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?
A Shift in Scholarly Focus
This question is the focus of a podcast episode originally published in February 2026, part of the Guardian's Audio Long Read series. The episode, written by Marcus Haraldsson and read by Diana Bermudez, was selected as one of the best pieces of 2026 so far.
Podcast Selection and Availability
The Guardian is republishing some of its favourite audio long reads of 2026 every Wednesday and Friday in August, in case listeners missed them. Each selection comes with an introduction from the editorial team explaining why it was chosen.
The episode is available as part of the Guardian's podcast offerings, with a text version also accessible. The photograph accompanying the piece is credited to Marcus Haraldsson. The podcast is supported by the Guardian, with more information available at theguardian.com/longreadpod.
