With the last rays of the Mediterranean sun, the Archaeological Museum received the nearly two hundred pieces that will allow us to learn a little more about the enigmatic Mayan culture until next January. The exhibition, with a spectacular design, immerses us in the jungle, in its imposing temples and palaces, which still hide so many mysteries within their walls. The Maya inhabited the Yucatan Peninsula. Their culture developed in present-day Guatemala, Belize, Mexico, El Salvador and Honduras. It reached its maximum splendour during the first millennium B.C., when the kings became divinities and governed cities such as Tikal, Palenque, Copán and Calakmul.
These imposing vestiges of the Mayan civilisation will be distributed in the three temporary rooms of the Marq. In the first, we will immerse ourselves in the monumental architecture of the pyramids and in the secrets of a hieroglyphic writing arranged on stelae, lintels, altars and precious ceramic vessels; and we will learn about their calendars, based on an exceptional mathematical and astronomical knowledge.
In the second room we will visit the interior of a Mayan temple, with its characteristic vaults, to learn about the importance of the deified king and his court of nobles, scribes, musicians and servants.
Mayan symbolism inspires the atmosphere of the third room: stelae, panels and monumental sculptures and the spirituality of the paintings of San Bartolo.
In the Sala Noble of the Library we will delve into the results of the research and excavations of the Spanish archaeological missions in Guatemala and, in particular, the contributions and work currently being carried out by teams of specialists from the Polytechnic University of Valencia.
Mayan wisdom, customs and cities still hold a fascinating enigma that archaeologists and historians have not yet been able to decipher. From 25 May, many of their clues will be on display at the Marq.
