Great Acropolis, Edzna Archaeological Site, Campeche State, Mexico

Temple of Five Floors, Great Acropolis, Edzna Archaeological Site, Campeche State, Mexico

Temple of Five Floors, Great Acropolis, Edzna Archaeological Site, Campeche State, Mexico

Temple of Five Floors, Great Acropolis, Edzna Archaeological Site, Campeche State, Mexico

Temple of Five Floors, Great Acropolis, Edzna Archaeological Site, Campeche State, Mexico

Structure X, Becan Archaeological Site, Campeche State, Mexico

Passageway between the Structure IV Annex and Structure VIII, Becan Archaeological Site, Campeche State, Mexico

Stela at Calakmul Archaeological Site, Campeche State, Mexico

Stelae at the bottom of Structure VII, Calakmul Archaeological Site, Campeche State, Mexico

Structure I, Calakmul Archaeological Site, Campeche State, Mexico

Balamku Archaeological Site, Campeche State, Mexico

Balamku Archaeological Site, Campeche State, Mexico

Balamku Archaeological Site, Campeche State, Mexico

Pyramid of the Fortune-teller or Pyramid of the Magician, Uxmal, Yucatan State, Mexico

Corbelled Arch at the Quadrangle of the Nuns, Uxmal, Yucatan State, Mexico

Quadrangle of the Nuns, detailed view, Uxmal, Yucatan State, Mexico

The Governor's Palace, Uxmal, Yucatan State, Mexico

The Governor's Palace, Uxmal, Yucatan State, Mexico

Architecture of Uxmal, Yucatan State, Mexico

Kinich Kak Moo Mayan Pyramid, Izamal, Yucatan State, Mexico

El Caracol Observatory, Chichen Itza, Yucatan State, Mexico

El Castillo or Temple of Kukulcan, Chichen Itza, Yucatan State, Mexico

The Ossuary, Chichen Itza, Yucatan State, Mexico

The Ossuary, Chichen Itza, Yucatan State, Mexico

Great Acropolis, Edzna Archaeological Site, Campeche State, Mexico

View over Main Plaza towards Great Acropolis and Temple of Five Floors, Edzna Archaeological Site, Campeche State, Mexico

Great Acropolis and Main Plaza, Edzna Archaeological Site, Campeche State, Mexico

Ballcourt, elevated view, Edzna Archaeological Site, Campeche State, Mexico

Structure I, Xpuhil Archaeological Site, Xpujil, Campeche State, Mexico

Stucco friezes at Balamku Archaeological Site, Campeche State, Mexico

Structure III, Central Plaza, Chicanna Archaeological Site, Campeche State, Mexico

Quadrangle of the Nuns, elevated view, Uxmal, Yucatan State, Mexico

Quadrangle of the Nuns, Uxmal, Yucatan State, Mexico

Quadrangle of the Nuns, elevated view, Uxmal, Yucatan State, Mexico

Architecture of Uxmal, Yucatan State, Mexico

The Thousand Columns Group, Chichen Itza, Yucatan State, Mexico

Structure I, Xpuhil Archaeological Site, Xpujil, Campeche State, Mexico

Frieze and steps up to the 130ft high El Castillo, Mayan site, Xunantunich, San Ignacio, Belize, Central America

Frieze on the 130ft high El Castillo at the Mayan ruins at Xunantunich, San Ignacio, Belize, Central America

Great Plaza and Temple A, Copan, UNESCO World Heritage Site, Honduras, Central America

Plaza A Temple, Mayan ruins, Caracol, Belize, Central America

Mayan archaeological site, Tulum, Yucatan, Mexico, Central America

Plaza A Temple, Mayan ruins, Caracol, Belize, Central America

Mayan ruins, Xunantunich, San Ignacio, Belize, Central America

View from 130ft high El Castillo at the Mayan ruins at Xunantunich, San Ignacio, Belize, Central America

Ball Court, in the archaeological site of the Maya civilization, at Copan Ruins UNESCO World Heritage Site, Copan, Honduras, Central America

Eastern facade, Xunantunich, Belize, Central America

Mayan ruins, Xunantunich, San Ignacio, Belize, Central America

High Temple (Structure N10-43), the highest temple at the Mayan site of Lamanai, Lamanai, Belize, Central America

Lacandon Indian from Bonampak in front of Mayan stele, Mexico, North America

One thousand Mayan columns and the great pyramid El Castillo, Chichen Itza, UNESCO World Heritage Site, Yucatan, Mexico, Central America

Chan Chich Lodge in Mayan plaza, Gallon Jug, Belize, Central America

Temple 2 from the front, Mayan site, Tikal, UNESCO World Heritage Site, Guatemala, Central America

North Acropolis, Tikal, UNESCO World Heritage Site, Guatemala, Central America

Stelae in foreground, North Acropolis, Tikal, UNESCO World Heritage Site, Guatemala, Central America

Stela N and Temple of Inscriptions, Mayan site, Copan, UNESCO World Heritage Site, Honduras, Central America

Temple 2 from the front, Mayan site, Tikal, UNESCO World Heritage Site, Guatemala, Central America

Detail of Stela II, Bonampak, Chiapas province, Mexico, North America

Temple of the Great Jaguar in the Grand Plaza, Mayan ruins, Tikal, UNESCO World Heritage Site, Peten, Guatemala, Central America

Temple of the Great Jaguar in the Grand Plaza, Mayan ruins, Tikal, UNESCO World Heritage Site, Peten, Guatemala, Central America

Mayan observatory (El Caracol) and the Great Pyramid (El Castillo) beyond, Chichen Itza, UNESCO World Heritage Site, Yucatan, Mexico, North America

Temple of Masonry Altars, Altun Ha, Belize, Central America

Cedar tree with bromeliades, Temple 4 beyond, Tikal, UNESCO World Heritage Site, Guatemala, Central America

Close-up of Stele E, Mayan ruins, Quirigua, UNESCO World Heritage Site, Guatemala, Central America

Mayan funerary urn, Popol Vuh Museum, Guatemala City, Guatemala, Central America

Great Pyramid (El Castillo), Chichen Itza, UNESCO World Heritage Site, Yucatan, Mexico, North America

Governor's Palace, Mayan site, Uxmal, UNESCO World Heritage Site, Yucatan, Mexico, North America

Archaeologists at work, Chichen Itza, UNESCO World Heritage Site, Yucatan, Mexico, North America

Surveyor at work, Temple of Panels (Templo de los Tableros Esculpidos), Mayan ruins, Chichen Itza, UNESCO World Heritage Site, Yucatan, Mexico, North America

El Caracol, Mayan observatory, where windwos align with certain stars, Chichen-Itza, UNESCO World Heritage Site, Yucatan, Mexico, North America

Mayan ruins, Quirigua, UNESCO World Heritage Site, Guatemala, Central America

Line of people waiting to enter, at Chichen Itza, Mayan ruins, Yucatan, Mexico, North America

Detail, Structure 9N-82, Copan, UNESCO World Heritage Site, Honduras, Central America

Temple of Masonry Altars, Altun Ha, Belize, Central America

Pyramid of the Magician, Uxmal, UNESCO World Heritage Site, Yucatan, Mexico, North America

Frieze on eastern facade, Xunantunich, Belize, Central America

Stela 1, dating from 741AD, with sides cut by looters, Aguateca, Peten, Guatemala, Central America

Mayan woman, near Benque Viejo del Carmen, Belize, Central America

Temple I, Tikal, UNESCO World Heritage Site, Peten, Guatemala, Central America

The Great Plaza, Tikal, UNESCO World Heritage Site, Peten, Guatemala, Central America

Mask 4m high, Structure P9-56, Lamanai, Belize, Central America

Detail, ball court, Mayan site, Uxmal, UNESCO World Heritage Site, Yucatan, Mexico, North America

Temple of the Inscriptions and the Palace, Palenque, UNESCO World Heritage Site, Chiapas province, Mexico, North America

Lamanai, Belize, Central America

Structure 1, Cahal Pech, Belize, Central America

Mayan archaeological site, Tulum, Yucatan, Mexico, North America

Mayan man, Hellgate, Toledo District, Belize, Central America

Woman in traditional dress, Santiago Atitlan, Guatemala, Central America

Kukulkan (El Castillo) from Temple of the Warriors, Maya Toltec site, Chichen-Itza, UNESCO World Hertiage Site, Yucatan, Mexico, North America

Mayan women selling curios, San Pedro Columbia, Belize, Central America

Mayan temple on the coast, Tulum, Yucatan, Mexico, North America

Beach and Mayan temple, Tulum, Yucatan, Mexico, North America

Ocean waves on beach

Aerial views of El Castillo and the Ruins of the Mayan temple grounds at Tulum, Quintana Roo, Yucatan, Mexico. Tulum is the site of a pre-Columbian Mayan walled city which served as a major port for Coba, in the Mexican state of Quintana Roo. The ruins are situated on 12 meter 39 ft tall cliffs along the east coast of the Yucatán Peninsula on the Caribbean Sea in the state of Quintana Roo, Mexico. Tulum was one of the last cities built and inhabited by the Maya; it was at its height between the 13th and 15th centuries and managed to survive about 70 years after the Spanish began occupying Mexico. Old World diseases brought by the Spanish settlers appear to have resulted in very high fatalities, disrupting the society, and eventually causing the city to be abandoned.

Aerial views of El Castillo and the Ruins of the Mayan temple grounds at Tulum, Quintana Roo, Yucatan, Mexico. Tulum is the site of a pre-Columbian Mayan walled city which served as a major port for Coba, in the Mexican state of Quintana Roo. The ruins are situated on 12 meter 39 ft tall cliffs along the east coast of the Yucatán Peninsula on the Caribbean Sea in the state of Quintana Roo, Mexico. Tulum was one of the last cities built and inhabited by the Maya; it was at its height between the 13th and 15th centuries and managed to survive about 70 years after the Spanish began occupying Mexico. Old World diseases brought by the Spanish settlers appear to have resulted in very high fatalities, disrupting the society, and eventually causing the city to be abandoned.

Estructura 8I-13 El Castillo at Chunyaxche Muyil Maya ruins, rainforest near Tulum, Yucatan Peninsula, Quintana Roo, Mexico

Tikal Pyramid ruins (UNESCO site), Guatemala. Great Jaguar Temple (Temple I) Pre-Columbian Maya Site at Tikal, El Peten National Park, Guatemala, a UNESCO World Heritage Site

Local Girl in Tikal Pyramid ruins (UNESCO site), Guatemala. Great Jaguar Temple (Temple I) Pre-Columbian Maya Site at Tikal, El Peten National Park, Guatemala, a UNESCO World Heritage Site

Piramide del Adivino, Pyramid of the Magician, Uxmal Archaeological Site, Uxmal, Yucatan State, Mexico

El Palacio, The Palace, Kabah Archaeological Site, Kabah, near Uxmal, Yucatan State, Mexico