About

The murals at San Bartolo and Xultun changed our understanding of Maya history.

The artists and scribes of San Bartolo and Xultun created masterpieces in paint, plaster, clay, and stone that provide a window into belief systems and socio-political changes in ancient Maya society. The rare preservation of multiple wall paintings at SBX dating from the 4th century BCE to the 8th century CE represent unique cultural patrimony and exceptional testimony of ancient Maya artistic works. PRASBX pairs an extensive program of mural scholarship and conservation with its investigative research goals.

We seek to understand the greater social dynamics of San Bartolo-Xultun during a time of initial settlement and growth in the Preclassic period, through social upheaval in the 2nd-3rd century CE, and as power was consolidated under dynastic rule during the Classic period. Through archaeology, we investigate the interplay between social systems, visual media, and ecology that unfolded at this lowland Maya city during the first millennium CE.