Over 2000 years ago, the Maya built gigantic cities in the middle of the jungles of Central America. Pyramids and temples are evidence of their architectural achievements. The Maya also set standards in writing, mathematics and astronomy. The remains of the sunken Maya city of El Mirador still lie hidden under the dense canopy of the rainforest of Guatemala. For a long time, scientists could only estimate the size of the metropolis. Only modern laser technology brought to light what was really hidden behind the gigantic structures, which were long thought to be mountains in the jungle due to their sheer size. Huge temples and palaces, defense systems, animal enclosures and even a dense road network. Over 250,000 people lived in El Mirador, and another million in the surrounding area. This makes El Mirador one of the largest cities in the world at that time. The Maya were only able to build such huge cities and supply the many people with food through an ingenious feat of domestication. They cultivated a particularly productive and nutrient-rich staple food from the inconspicuous wild grass teosinte: corn. Even today it is one of the most commonly grown grains in the world. At the top of society were god-kings who acted as mediators between humans and gods. They offered their subjects divine support and security. In return, the people made their labor available to them. The Maya found the ear of the gods through rituals that included blood and human sacrifices. In the kings' palaces, mathematicians, astronomers and scribes devoted themselves to the higher sciences. The Maya are one of the five advanced cultures that developed their own writing. The rulers once had huge libraries full of folding books, so-called codices. But after their conquest, the Spaniards had them burned as the work of the devil. The Maya were the first culture to calculate with the number zero, which neither the Romans nor the Greeks knew at the time. In Europe, the special number was not even used until the 12th century. Thanks to their mathematical skills, Mayan astronomers were able to calculate a calendar that is still considered a masterpiece of their culture today. Although the telescope had not yet been invented, the Mayans were able to accurately predict comet appearances and solar and lunar eclipses. But the Mayans evidently underestimated how fragile their living conditions were. Droughts, overexploitation of nature and wars between the city states put an end to this advanced civilization, and the Mayan empire suddenly collapsed. This video is a production of ZDF, in collaboration with Storyhouse. Subscribe? Just click here - / @terraxhistory All films and information about Terra X can be found here - https://terra-x.zdf.de/#xtor=CS3-82 Terra X on Facebook - / zdfterrax Terra X on Instagram - / terrax