The hour-long show is divided into five chapters. Forgotten Mayan Temple. In 1774, Spanish explorer José Calderon rediscovered the temples of Palenque and the ancient hieroglyphs of the Mayans, whose culture had been destroyed by the Spanish conquistadors.
A hidden story. Archaeologist Tatiana Proskouriakoff, working in the basement of Harvard University’s Peabody Museum, has discovered that Mayan ruins contain interpretable history, not just images and symbols.
political obstacles. Russian linguist Yuri Knorosov, who worked behind the Iron Curtain, believed that Mayan script could represent sound, but his ideas were questioned in the West.
child’s play. David Stuart submitted his first scholarly work on glyphs at the age of 12 and went on to become a major player in Maya research as he progressed in deciphering the script.
Cultural inspiration. The ancient Mayans come to life as their descendants in modern-day Mexico and Central America begin to relearn their lost language and history.
