The ancient Maya civilization of Central America left behind a riddle: an intricate and mysterious hieroglyphic script carved on stone monuments and painted on pottery and bark books. Because the invading Spanish suppressed nearly all knowledge of how the script worked, unlocking its meaning posed one of archaeology's fiercest challenges. Until now. For the first time, NOVA presents the epic inside story of how the decoding was done, told by the experts at the center of one of archaeology's greatest detective stories. Cracking the Maya Code highlights the ingenious breakthroughs that opened the door to deciphering the elaborate and exotic script and finally cracked the code, unleashing a flood of dramatic new insights about the ancient civilization. Once thought to record the esoteric calculations of mystical astronomer-priests presiding over peaceful jungle cities, an utterly different, war-torn world is revealed, unveiling details of conquests, raids, and dynastic rivalries spanning centuries. With lush footage of Maya temples and art, the program exposes the hidden face of the Maya and highlights the brilliant leaps of insight that opened the door to deciphering their elaborate and exotic script. Special DVD features include: materials and activities for educators; a link to the NOVA Web site; scene selections; closed captions; and described video for the visually impaired. On one DVD5 disc. Region coding: Region 1. Audio: Dolby stereo. Screen format: 16:9 Anamorphic.