The Mayan Empire Vocabulary
cenote = an open pit of water
codex = an ancient manuscript
excavate = to remove by scooping or digging out
hieroglyphs = writing that uses pictures, characters, or symbols to represent words or sounds
jade = green and sometimes whitish minerals used mainly as gemstones or in carvings
motif = a recurring architectural or decorative design
stele = an upright stone or slab with an inscribed or sculptured surface, used as a monument or as a commemorative tablet in the face of a building