Mayan murals in Xultun

Mayan murals in Xultun

This discovery was found on the wall of a small room in a residential building believed to be the workspace of a Mayan scribe or astronomer. It helps disprove beliefs about the end of the world in 2012 as the calendar on the wall records dates extending thousands of years into the future. The intricate artwork and vivid color palette feature numbers and glyphs used to calculate lunar and stellar cycles aiding scribes in tracking long-term timelines these frescoes depict intricate mythological scenes involving gods and creation. 

Mayan murals in northeastern Guatemala reveal astronomical information and a complex 

calendar of a society from approximately 1,200 years ago. (Photo by AP/National Geographic, Tyrone Turner)

They are among the most important Mayan artifacts ever discovered and linked. Some of the images may have abstract elements interspersed such as cracks stains or faded geometric shapes. They date back to the Early Classic period approximately 200 to 600 AD. Detailed astronomical calculations and precise astronomical records are found within a chamber buried beneath a collapsed structure estimated to date back to the 9th century. The depiction shows a Mayan king seated flanked by figures of scribes or nobles wearing bright orange robes.

Conservation of Late Preclassic Murals at San Bartolo and the Temple of the Hieroglyphic 

Staircase at Yaxha-Nakum-Naranjo National Park, Ancient Maya Sites in the Eastern Petén

The Mayan frescoes from Xultun Guatemala are found on walls filled with symbols or "glyphs" recording complex astronomical information including the cycles of Mars Venus and solar eclipses. These frescoes are considered a significant discovery that provides a deeper understanding of Mayan astronomy and calendars during the Classic period. They were found within ancient chambers in Xultun. These walls were used as blackboards to calculate and record a calendar that spanned thousands of years.