Stunning Artwork Opens New Window on Mighty Maya Civilization

Long-sought clues to Maya governance emerge from an exquisitely preserved frieze

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A picture really is worth a thousand words. In the December Scientific American science writer Zach Zorich reports on the discovery of a spectacular artwork in the ancient Maya city of Holmul in Guatemala. The find is helping archaeologists figure out how two Maya superpowers functioned during a long-running war. For more on the Maya, check out the resources below.

“Drought May Have Brought on Demise of the Maya,” by Sarah Graham

“Ancient Time: Earliest Mayan Astronomical Calendar Unearthed in Guatemala Ruins,” by John Matson

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“New Find Pushes Back Date of Maya Writing,” by David Biello

“The Earliest Maya,” by Norman Hammond

“Maya Writing,” by David Stuart and Stephen D. Houston

“A New Maya Discovery in Mexico,” by Thomas Gann

“The Emergence of Maya Civilization,” by Norman Hammond

“The Rise of a Maya Merchant Class,” by Jeremy A. Sabloff and William L. Rathje

Underwater Archaeology in the Maya Highlands,” by Stephan F. Borhegyi

“The Planning of a Maya Ceremonial Center,” by Norman Hammond

“The Amazingly Accurate Calendar System of the Maya Indians,” by James C. Bardin

“The Death of a Civilization,” by Tatiana Proskouriakoff

“The Testimony of the Jades,” by Henry S. Washington

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