HISTORY SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2026 MAYA PYRAMIDS The towering Maya pyramids contain more than what first meets the eye. Often harboring hidden tombs and former pyramids, these vast structures stood as symbols of the mythical source of human life and entrances to the underworld. Other features in this issue include:

• Science in Ancient Mesopotamia: Hundreds of cuneiform tablets discovered in the 19th century disproved previous historical consensus: The ancient Greeks were not the first to use scientific methods.

• Francisco Goya, Painter of Darkness: Goya was a court painter when Napoleon’s forces invaded Spain in 1808. The artist bore witness to the heroism and barbarity of war, and the ensuing struggle between absolutism and the Enlightenment. The ills that plagued a nation were immortalized by his brush.

• Shanghai’s Roaring (and Raging) 1920s: Shanghai’s economic boom became a glittering symbol of the power of Western capital abroad. As wealthy Chinese youngsters learned the foxtrot, others dreamed their lives away in opium dens, while many more were killed in red-hot political struggles.