Digging the Ancient Maya: Resources

The following lists of books and websites include a number of resources which may be useful both to instructors and to students who wish to learn more about the world of the ancient Maya. They are intented only as a starting point.

Check back often, this list will continue to grow and, of course, if you have additional items that have worked well in your programs or that you believe should be included please email us.

Books for Young People

Aztec, Inca, Maya
DK Eyewitness Books. Well laid out, illustrated history book covering the three great civilizations of the Aztec, Inca & Maya designed for ages 9-12.

Mayan and Aztec Mythology
Michael Schuman. Illustrated book of Mayan myths for young readers.

Reference Books

Coe, Michael D. Breaking the Maya Code, Thames and Hudson, 1999, ISBN # 0500050619

Fash, William L. Scribes, Warriors and Kings: The City of Copan and the Ancient Maya, Thames and Hudson, 1991, ISBN # 050028282X

Gilbert, Adrian and Cotterell, Maurice, The Mayan Prophecies, Element Books 1995, ISBN # 1852306920

Hezlep, William, Treasure of the Mayans, February 1995, Players Press; ISBN # 0887344054

Kallen, Stuart A., The Mayans (Lost Civilizations), January 2001, Lucent Books; ISBN# 1560067578

Pohl, John, M.D., Exploring Mesoamerica, Oxford University Press, 1999, ISBN # 0195108876

Schele, Linda and Freidel, David. , A Forest of Kings: The Untold Story of the Ancient Maya, Quill/ W. Morrow and Company, 1992, ISBN # 0688112048

Useful Websites

www.bbc.co.uk/history/ancient/cultures/maya_01.shtml
Two informative microsites produced by the BBC with a wide variety of content and interactive activities.

The Lost King Of The Maya
See video clips narrated by David Stuart, a world-renowned expert, on the lost civilization of the Mayans. He will also guide you through the treasures of Copan. Read the riveting account of journalist John Lloyd Stevens' 1838 discovery of the lost city of Copan. Familiarize yourself with the 15 chief cities of the Mayan empire with the clickable map and interact with the hieroglyph deciphering activity at this PBS NOVA companion site.

Civilization.ca Mystery of the Maya
An exceptional site that delves deep into the background of the civilization of the Mayan people. It contains a glossary, a timeline and slideshows on architecture, sculpture, costumes, landscape and habitat of the Maya as well as a multitude of related links and information on every topic relating to the Mayas.

The Maya in Time
This Web site explains the pantheon of gods worshiped by the Maya. It shows pictures of the gods carved in stone along with their names and a brief description of their significance to the Maya.

The Maya Astronomy Page
A fabulous page, with information on Mayan Mathematics, glyphs, calendar and astronomy, along with additional links.

Mayan Kids
A terrific site that explores every aspect of Mayan civilization. The target audience is children and nothing is left out.

Journey Through Tikal
An interactive site that allows you to travel through the ancient ruins of Tikal. It uses QuickTime Technology and allows you to examine the site. Fantastic!

Mexico Connect
 This site has many elaborate pictures so it takes a short while to load if you have slower connections. It is well worth the wait for its information and a great map.

Hieroglyphs and History at Copan By: David Stuart
Research site of David Stuart, who began studying hieroglyphs at the age of 8. He became the youngest recipient of the MacArthur Foundation "Genius" Award at the age of 18. He has dedicated the majority of his life to deciphering the hieroglyphs that the Mayans left behind.

The Mayans A ThinkQuest 1997 Challenge Entry
This site, created by children, presents brief descriptions of the Mayan civilization.

Palenque
A constantly updated site which features the Palenque Project. The project is a joint venture of the Pre-Columbian Art Research Institute(PARI) and Mexico's Institutio Nacional de Antropologia y Historia (INAH).

Mayan Indians
A detailed site that begins with a fantastic map and takes you through the world of the Mayan Indians via Art and Architecture, Astronomy, Calendars, Current Discoveries, Geography, Gods and Goddesses, History, Pyramids, Religion, Society and Writing.

Ancient Secrets of the Maya
 Some rather unique information about the mystical side of the Ancient Maya.

Facts & Trivia

Some short pieces of information provided to assist Program Instructors.

Butterfly Warriors

Butterflies were thought to be the souls of dead soldiers.



Crossed Eyes & Coneheads

Slightly crossed eyes were considered a sign of beauty to the ancient Maya. They would string a bead to rest just between an infant's eyes to achieve the desired effect. A flattened and sloped forehead was also considered attractive in the Mayan culture (although this may have been the inadvertent result of strapping babies to cradle boards). Some who study the Mayans speculate that the conehead effect was an attempt to replicate the shape of an ear of corn.



Maya Universe

The Maya world had three levels: the heavens, earth and the underworld. At the centre was the Ceiba tree which reached to the heavens and had its roots in the Underworld.



Dental Work

Mayans also filed their teeth, sometimes to a point or in the shape of a "T". They inlaid their teeth with small, round plaques of jade or pyrite.

© History in Hand, 2007 - Programs in Archaeology for Students.