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# Maya Explorers **Understanding Sources of Evidence** In order to understand ancient Maya life, historians use various sources, similar to a jigsaw puzzle. * **Primary sources:** Evidence directly from the time of the event. Examples include photographs and artifacts. * **Secondary sources:...

# Maya Explorers **Understanding Sources of Evidence** In order to understand ancient Maya life, historians use various sources, similar to a jigsaw puzzle. * **Primary sources:** Evidence directly from the time of the event. Examples include photographs and artifacts. * **Secondary sources:** Sources created after the event, often using primary sources as evidence. Examples include textbooks. **Key Figures & Expeditions** American explorer and writer John Lloyd Stephens, and British artist Frederick Catherwood, rekindled interest in the ancient Maya civilization beginning in 1839. Their work was crucial: * Stephens's exploration focused on the Copan and Palenque ruins. * Catherwood's detailed documentation brought attention to the Maya civilization and their rich history. Stephens and Catherwood's work sparked numerous archaeological expeditions into the Maya region. Many known Maya sites, including: * Copan * Palenque * Topoxte/Tayasal (known as Islapag) * Tikal (a hidden city) were previously unknown, even to native people, as they had been concealed under mounds of earth after centuries.