Explore the American rainforest in search of the legendary Mayan culture. Unique jade masks and precious jewellery, artistic ceramics and impressive stone reliefs bring the days of the Maya kings back to life.

For the significant special exhibition “Maya – Kings Of The Rainforest” the exhibition centre “Lokschuppen” and the “Roemer- und Pelizaeus – Museum Hildesheim” were able to gather over 200 valuable objects from all over the world, some of which have never been displayed in Europe before. Important loans from the Maya states Tikal and Calakmul are presented, amongst them one of Mexico’s most famous jade masks, leaving it’s home country for the last time, as well as a complete royal tomb and painted ceramics, being some of the most beautiful pieces of Mayan art.

Pyramids, palaces and ball courts, the power and riches of the mighty kings, war and afterlife, religion and writing – a unique and holistic display of this mysterious culture awaits you.

Since the ancient Maya ruins were rediscovered by European and American travellers during the 19th century, a new science has developed, occupying itself with research on the Mayan culture. It’s members search the jungle for lost ruins, decipher hieroglyphs together, race against thieves to discover valuable graves and trace documents from colonial times in the archives of today.
Follow this new science and explore a fascinating culture.

The exhibits are on loan from the Museo Nacional de Arqueología y Etnología, the Museum Popol Vuh and the Museum Sylvanus Morley Tikal, Guatemala, the Mexican National Department for Archaeology, the Israel Museum Jerusalem, the British Museum London, the Rijksmuseum vor Volkenkunde Leiden as well as the Museum zu Allerheiligen Schaffhausen and others.

Under the patronage of federal president Horst Köhler.