They ruled over large parts of Central America for more than 2,000 years and left behind overwhelming cultural and architectural milestones. But who were the Mayans really? When the Spanish conquered Mexico, the legendary civilization no longer existed – and for a long time, it seemed all the more mysterious to researchers. However, we now know that the everyday life of the Maya was not only determined by a complex culture and religion and an outstanding knowledge of astronomy and mathematics, but also by brutal rituals and wars. And yet some key questions remain unanswered: How big was the Mayan Empire really? How were their cities laid out – and what really led to the downfall of the once dominant civilization on the continent? Perhaps the spectacular discovery of a gigantic Mayan metropolis in the Mexican jungle can help us to get to the bottom of these historical mysteries. But that's not all: after all, the Maya also created a pyramid with La Danta that is even more massive than the Great Pyramid of Giza in Egypt – and may lead straight back to the cradle of this mysterious advanced civilization!