War among the Maya cities started early, but initially was very low scale.
Small elites of kings and warrior classes fought each other, commoners playing a small part.
Feuds between families and/or factions of rival cities, or within a city state, could last generations.
Most warfare was limited to raids; pitched battles and capture of enemy cities were rare.
The Maya preferred to take defeated enemies captive instead of killing them.
Parading prisoners around boosted the prestige of the victors.
Captives were not always treated well; they were often tortured and ritually sacrificed to the gods later,
though some must have been retained as hostages.
This limited type of warfare was for a large part enforced by logistic constraints.
The Maya had no riding or draft animals, so had to carry all their rations with them.
Major cities were usually about 100 kilometers apart, taking an army at least 5 days to reach without any river transport.
Many battles were aimed at border towns 50 kilometers away, though sometimes Maya armies ranged as far as 150 kilometers.
Warfare was conducted in the dry season, after the harvest, when farmers were free of work and movement was easier.
It seems that Maya warfare was not very destructive; scorched earth tactics were not used.
Instead the fighting ended when an enemy temple, or better their ruler, was captured.
Most Maya fought with spears, which were sometimes barbed.
As side arms they used maces, stone axes and knives.
Another weapon used in the late Mayan era was the macuahuitl, called the American 'sword',
but actually a kind of club studded with many sharp chert or obsidian blades.
The chert was produced locally; the more highly priced obsidian imported.
These materials were also used to manufacture throwing darts and javelins, though projectile weapons do not seem to have been as important as melee weapons.
Atlatls were introduced around 400 CE, bow and arrow not until the end of the Maya period.
Maya warriors protected themselves with either long flexible leather shields, or small rigid wooden ones.
The wealthiest wore armor made of layers of cotton, very richly decorated.
The Maya saw war not only as a fight between people, but also between gods and the nobility brokered between these two.
That is why they made sure they looked impressive and battles often started with loud boasts and threats.
When population grew, the Maya started to make more use of militia troops, though they never adopted large armies like Teotihuacan.
Warfare became more strategic and raiding was more and more replaced with conquest.
Often the aim was to make smaller towns or villages change allegiance, become a vassal or to submit completely, changing the balance of power.
The Maya also waged 'star wars', attacks that were timed to match astrological phenomena that were deemed favorable.
At the end of the Maya age, after about 600 CE, population pressure got severe.
A series of prolonged droughts weakened the agricultural base of the civilization.
Competition became fierce and wars were waged every year.
No longer did attackers try to take prisoners; instead they were out for territory and resources.
The cities, previously open, now were surrounded by walls.
With the warring powers more or less equally matched, there were more losers than winners and around 900 CE the Maya cities broke down.
War Matrix - Maya warfare
Roman Ascent 200 BCE - 120 CE , Armies and troops