The Maya reveals how this ancient civilization – its buildings, ideas, objects and identities – has been perceived, portrayed and exploited over five hundred years in the Americas, Europe and beyond. Megan E. O’Neil summarizes ancient Maya art and history from the Preclassic period to the Spanish invasion, as well as the history of engagement with the ancient Maya, from Spanish invaders in the sixteenth century to later explorers and archaeologists. Taking in scientific literature, visual arts, architecture, world’s fairs and Indigenous activism, she looks at the decipherment of Maya inscriptions, Maya museum exhibitions and artists’ responses, and contemporary Maya people’s engagements with their ancestral past, to explore the history and legacy of this fascinating culture.