*Includes pictures of Mayan buildings, art, hieroglyphics, numbers, and more. *Explains integral parts of the Mayan empire, including their food, calendar, ball game, sacrifice rituals, and religion. *Examines the architecture of Mayan settlements and the structure of their empire. *Discusses the disappearance of the Maya and the way their culture has survived and evolved. *Includes a Table of Contents Many ancient civilizations have influenced and inspired people in the 21st century. The Greeks and Romans continue to fascinate the West today. But of all the world’s civilizations, none have intrigued people more than the Mayans, whose culture, astronomy, language, and mysterious disappearance all continue to captivate people. In 2012 especially, there has been a renewed focus on the Mayans, whose advanced calendar has led many to speculate the world will end on the same date the Mayan calendar ends. The focus on the “doomsday” scenario, however, has overshadowed the Mayans’ true contribution to astronomy, language, sports, and art. The preoccupation with 2012 and the Mayan calendar has also overshadowed the discussion over who exactly the Mayans were. The Maya are one of the most famous civilizations in history, but what was it like to be Mayan at the height of their civilization in the 15th century? What did they eat? What did they play? What was their religion? How did they build their cities and organize their empire? How did they fight?