Maya, Spain, and the Historical Record

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In 1562, Spaniard Diego de Landa destroyed 5000 documents recording 800 years of Mayan religion, culture, and history. The Spanish claimed to be fighting black magic and only 4 pages survived their destruction. In this episode, Lesley tells the story of the burning and the consequence of these actions.

Podcaster: Lesley

Further Reading

Michael Coe, Breaking the Maya Code, Thames & Hudson, (1992).
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Diego de Landa, Yucatan before and after the Conquest, Dover, (2012).

​David E Timmer, Providence and Perdition: Fray Diego de Landa Justifies his Inquisition against the Yucatecan Maya. Cambridge University Press. (2009).

Gabrielle Vail, "The Maya Codices. The Annual Review of Anthropology. 35: 497-519.  

Music: "Evening Melodrama" by Kevin Macleod (www.incompetech.com)