Whilst a great deal is known to many about the Greeks, and the Romans and even the Egyptians, the great ancient civilisations of the New World (The Maya, the Aztecs and the Incas) are much less well known. My focus is on the Maya, arguably the greatest of the 3, who achieved remarkably high levels of civilisation in the inhospitable jungles of Central America. I will attempt to provide a geographic context, give some details about their timescale, and highlight their numerous achievements and their way of life.