Maya writing: Did you mean...?

This temple was originally roofed although part of its vaulting, shaped like an inverted staircase, can still be seen on its southern side. There was once an altar within, where offerings were placed in Pre-Columbian times. The building was...

Aptly named, this Maya structure contains fragmented murals that were painted with vivid colors of red, blue, ochre, and black. They were originally covered with geometric motifs, stepped lines, Grecians frets, and spirals. This structure...

This structure located at the Maya archaeological site of San Gervasio on the Mexican island of Cozumel was so named as numerous human remains were found inside during archaeological excavation. The temple no longer exists, but it originally...

A Maya jade plaque from Nebaj, Guatemala. Created around 600. (National Museum of Guatemala)

This structure had a ceremonial use for the Maya people as it lies in the middle of the plaza at San Gervasio, which is located on the island of Cozumel, Mexico. It therefore must have served as a dais from which the speaker addressed the...

This Maya building located on the island of Cozumel is named so due to the finding a vaulted tomb in its interior, unbique in San Gervasio, Mexico. The strcutre is a platform since it had no building on tiop of it — only benches — and an...

This painted incense container is made from cut stone and dates from c. 600-900 CE. Maya artisans created it in what is present-day Guatemala during the Classical era. (Musée du Cinquantenaire, Brussels)

This Maya relief depicting a nobleman is made from chalkstone, and it comes from what is present-day Tabasco, Mexico. It dates from the Late Classic Period around the year 780 CE. (Museum Rietberg, Zürich).

A Maya tripod marble vessel. Travesia, Cortés, Honduras, 600-909 CE. (St. Louis Art Museum, Missouri)

Writing is generally agreed to be among the greatest inventions in human history, perhaps the greatest invention, since it made history possible. Subscribe for regular science videos: http://bit.ly/RiSubscRibe You can read more about...