The ruins of the vast cities of the Maya were not discovered by explorers until the late 18th and 19th centuries, when they came across the remains of temples and pyramids which had lain in the embrace of the jungle for a thousand years. Furthermore, the area is so vast and little-known that exciting discoveries are still being made. Whole cities may be waiting to be discovered in the jungles north of Tikal.
But the special fascination of the ancient Maya undoubtedly lies in the decipherment of their writing system. Unravelling the meaning of their hieroglyphs, the expression of a sophisticated, fully phonetic written language, has revealed an extraordinary civilisation whose rulers and their exploits are recorded in graphic, and sometimes chilling, detail on their monuments.
Previous guests have much enjoyed learning the rudiments of decipherment during the progress of the journey, under David’s tutelage - an unexpected aspect of the holiday!
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