I am always pleased when a new addition to the Factology series appears. This robust hardback that introduces us to the world of The Maya. The book is divided into three chapters – Pre-Classical Period, Classic Period and Post-Classic Period. Chapter One explains how the mythology of the Maya people and their previous lives in rural village laid the foundations for a magnificent civilisation. Chapter Two explains “why and how the Maya built their astounding stone cities featuring plazas, temple-pyramids and ball-game courts that still stand today”. The final chapter looks at the Maya abandoning their cities around 900CE before Spanish Conquistadors attempt to claim their land.
Pages are dramatic and enticing with a good balance of text and colourful illustration. Information is age-appropriate and presented in bite-sized chunks. I enjoyed meeting some of the major gods including Cizin, the god of death who is often pictured as a dancing human skeleton smoking a cigarette and wearing his death collar made of human eyes. We are told the story of how twins Hunahpu and Xbalanque became the Sun and the Moon., and we learn about the ancient Maya’s creation story as told in the Popol Vuh. Everyday Maya was interesting too. We meet hard-working people who lived simple rural lives. We look at their food. I did not know that the ancient Maya grew and ate sweet potatoes, tomatoes, avocados and chilli peppers centuries before anyone in Europe ate them. I loved the section on chocolate and did not know it takes 410 beans to make 500g of chocolate. Mayan architecture is stunning, and I enjoyed the insight into the lives of the elite. Their attitude to blood is fascinating, and their knowledge of time and astronomy is astonishing. There is much to contemplate about why the Mayan people abandoned their cities and returned to rural areas before the arrival of the Spanish Conquistadors. The end of the book considers Mayas today. The Big Maya Quiz tests our newfound knowledge. The book ends with a good glossary and index. Highly recommended.
Brenda Marshall
Factology The Maya
Button Books
ISBN 9781787081840
£12.99
Published 2025
