There are murals at Bonampak, an ancient Maya pyramid in Mexico near the Guatemalan border. The murals date to around the year 790. They depict the courtly customs of the Classic Maya period (c. AD 250-900). One such mural is of musicians who have arrived at the court of the king. Some are playing drums and rattles. Others are playing what look to be mighty wooden trumpets, similar to Australia’s didgeridoo. It is one of the most striking examples in existence that shows how music played an important role in many aspects of Maya culture. The ancient Maya employed music in everything from rituals and wars to celebrations and funerals. In fact, deceased rulers were oftentimes buried with musical instruments to help them pass through the underworld safely to be reborn.

The ancient Maya played instruments one typically doesn’t find at a symphony hall today. Their trumpets, called hom-tahs, could be made of wood, clay, or gourd. Trumpets could also be fashioned from conch shells. Whistles and flutes were decorated and intricately carved. Many were made in the shapes of what their intended sounds were. A jaguar whistle sounded like a jaguar. A frog whistle sounded like the croak of a frog. An owl whistle sounded like the hoot of an owl. Percussion instruments included turtle shell drums. They were beaten with deer hooves or antlers. Many drums were made of wood or clay. Rattles could be made from corn husks and used in rituals in hopes of a good harvest.

Indigenous Maya music can still be heard, primarily in the Yucatan and the Chiapas. Though the music has evolved (ancient Maya instruments were rarely stringed, and there were no metal instruments), one can still hear the drums, trumpets, whistles, and more. One can still be transported 2,000 years back to the mighty courts of the ancient Maya.