The Maya

More than 1000 years ago in Mexico, the great temple-city of Palenque thrived as an important center of the Mayan world. Mysteriously abandoned in 835 AD, it has preserved countless secrets ever since. Journey to the Mexican jungle on a quest to unearth the mysteries of one of the great empires of the New World. Scale the height of Palenque's great palace to investigate the Temple of Inscriptions, and find out why the Mayans altered their historical records. Join archaeologist Alberto Ruz, who, in 1952, finally cleared away the rubble from the temple and discovered the bones of six children interred within. Explore the significance of this find with scholars and experts, and decide for yourself whether the rumors of the Mayan's practice of human sacrificeare justified. And find out what is known of the Mayan ruler Pacal, who had the great temple built. Take an extraordinary adventure into the confounding society that once dominated Central America, and whose legacy and history puzzles us to this day.