Ancient Mural Portrays Ordinary Mayans

[n2doc]

By Stéphan Reebs, Natural History Magazine
posted: 07 March 2010 08:49 am ET

Very old artworks provide a fascinating glimpse of ancient life, but not without limitations: They typically portray the lifestyles of the rich and famous (rulers, royals, generals, and priests), abandoning the masses to the mists of history.

That's why the recent discovery of a 1,300-year-old mural at Calakmul, Mexico, is so significant. It is the only known pre-Columbian artwork depicting ordinary Maya engaged in everyday activities, rather than serving the wealthy.

Archaeologists first unearthed the pyramid bearing the painted exterior walls in 2004 and are still in the process of restoring it. The murals show Maya of both sexes preparing and dispensing food, or carrying baskets, sacks, and large vessels. (Previously discovered images mainly show men.) The women wear face paint, and both sexes sport broad-brimmed hats, earrings, necklaces, and pendants. Hieroglyphic captions identify some people by their trades: salt person, tobacco person, and maize-gruel person, for example.


more

http://www.livescience.com/history/ancient-mayan-murals-100306.html

[Schema Thing]

1. wtf, they had personal trainers?

[xchrom]

2. That's how far back the work out craze goes. P90aztec! Nt