At the high watermark of their civilization, the Maya people in Mesoamerica reached a level of complexity comparable to the golden age of ancient Greece, inhabiting dozens of sophisticated cities, with some hosting up to 50,000 inhabitants .
Hours of research by our editors, distilled into minutes of clarity.
Modern concrete structures need replacing every 50 to 100 years, so why are buildings by the Maya, ancient Rome, and ancient China still standing strong? This article details how scientists are looking into humanity's past for clues on how to craft long-lasting structures. Part of the problem is adopting old material recipes to hold up to modern demands.
How many Mayan words do you know off the top of your head? This article explains how archaeologists in the 1980s were finally able to decipher the ancient Mayan script. Maya expert David Stuart tells Atlas Obscura that cacao is "one of the few words we use that’s actually Mayan." It's also one of the words that helped us decipher Mayan writing. Read more on the ancient role of chocolate in the Maya world.
Sure, you can do long division and you memorized some multiplication tables years ago. But do you know what number 🐚 could be? Traditional people in the Yucatán used seeds, sticks, and shells to count. A dot or a seed represents the number 1, a stick represents the number 5, and a shell represents zero. Use this fun interactive resource to learn more about the ancient Maya mathematics system and try your hand at using it.
A passage from an ancient Guatemalan text called the Popol Vuh contains a creation myth involving dwarfs before humans ever existed. These dwarfs were endowed with great vision and intellect, and eventually began creating art and ignoring the gods, hubris which led to their destruction in a flood. The gods then created humans from corn, imbuing them with limited vision. Learn more about the fascinating myth here.
The ancient Maya adorned their teeth with gemstones, believing it purified their breath and linking them to the divine. Recent analysis suggests the sealant used to attach these stones may have also had therapeutic properties, possibly preventing infections. Researchers found plant resins and gums in the sealants, with some containing compounds from pine trees known for their antibacterial properties. Learn more of the evidence around Maya dental practices here.
The Maya had a syllabic and pictorial writing style that featured many incredibly detailed glyphs. Click here to check out this ancient writing style (and maybe test out their related phonetic sounds).
Discoveries in Belize's Actun Tunichil Muknal (ATM) cave suggest the cave was once a significant site for sacred Mayan ceremonies in antiquity. New research reveals how the Mayans conducted rituals to re-enact a specific creation myth, often staged in desperate times and aimed to invoke the gods for a "rebirth" amid drought and turmoil. Read more on the enigmatic research here.
With an average elevation of 7,000-feet, Mexico's historical valley basin stands literally tall in the annals of history. Surrounded by volcanic mountains, the valley's center was once the vast, shallow Lake Texcoco, the site of the Aztec city Tenochtitlan. Learn the lay of this ancient, fertile land with this geography explainer on a key cradle of world civilization.
Need to know about the Mayan people in the next five minutes? Watch this short video to learn more about the civilization that once dominated Mesoamerica. It peaked between 250 and 900 CE but has roots as far back as 1,800 BCE in the Yucatan peninsula as well as modern-day Belize and Guatemala. The culture made amazing developments in math, astronomy, and agriculture and endures among many indigenous people today.
Carved from jadeite, these Mayan ornaments known as "earflares" were believed to serve as portals to the divine, symbolizing sacred pathways into supernatural realms. Jade was valued for its rarity and durability which gave rise to beliefs it symbolized timelessness and vitality. The stone is also difficult to craft intricately, making fine ornaments particularly valued. Earflares were regarded as living entities, imbued with spiritual significance. Find out more here
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