Maya Hieroglyphs: Did you mean...?

Weathered and broken stele in the Grand Plaza of the Maya city of Chacchoben, Mexico, c. 700 CE. It rests at the foot of the stairs leading up to the Gran Basamento plateau where religious rituals were held.

A detail of a mural showing Juan de Grijalva (1489-1527), the Spanish conquistador who explored the coast of Mexico in 1518, meeting a Maya chief on the Tabasco coast.

Seated figure of Maya. He was the a governor and chief of the priests in the 10th District of Egypt, who was appointed by Thutmose III (the birth and throne cartouches of Thutmose III appear on the right shoulder). He wears the "gold of honor"...

Queen Maya’s dream is explained, stone relief from the Gandhara region, modern-day Pakistan, circa 100-300 CE. Asian Art Museum, San Francisco.

Writing is the physical manifestation of a spoken language. It is thought that human beings developed language circa 35,000 BCE as evidenced by cave paintings from the period of the Cro-Magnon Man (circa 50,000-30,000 BCE) which appear to...

Calakmul, an important Maya site set deep in the tropical forest of the Tierras Bajas of southern Mexico, played a key role in the history of this region for more than twelve centuries. Its imposing structures and its characteristic overall...

Discovered in 1570 by Diego García de Palacio, the ruins of Copán, one of the most important sites of the Mayan civilization, were not excavated until the 19th century. The ruined citadel and imposing public squares reveal the three main...

Archaeologists and National Geographic grantees George and David Stuart offer keen insights into the art and culture of the Mayans.

Pedro de Alvarado (c. 1485-1541) was a Spanish conquistador who became the first governor of Guatemala in 1527. Living an extraordinary life of adventure, Alvarado participated in separate expeditions to Mexico, Central America, South America...

The sport known simply as the Ball Game was played by all the major Mesoamerican civilizations and the impressive stone courts became a feature of many cities. More than just a game, it could have a religious significance and featured in...