Palaces, temples, plazas, and most other examples of ancient Maya life weren’t found until the late nineteenth century.
That’s almost 1,000 years after the civilization’s heyday. What took archaeologists so long to discover it? One reason is that much of the Maya land is difficult or even impossible to reach. It’s full of dense rain forests, mountains, and volcanic peaks. Another reason is the Spanish royal government. It didn’t let foreigners travel in its colonies.
They faced incredible hardships. But many devoted people spent years of their lives unearthing what had become the lost culture of the Maya. They kept a whole civilization from being wiped off the face of the Earth, without a trace.
