NOVA presents the story of the ancient Maya civilization, known for carving hieroglyphic scripts on stone monuments and painting them in books and on pottery. When Spanish invaders kept the interpretations of the hieroglyphic scripts secret, cracking the code became an archaeological challenge until recently. The Maya code was once thought to have recorded the activities of peaceful jungle cities and the calculations of astronomer-priests who presided over them. However, experts in the program reveal how the Maya code was decoded to reveal a war-torn society filled with conquests, raids and centuries-long dynastic rivalries. This program contains a Described Video for the Visually Impaired track.