7000 Fragments:
Maya Murals from San Bartolo Guatemala

In 2001, ancient Maya murals were discovered in San Bartolo, an archeological site in a remote tropical jungle of Guatemala. The San Bartolo murals (c. 100 BCE) are among the most important Maya artifacts ever found, altering what we know about Maya theology and religious ceremonies, as well as Maya kings, artists, and scribes. The murals visually narrate the creation of the world, depicting anthropomorphic and zoomorphic deities, kings, and nature. However, the in situ murals buried within the pyramid are only part of the story: the site once contained many more paintings, but these artworks were intentionally broken into fragments and concealed by the Maya. At the culmination of fifteen years of fieldwork, laboratory analysis, and art conservation, 7000 Fragments: Maya Murals from San Bartolo Guatemala presents a life-size model of the mural chamber and new findings from the reassembled fragments.