Archaeologists have discovered centuries-old stone tablets dating back to the ancient Mayans and it could shed more light on a period of history researchers have struggled to understand, at least until now.
The tablets were found inside of a shrine at the site of El Achiotal in La Carona, Guatemala. It is believed that the discovery dates all the way back to the fifth century.
Researchers with La Corona Regional Archaeological Project were the ones behind the fascinating find, pointing out that the panels were in amazingly good condition, even after being stowed away for centuries.
“The fact that the stele [the shrine] and these panels were preserved by the ancient Maya themselves long after they were first carved adds a new wrinkle to our interpretation of how much the ancient Maya valued and strove to preserve their own history,” Tulane University researcher Marcello Canuto said.
Canuto said the hieroglyphics reveal images of one of the early kings from the ancient empire, one of the periods of time that researchers have understood the least, but that could all change after further examination and study.
The blocks also contain the second known reference to the infamous Mayan calendar’s 2012 end date, which some believed suggested was the year the world would end.
Source:
Epoch Times
