The ancient Maya and Aztec created some of the most magnificent civilizations in pre. Columbian American my examinations, which arose flourished and vanished in less than a 1000 years continue to puzzle acriologists who study the artifacts of the complex mayan culture. The asterisk's conquered in the 1500s By the Spanish left behind traces of their elaborate culture and bloody religion at the turn off the century, teams of archeologists begin trying to discover the lost secrets of the vanished, people. National geographic brought back reports of how those first expeditions feared. Reports that are reprinted here to provide insight into the beginnings of our understanding of the mayan and astic people. Since 1888 national geographic has been informing and educating readers about the amazing world in which we live. The volumes in this series feature some of the most interesting and don't worthy articles and national geographics. No years featuring original texts and photographs. These issues from the magazines infancy. Highlight someone with the most extraordinary discoveries. Both culture and historic from the late 19th and the early 20th centuries.