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For the longest of time, until recent archaeological material surfaced, many thought the Mayans were a peaceful culture who like the Greeks enjoyed philosophy and the arts. The Mayans did indeed produce spectacular art from their culture that has been preserved until now. But the Mayans were far from the peace loving people that once marked their culture.
Did the Mayan civilization expanded their borders because of superior military technology? Some archaeological evidence does suggest that they possessed unique weapons but none of these gave them any advantage in field military combat.The full explanation can be found at http://io9.com/5823728/ancient-mayans-are-still-shaping-their-environment-thousands-of-years-later Rather the biggest weapon in the Mayan arsenal was fear. To be captured by a Mayan army meant certain death. But death was reserved for special ceremonies where organs, usually the heart, were removed from a live victims so that the person performing the sacrifice might “inherit” the virtues of the one being sacrificed. These images impressed deeply into the minds of their enemies to avoid the Mayans at all cost. To die in the field of battle was one thing but to be captured for the purpose of being a sacrificial victim, especially if the one captured was a leader, demoralized the entire tribe and created an atmosphere of failure through fear.