Oldest Maya calendar found in Guatemala
17th May 2012
Discovery of the oldest Maya calendar sheds new light on this ancient civilisation's community life and knowledge of astronomy
A Maya calendar has been found in Guatemala that is older than any previous inscriptions by around four centuries. Thought to be 1,200 years old, this calendar was discovered by American archaeologists in the largest known Maya site, Xultun in northern Guatamala.
The findings represent the first evidence of Maya astronomical knowledge. Hieroglyphics, similar to those in the Dresden Codex, are painted in red and black and appear to be calculations of the lunar phases or references to the planets. This is the first time such inscriptions have been seen on a wall rather than paper, a fact that is puzzling researchers who now think the walls may have been used as blackboards for the community.
Excavations in 2010 and 2011 revealed decorations on the walls inside one of the buildings on the site, but it is only now that the calendar has been discovered and partially deciphered. Some of the symbols had been damaged by looting but much of the original work is still visible.
This discovery coincides with preparations by Central America's Maya community for the celebration of the dawn of a new age, which occurs on 21 December this year. According to the Maya cyclical concept of time, the current cycle, Oxlajuj B'aqtun, is due to end, marking the beginning of a new cycle lasting many thousands of years.
For more on the Maya world see our July/August issue, on sale 21 June.
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