motive to convert the Maya to Catholicism. Diego de Landa saw the Maya writing system as a tool of the devil and proceeded to destroy
