On 12 July 1562, in the main plaza of Maní, Yucatán, a towering pyre consumed not only wooden idols and ceremonial objects but also priceless Maya codices, folded bark-paper books recording centuries of Mayan history, belief, and astronomical knowledge. The man behind this act was the Franciscan friar Diego de Landa, whose zeal to eradicate what […]

When Faith Turned to Flame: Friar Diego de Landa and the Destruction of the Maya Codices