In Guatemala, painted altar found at Tikal adds new context to Maya history

This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Structure 6D-XV-Sub3 altar with murals rendered from the north-west. Drawing by H. Hurst. Credit: Antiquity (2025). DOI: 10.15184/aqy.2025.3 Just steps from the center of Tikal, a 2,400-year-old Maya city in the heart of modern-day Guatemala, a global team of researchers including scholars from Brown University have unearthed a buried altar that could unlock the secrets of a mysterious time of upheaval in the ancient world. The altar, built around the late 300s A.D., is decorated with four painted panels of red, black and yellow depicting a person wearing a feathered headdress and flanked by shields or regalia. The face has almond-shaped eyes, a nose bar and a double earspool. It closely resembles other depictions of a deity dubbed the "Storm God" in central Mexico. In a study released on Tuesday, April ... Read full article.