San Bartolo (Maya site)

San Bartolo is the name of a Maya archeological site located in the forest of the Petén at the Guatemala, in the North-East of Tikal, discovered by chance by the archeologist William Saturno of the University of New Hampshire. It was given up by the Mayas about the year 400.

The site is remarkable in several connections. One discovered there in a pyramidal structure called “Mow will pinturas” a room of four meters out of nine decorated with a mural Fresque describing the creation of the world and the crowning of a Maya king going back to -100. The mythological scenes which represent the god of corn are very close to those of the Codex of Dresden. The fragment of fresco discovered initially measured approximately 1,20m length. Clearing in 2003 of the part, which proves to measure ~4.5x9.3m, revealed a length of fresco of 4 m and the overall length of this one on the circumference of the part could exceed the 25 meters.

The fresco represents the Maïs god receiving in offering a gourd of water, symbol of passage of the life. The god and the other characters are represented on a plumed serpent leaving a mountain flower, crowned place of the gods and ancestors. It was protected by a layer from mud applied by the Maya undoubtedly for désacraliser the place before giving up it. The discovery is exceptional because so far it was thought that this kind of fresco had appeared only with the traditional era, that is to say 300 years later. However this one shows a great control and was probably not a first attempt or a single work. In the same way, it was believed hitherto that the god But had appeared only with the traditional Time. Primitive Maya characters are registered on the fresco around a character of king, but their seniority makes them not easily interpretable.

One also discovered ten there glyphes Maya in an older layer. The inscription contains the glyphe “ ajaw ” which appoints the king at the traditional Maya. Samples of wood associated with the glyphes and dated with the radiocarbon would make them go back to -200 and would thus make of them the oldest examples of Maya writing. The Maya writing, that one believed borrowed from the Olmèques, would be thus perhaps indigenous. A tomb royal of -150 was also discovered to 1,5 km of paintings. The seniority of the site, if it is confirmed, could bring to re-examine the Maya chronology, which makes begin the traditional Time in 250, as well as the designs of the Maya royalty, which one thought that it had also appeared at the time traditional.

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External bonds

  • Maya civilization
  • history of the Mayas

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