The Mayan World Trivia Quiz

Answer: El Mirador

It is generally accepted by most archaeologists that El Mirador, a huge center in the Peten region of Guatemala, "collapsed" in the Pre-Classic Era, probably before 400 AD. The others probably "collapsed" in the Late Classic Era between 700-900 AD. El Mirador may have the largest pyramid complex in the Western Hemisphere and may indicate that the Maya were far more advanced than we ever thought before.

Answer: Mass migration of the Maya to Costa Rica and Nicaragua

There is no indication that a mass migration ever took place where the Maya moved to the South. There is a sense that some of the Classic-Era peoples may have abandoned the lowland centers and moved to the North, specifically to the Puuc centers in the Yucatan but that still doesn't account for the amount of the observable "collapse" so historians and archaeologists still believe some environmental factors and revolt or warfare must have played a significant role.

Answer: Diego de Landa

Diego de Landa's story is one of the most interesting and complex stories in Mayan archaeological and anthropological history. He singlehandedly destroyed a treasure trove of original Mayan documents by burning them and then as penance for that atrocity he wrote the most important cultural monograph on the Maya.

In a sense he was both a demon and a saint in the eyes of Mayan historians.

Answer: Yaxuna

The word "sacbe" literally means "white way" and this particular road extends over 100 kilometers. The Maya didn't employ the wheel for transportation purposes as far as is known and really didn't have any beasts of burden so it is likely that only humans and perhaps dogs ever walked this road.

Answer: Banana

The banana was actually an imported fruit brought to the area after the arrival of the Europeans. It has become synonymous with the area as we often hear the term "Banana Republics" but it was not a fruit available to the Maya before European contact.

Answer: London

The British never had the fortune of obtaining a Mayan codex, but in addition to the other three cities where codices were found, it is quite possible that Vienna housed one of the codices for a short time as Cortes probably sent back some manuscripts to Charles V, who was living in Vienna at the time.

Answer: Copan

Most of the rulers listed in this question are now known by perhaps more accurate Mayan names, but in the annals of Mayadom they will always be known to some extent by these names. The most famous ruler was 18 Rabbit, now known as Waxaklajuun Ub'aah K'awil, who was responsible for a massive building campaign in Copan and is commemorated on numerous stelae.

He was eventually beheaded by a subordinate ruler from Quirigua who assumed power and overthrew the Copanic rulership. His death was and is thought to be one of the most dramatic moments in Classic Mayan history.

Answer: Yuri Knorosov

Leon de Rosny correctly deciphered the Mayan glyphs that indicated direction. Champollion was the decipherer of the Egyptian Hieroglyphic texts and had little to do with Mayan glyphs. Sir Eric Thompson, according to Michael Coe in his outstanding book, "Breaking the Maya Code", led the world astray by insisting on a mythical and mystical interpretation of the glyphs and saying that they refered to something we would never be able to understand. Knorosov, on the other hand, believed the text was logosyllabic and was widely ridiculed by Thompson and his followers until his theories were eventually proved. Fascinating story if you get a chance to read it.

Answer: The Underworld

In the story of the Popol Vuh, Xibalba is the underworld where the twins go to play the ball game. Xibalba is referred to in a number of different texts and was apparently a feared mystical place.

Answer: Cholula

Oxkintok, Edzna, and Dzibilchaltun are all curious Mayan sites on the Yucatan peninsula while Cholula is a Central Mexican site near Mexico City. I couldn't pass up the opportunity to mention three of my favorite Mayan sites.