Lords of the Maya

Timewatch • Season 16 • Episode 9

About this episode

As Christianity became a dominant religious force in Europe, a religious movement was shaping the ancient Mayan civilisation of central America. It was based upon the arrival of a messianic "fire child" into Mayan territory in AD 378. New evidence from the excavation of the city of Copan suggests that Mayans were responsible for a cult of blood sacrifice and an environmental catastrophe that saw them destroyed in accordance with a prophecy.