Move Over, Mexico: The Maya in Central America

When most people think of the Maya, their minds jump immediately to Mexico, but this ancient civilization exerted profound influence throughout Central America.

As a native of El Salvador and an expert in Mesoamerican anthropology and archaeology for National Geographic, I’m here to take you on the ultimate cultural journey through the Maya of Central America — from places that were inhabited more than 10,000 years ago, to Maya cities built at the time of Christ, to modern towns that celebrate their ancient heritage in unexpected ways.

El Salvador

Guatemala

Honduras 

• Copán: This archaeological site yields some of the most magnificent examples of Maya art and architecture to be found in Central America — including the Hieroglyphic Stairway Plaza, which tells the official history of Copán’s rulers, and the elaborate stela (tall, sculpted stone slabs) that have come to symbolize the site.
  
  Founded in the 5th century by the first dynastic leader Yax Kuk Mo, the city thrived for five centuries until it was abandoned.The Copán ruins were discovered in the 16th century, but the region wasn’t truly explored until John Lloyd Stephens and Frederick Catherwood came along in the 1830s. Their descriptions, maps, and drawings of the monuments sparked an explosion of interest in Central America’s Maya culture that continues today.

Learn more about the Maya from National Geographic:

• The Maya and the Yucatán Peninsula 
• Vintage Photos: Exploring the Yucatán
• Top 10 Maya Secrets 
• Top 10 Foods of the Maya World
• Best Books About the Maya

Fabio Esteban Amador is a program officer specializing in Mesoamerican archaeologist at National Geographic, as well as an associate research professor at George Washington University.