British soldier who was one of the first people to visit and make a scientific record of the great Maya sites. Inspired by travelers' accounts of the ruins, he visited Guatemala and the neighboring republics, and by 1894 had made seven expeditions. He made photographs, casts, plans, and drawings at such sites as Quirigua, Palenque, and Chichén Itzá. He was also the first archaeologist to see the important ruins of Yaxchilan. He published the results of his journeys as part of a series entitled "Biologia Centrali-Americana" or "Contributions to the Knowledge of the Flora and Fauna of Mexico and Central America" (1889-1902). Maudslay's work was accurate and objective; his records are still a valuable source of information. The texts which he transcribed formed the basis of early studies of Maya hieroglyphs.