12 Facts About the Maya That Aren’t About Doomsday Clocks or Human Sacrifice

The Maya had an extensive knowledge of natural medicine, including the creation of ancient painkillers and anesthetics.

The Maya figured out how to make rubber out of natural latex, and used it for a very modern purpose: sports balls.

Their sweat lodges prove that humankind has understood the value of a good schvitz for at least 3,000 years now.

Caves, specifically “cenotes,” or underground lakes and rivers, were considered by the Maya to be a direct link to the underworld.

“Aluxes” were tiny creatures that protected natural aspects of the civilization like crops and animals.

One method of Maya personal beautification was to drill holes into their front teeth, studding them with gems like jade and turquoise.

Most people know of the Maya’s links to cacao and chocolate, but lesser known is that the cacao beans were valuable enough that they were used as a form of currency.

The Maya were far from an insular civilization, trading goods like salt, weapons and jewels with other civilizations throughout what’s now known as Mexico and Central America.

Both their crops, which included maize, beans and avocados, and their recipes are still prevalent in modern Mexican cuisine.

Though it seems to have primarily been among the Maya priests, they not only had written language but honest-to-god books. Only four survive today.

The “Popol Vu” is a book that neatly lays out the basis of the entire Maya religion. It’s a priceless document that probably saved anthropologists a whole lot of ancient-scroll jigsaw puzzles.

It’s understandable you wouldn’t think so, given how often the word “vanished” is thrown around, but Maya people are still around today. In fact, they make up the majority of the population in Guatemala.