The cause of the rise of the Mayans has long been a controversial subject. Over the past eighty years, research has polarized around two contradictory propositions, the “externalist” and “internalist” models. The first (externalist) view posits that the Maya Lowlands experienced an "overt and disruptive" presence of Teotihuacan in the late 4th century AD, which was accompanied by a "military incursion, even political domination. The second (internalist) view interprets evidence of interaction with foreign sites as a means for Mayan elites to distance themselves from the general population and/or to legitimize new lines of dynastic rule by associating themselves with the powerful foreign city-state of Teotihuacan (Stuart 1996). ). As Braswell (2003, p. 7) points out, it is important to note that neither side denies that the interaction took place. Rather, it is about the degree of impact that Teotihuacan had on the Maya, that is, the duration of political, social and economic changes, stimulated by foreign interaction. This can be determined by evidence provided by architecture, imported material goods, and iconography. The majority of this evidence comes from Teotihuacan, as well as the three most powerful Maya city-states at the time of initial interaction – Tikal, Copan, and Kaminaljuyu. As with all history, the “facts” provided by the evidence are subject to interpretation by each historian. The contributors to the volume Highland-lowland Interaction in Mesoamerica: Intergraduate Approaches (Miller 1983) provide the basis for the view "concerning the influence of Central Mexican culture in various parts of the Maya region at the time of the peak splendor of Teotihuacan. As a result of this work, many sc...... middle of paper ...... The Maya and Teotihuacan Reinterpret Early Classic Interactions Edited by Geoffrey E. Braswell, University of Texas Press, 2003, p. 273-314 .George L. Cowgill Teotihuacan and Early Classic Interaction: A Perspective from Outside the Maya Region, The Maya and Teotihuacan Reinterpret Early Classic Interaction edited by Geoffrey E. Braswell, University of Texas Press, 2003, p. 115-336.Joyce Marcus The Maya and Teotihuacan, The Maya and Teotihuacan Reinterpreting Early Classic Interaction Edited by Geoffrey E. Braswell, University of Texas Press, 2003, p.337-356.Marketonis November 15, 2007: Fire Is Born (Nace el Fuego): The mysterious invader who brought the Mayan Empire much of its splendor, http://thefivesusa.wordpress.com/2007/11/15/fire-is-born-nace-el-fuego-the -mysterious-invader-who-brought-the-mayan-empire-much-of-its-splendor/