San Bartolo — Las Pinturas Pyramid and Temple of the Murals (Petén, Guatemala)
San Bartolo · Las Pinturas · Temple of Las Pinturas
Preclassic (1000 BCE–250 CE), Late Preclassic 400–100 BCE·Maya (Lowland Preclassic)·🇬🇹 Petén Department, Guatemala
About
About San Bartolo — Las Pinturas Pyramid and Temple of the Murals (Petén, Guatemala)
Revolutionary Preclassic centre (400 BCE–200 CE) with 7-m-tall Late Preclassic murals — earliest Maya polychrome mythology preserved inside 10 m-high Las Pinturas pyramid (90x60 m base) beneath later encasements. Pyramid is multi-phase stepped platform capped by niche shrines; penultimate phase (c.100 BCE) bears West Wall mural 10 m long with Coronation Myth and Popol Vuh genesis scene, chemically dated to 100 BCE. Adjacent Ventanas pyramid and Ixbalanque palace complete square plaza. Peabody Museum excavations (W. Saturno) redefined Maya civilization dawn.
Why it mattersEarliest Maya murals and Long Count fragment (7 Deer 100 BCE); pushes literate Maya mythology 800 years earlier than thought.
Open questions
Mysteries & theories
Mysteries
- 01Artists' identity and training
- 02Why murals were ritually buried under new pyramid fill
Theories
- 01Pyramid as theatre for divine kingship myth recitation; precursor to Classic codex style
Theories are interpretations, not findings. The seal above tells you how much scholarly weight the place carries.
History
How it came to be
- Built
- c.400 BCE–200 CE, Las Pinturas final phase c.100 BCE (Late Preclassic)
- Period
- Preclassic (1000 BCE–250 CE), Late Preclassic 400–100 BCE
- Culture
- Maya (Lowland Preclassic)
- Builders
- Maya (Preclassic lowland)
- Purpose
- Earliest mythological temple theatre for kingly coronation rites depicted in murals
- Excavation
- Partially excavated
c.400 BCE–200 CE, Las Pinturas final phase c.100 BCE (Late Preclassic)
Initial construction
c. 1434 CE
Rediscovery
On the ground
Structures & features
17.4400° N · 89.4010° W · 300 m · 2 mapped features
Las Pinturas pyramid (North Pyramid)
pyramid90x60 m 10 m pyramid housing West Wall mural chamber
17.4400° N · 89.4010° WVentanas pyramid
pyramid5 m southern pyramidal platform opposite Las Pinturas across plaza
17.4395° N · 89.4015° W
Gallery