Read National Geographic Society grantee William Saturno's account of the unprecedented discovery at the Classic Maya site of Xultún, where a set of 1,200-year-old Maya murals offers insight into an ancient mindset. Says Saturno, "This room gives us a rare glimpse of Maya thought processes…They didn’t predict the end of the world. There would be cycles, new beginnings—but never endings.”
Watch a video about National Geographic Society grantee William Saturno and his team, who uncovered a remarkably well-preserved Maya mural and calendar markings in a Guatemalan rain forest.
Explore key Mayan sites—including Tikal, Copán, and San Bartolo—that archaeologists and historians are using to piece together the story of this once great civilization.
Check out this interactive map, which provides a site-by-site view of important contributions Society-funded researchers have made in understanding the mysterious world of the Maya.
