Archaeologists have made yet another discovery that gives clues to the history and beliefs of the once great Mayan civilization. The Mayans left behind countless numbers of sites as remnants of their history, though many have been swallowed by the jungle over the passage of centuries. This latest find, dubbed the Temple of the Night Sun, dates back 1600 years to the Mayan Early Classic Age.
The temple was discovered while archaeologists worked to excavate another nearby ruin called the Diablo Pyramid. This 45-foot tall structure is topped with a royal palace and a tomb and is thought to contain the remains of El Zotz, a dynastic founder. The Temple of the Sun being so close would seem to confirm this theory. Thinking it just another ruin, archaeologists did not expect to find what they did - a unique temple that portrays the Mayan sun god in a way that has not been seen elsewhere.
Adorning the temple are five-foot tall masks that show the sun god in his many forms, each representing a phase in the movement of the sun. These types of decorations have been found at many sites, but none so far have included all of the sun god’s faces in one location.
Though long since faded, the temple would have at one time been painted red, creating quite the spectacle, particularly during dawn and dusk. Researchers estimate that when the jungle was not present the temple would have been visible up to 15 miles away.
The structures at the site, however, were left unfinished. Despite being the apparent start of a new dynasty, something happened to halt workers before they were done. It is believed that other nearby kingdoms may have overrun this one, absorbing it and finishing the dynasty for good.
Currently, archaeologists are hard at work uncovering the rest of the temple. Only about 30% has been excavated so far and no doubt many more clues to the Mayans and their religious beliefs await discovery.