Early Maya Murals at San Bartolo, Guatemala

Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology

The Early Maya Murals at San Bartolo, Guatemala

In March, 2001, fieldwork by the Peabody Museum’s Corpus of Maya Hieroglyphic inscriptions Program led to the discovery of extraordinary ancient Maya wall paintings at the remote ruins of San Bartolo, El Petén, Guatemala. The early date of the murals—ca. A.D. 100 by their style—establishes them among the most important finds in Maya archaeology the last few decades.

William Saturno, working at the time as assistant to the Corpus project, came upon San Bartolo when led there by local guides, walking through a very remote and forested region of northeastern Guatemala. The guides had informed him of carved monuments, but upon arrival none were found. Before returning, and short on water, he investigated a large pyramid vandalized by a recent looter’s trench and tunnel. Within the trench, he found vestiges of an older structure, covered by later construction. The vandals had exposed part of a room; the one visible wall bore a colorful mural painting.

Figure 1. General view

The quality of the paintings is truly remarkable, but even more important is the early date; these look to have been painted ca. A.D 100–200—several centuries before any other Maya mural (the famous Bonampak murals date to the late eighth century).

Soon after their discovery and reporting of the paintings, preparations were made for their protection and further investigation. The National Institute of Anthropology and History of Guatemala approved these endeavors, and two guards were employed to reside near the ruins.

With the support of the Peabody Musuem and the Committee for Research and Exploration of the National Geographic Society, a small expedition was mounted in order to assess the condition of the paintings and the prospects for a more extensive excavation project. The following June, the small party spent six days at the ruins photographing the remaining paintings, exploring the extensive ruins, and beginning preliminary technical studies of the plaster and pigments. These investigations have confirmed the early date of the paintings, and significantly all ceramics associated with the pyramid date to the Late Pre-Classic period (200 B.C.– A.D. 200).

The San Bartolo murals are probably the earliest extensive Maya wall paintings ever found.

The looters exposed the 1.5 meter-wide area we see today, and remarkably they did not attempt to remove the paintings (the vandals may have appreciated their fragile condition, and opted to leave them for the time being). The exposed wall represents one side wall of a rectangular room, over four meters in width. Although the original extent of the paintings remains unknown, there is little doubt that they continue on the other walls of the structure. Clearly, then, most of the mural remains covered by the fill of the pyramid, awaiting excavation.

Enough is visible to allow for a partial interpretation of the complex imagery, which seems to be mythological in subject. Nine different figures are visible—most only partially—all standing or kneeling above a complex border decorated with geometric designs. This is probably an archaic form of the Maya "sky band" found throughout later Maya art of the Classic period. The principal standing figure is the bejeweled Maize God whose distinctive head shape replicates, albeit stylistically, the foliation of the corn plant (Figure 2). Arms outstretched, his hands seem to hold an object still hidden by the fill of the tunnel. The Maize God has turned his head and looks over his shoulder at the woman kneeling behind him, who in turn has her arms upraised (Figure 3). Another female figure with flowing black hair "floats" above her. In front of the Maize God is a somewhat obscure figure of a kneeling man, painted black, and other figures seem to be arranged in a procession-like line at left. Representations of the Maize God with scantly clad women are well known from the mythological art of the Late Classic period, but no examples of such an early date have ever been found before now. Indeed, it is fair to say that no narrative mythological scene of such antiquity has ever been found in the Maya area.

Figure 2. Maize God figure

Figure 3. Detail of kneeling female

The proper investigation of the San Bartolo murals will entail an integrated program of excavation and conservation. Conservatively speaking, at least three seasons of work will be necessary (and probably more), with the first (Spring 2002) concentrating on three related endeavors:

1. The consolidation and conservation of the exposed paintings;
2. Small-scale exploratory excavations to find the extent of the painted building;
3. A preliminary survey and mapping of the ruins of San Bartolo, focusing on its two main architectural groups.

The excavation of the paintings themselves, located as they are within a large pyramidal structure, will be a logistical challenge, but surely a rewarding enterprise once more of this remarkable mural is exposed. In summary, the murals at San Bartolo are potentially one of the most significant finds in Maya archaeology in the last several decades.

Read about recent work at San Bartolo here.

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