Like most Indigenous cultures, the Mayans (c. 200-900) developed a complex, multi-faceted explanation of their relationship to the natural world and the cosmos. This talk introduces (in very basic terms) the elements of the Mayan calendrical system as a way to begin to understand Mayan culture. After this introduction, we delve into artworks and architecture that give visual form to their concepts of time, the creation of the Mayan cosmos and the afterlife. Please note: this talk firmly dispels any myths associated with the Mayans. It argues that Mayan people, like all humans, were/are exceedingly capable of creating complex systems/explanations of our world.