Disappointing to some, a relief to many - It seems the world will not end in 2012. U.S. archaeologists have announced the discovery of an ancient mural in the ruins of a Mayan city. They say it sheds new light on the famed Mayan calendar - the same calendar believed by some to predict the world’s end on December 22nd, 2012.
The mural was discovered in the former Mayan megacity in Xultun, Guatemala and is said to date back to around 800 AD. Researchers say lunar calendar notes found on the mural indicate the Mayans believe 2012 to be the beginning of a new calendar cycle, rather than the end of time.
William Saturno, archaeologist, said, “So, did the Maya think the world would end in 2012? No, they didn’t. Did the Maya think the world would end? No, they didn’t. The Maya conceived of infinity that they were tracking with the motions of planets and stars."
In recent years, many Mayan experts have proposed theories debunking the "doomsday" myth.
William Saturno, archaeologist, said, "We record our date and we say it is 2012 A.D., right? That doesn’t mean that we are limited to 9,999, right? If we fill up all our digits, that doesn’t mean the world ends at 10,000 although I’m sure someone will say it will."
The ruins where the mural was found were once home to tens of thousands of people. The mural was covered with vegetation, which apparently helped to preserve it.
Sadly, unlike the mural, the Maya civilization was not preserved. The great ancient civilizations of Mesoamerica collapsed around 900 A.D, leaving us to ponder its mysterious legacies.
（责任编辑：何莹莹）