Map of the Maya World

• By Peter Tyson
• Posted 02.13.01
• NOVA

In its heyday from about A.D. 300 to 900, the Maya civilization boasted hundreds of cities across a vast swath of Central America. Now archeological sites, these once-flourishing cities extended from Chichén Itzí¡ in the northern Yucatí¡n to Copí¡n, about 400 miles to the south in modern-day Honduras. Each bore ceremonial centers where theocratic rulers practiced a complex religion based on a host of gods, a unique calendar, and ceremonies that featured a ball game and human sacrifice. The ancient Maya also mastered astronomy, mathematics, art and architecture, and a glyph system of writing on stone, ceramics, and bark paper. Using an interactive map, visit 15 of the better-known Maya sites.

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From Chichén Itzí¡ in the north to Copí¡n in the south, the Maya empire was vast and varied.