Forget the movie Apocalypto – the real Mayans of pre-Colombian America were more than stone pyramids and bloody rituals. From about 200 until the so-called “Mayan collapse” around 900 CE, the Maya people were at the height of their influence. They were one of many civilizations – like the Olmecs and the Aztecs – that animated Mesoamerica before the arrival of European colonizers. Clustered around the Yucatán peninsula, Maya culture was layered and complex, filled with masterful artwork, political networks, and thriving cities. They even had a written language that is preserved in artwork and bark-bound codex books. Be sure to subscribe to the Weird History Newsletter: https://www.ranker.com/newsletters/weird-history?utm_source=Youtube&utm_medium=WeirdHistory&utm_campaign=WHnewsletters&utm_content=description_box #maya #mesoamerica #weirdhistory