Late Classic (A.D. 600 - 900)
During the Late Classic period, northern lowlands cities reached their greatest splendor and their populations grew to their highest levels, only to then suddenly decline after the collapse of these great capitals. The hieroglyphic texts from this period allow scholars to reconstruct many details of the political and ritual life of the rulers while revealing a complex framework of interaction between cities and their governing dynasties. The Museum has a rich collection of painted ceramics from this period, which reflect the rise of a series of regional styles. Many vessels in the collection depict scenes related to mythology and religion including figures of gods and a variety of rituals. Many pieces also contain hieroglyphic texts, very often indicating the owner of the piece and on occasion the name of the artist who painted it.
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