An early Maya calendar record from San Bartolo, Guatemala

Here, we present evidence for the earliest known calendar notation from the Maya region, found among fragments of painted murals excavated at San Bartolo, Guatemala. On the basis of their sealed contexts in an early architectural phase of the Las Pinturas pyramid, we assign these fragments to between 300 and 200 BCE, preceding the other well-known mural chamber of San Bartolo by approximately 150 years. The date record 7 Deer represents a day in the 260-day divinatory calendar used throughout Mesoamerica and among indigenous Maya communities today. It is presented along with 10 other text fragments that reveal an established writing tradition, multiple scribal hands, and murals combining texts with images from an early ritual complex. The 7 Deer day record represents the earliest securely dated example of the Maya calendar and is important to understanding the development of the 260-day count and associated aspects of Mesoamerican religion and cosmological science.

Automated summary

This article presents evidence of the earliest known calendar notation in the Maya region, found in fragments of painted murals excavated at the San Bartolo site in Guatemala. These fragments, dated between 300 and 200 BCE, precede the well-known mural chamber of San Bartolo by approximately 150 years. The 7 Deer day record represents the earliest securely dated example of the Maya calendar, revealing an established writing tradition and the combination of texts with images.