Best of 2026…so far: Apocalypse no: how almost everything we thought we knew about the Maya is wrong

Best of 2026…so far: Apocalypse no: how almost everything we thought we knew about the Maya is wrong

August 26, 2026 · 40 min

About this episode

This episode explores the new perspective on the Maya civilization, focusing on their survival rather than collapse.

Every Wednesday and Friday in August we will publish some of our favourite audio long reads of 2026, in case you missed them, with an introduction from the editorial team to explain why we’ve chosen it. This week, from February: For many years the prevailing debate about the Maya centred upon why their civilisation collapsed. Now, many scholars are asking: how did the Maya survive? By Marcus Haraldsson. Read by Diana Bermudez. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

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