1 of 14   Classic Period
	CLASSIC PERIOD 100 B.C.-A.D. 900 he Classic period was a time of intense urbanization featuring the rise of complex regional centers such as Teotihuacan, Monte Alban, and the Mayan cities Tikal and Palenque. This era saw the flowering of cultural forms established during the pre-Classic period. Classic period societies were extremely hierarchical and involved the domination of surrounding areas. For reasons not yet understood, around A.D. 900 social and political organization shifted and there was a rapid decline in the building of cities and monuments. Long droughts followed by famine and internal political conflicts may have been responsible.