The splendor of pre-Columbian America -- Mayan geography : the Yucatan Peninsula -- Corn : the sap of life -- The gods : Bloodthirsty spirits -- Social classes : from king to peasants -- Ceremonial complexes : the secret world of governors and priests -- The pyramid : a symbolic building with several functions -- The ball game : a sport of life and death -- Astronomy : the Mayan calendar -- Crafts : art in daily life -- A Mayan house : the simple life of the common people -- Writing : a system based on glyphs -- The major periods.