A Maya Masterpiece Revealed
- By Peter Tyson
- Posted 01.09.07
- NOVA
In March 2001, archeologist Bill Saturno, eager to find shade and rest after a grueling trek through northern Guatemala in search of Maya hieroglyphics, crawled down a looter's trench into the base of an ancient, jungle-covered Maya structure. Finding himself in darkness, he casually switched on his flashlight—and that is when he discovered a masterpiece of early Maya art, which includes some of the earliest and most enigmatic Maya glyphs yet found. The colorful mural graces a long-buried room predating the time of Christ, one of many structures in a site now known as San Bartolo. In this interactive, explore the mural room's 14-foot-wide North Wall through archeological illustrator Heather Hurst's stunning color rendering.
Launch Interactive
Explore a 2,000-year-old mural, one of the most exciting recent discoveries of early Maya art.
Credits
Images
- (San Bartolo original mural detail)
- © William Saturno, Proyecto San Bartolo
- (San Bartolo color rendering)
- Created by Heather Hurst, © William Saturno, Proyecto San Bartolo
Related Links
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Maya
NASA archeologists use satellites to pinpoint ancient ruins buried deep in the jungle.
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Maya: Expert Q&A
Archeologists Bill Saturno and Tom Sever answer questions about the mural, using satellites to find lost sites, and more
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Cracking the Maya Code
The story behind the centuries-long decipherment of ancient Maya hieroglyphs
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Decode Stela 3
Read Maya hieroglyphs carved on an eighth-century stone monument, and hear them spoken aloud.
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