Ancient Maya elites have been the focus of archaeological research although commoners made up the majority of the population. Many scholars assumed the commoners were without agency, simply tending the fields to feed everyone and providing labor whenever requested.  Because the commoners lived in “humble” abodes scholars assumed there is little reason to waste efforts to study them. However, the discovery of the ancient Maya village of Ceren, in El Salvador, has fundamentally revised current understanding of commoners.  Join Dr. Payson Sheets, University of Colorado Boulder,  for insights on what the site has taught us.