Xeni Jardin, over at BoingBoing posted an interesting note about a National Geographic article: Oldest Known Maya Mural, Tomb Reveal Story of Ancient King. The article explains that the mural, depicting a “stunning story of creation”, dates to 100 B.C., which utterly changes archaeologists’ understanding of the Maya, “proving that these stories of creation and kings—and the use of elaborate art and writing to tell them—were well established more than 2,000 years ago ago, centuries earlier than previously believed.”
I won’t rewrite the article here, but take a few minutes to check it out – it is a fascinating read, especially the description of the story told by the mural, which “traces the maize god’s birth, death, and resurrection, which brings sustenance to the world.”
Additional information and photos are available from the Peabody Museum.