The ancient Maya were united by belief systems and cultural practices that included a distinct architectural style and a writing system.
1000 B.C.E.–1521 C.E.
Beginner's guide
Learn about the Mayan writing system, historical periods, and city-states.
videos + essays
We're adding new content all the time!
Tikal Stela 16
Stela 16 is a Maya royal portrait stela showing the ruler Jasaw Chan K’awiil bedecked in feathers, jade, and an elaborate headdress
Quiriguá
The ruins of Quirigua contain some outstanding 8th-century monuments and an impressive series of carved stelae and sculpted calendars that constitute an essential source for the study of Mayan civilization.
Copán
The ruined citadel and imposing public squares reveal the three main stages of development before the city was abandoned in the early 10th century.
Tikal
The ceremonial center of Tikal contains superb temples and palaces, and public squares accessed by means of ramps.
Plaque of a Maya king from Teotihuacan
This plaque is one of relatively few imported Maya objects ever found at Teotihuacan and indicates that interaction between the two cultures went both ways.
The Mesoamerican Calendar
Calendars also tell us a great deal about how Mesoamerican cultures understood and structured their world.
Maya glyphs, a basic introduction
Maya hieroglyphs were first identified as a writing system during the nineteenth century, when the bar-and-dot numerical system was deciphered.
Maya: The Yaxchilán Lintels
Carved lintels were commissioned by elites and attest to ritual activities, like bloodletting.
Maya: The Fenton Vase
Vessels like this are an important source of information about Maya society since few of their books survive.
Chakalte’, Relief with Enthroned Ruler
Look up! This elaborate carving could be seen as one walked into the temple, but only VIPs had access.
Mirror-Bearer
This fabulously-dressed mirror-bearer imitates the humans who performed this function in the royal courts.
Vessel with a mythological scene
During ceremonies, the user of this cup might be invited to share the story depicted here in Maya glyphs.
Browse Smarthistory images for teaching & learning!
