Maya Society

The Maya Civilization and the many different functions within the society were gradually identified by Mayanists through their long and tedious study of the architecture, tombs, and material remains. Carvings, statues, distinctive artworks, ceramics and elaborate jewelry helped experts to establish a degree of understanding of kingship, societal levels and accurate time periods. The few surviving codices confirmed the great achievements of Maya skywatchers in understanding and recording astronomical phenomena. Decoding the hieroglyphic texts was a lengthy, challenging process that has finally been accomplished.