Washington, June 29 (ANI): Archaeologists have discovered a 1,300-year-old Maya text that provides only the second known reference to the so-called “end date” of the Maya calendar, December 21, 2012.
The discovery made while working at the site o
f La Corona in Guatemala is one of the most significant hieroglyphic finds in decades and it was announced at the National Palace in Guatemala.
“This text talks about ancient political history rather than prophecy,” said Marcello A. Canuto, director of Tulane’s Middle American Research Institute and co-director of the excavations at La Corona.
Since 2008, Canuto and Tomas Barrientos of the Universidad del Valle de Guatemala have directed excavations at La Corona, a site previously ravaged by looters.
“Last year, we realized that looters of a particular building had discarded some carved stones because they were too eroded to sell on the antiquities black market, so we knew they found something important, but we also thought they might have missed something,” said Barrientos.
What Canuto and Barrientos found was the longest text ever discovered in Guatemala. Carved on staircase steps, it records 200 years of La Corona history, according to David Stuart, director of the Mesoamerica Center at The University of Texas at Austin, who was part of a 1997 expedition that first explored the site.
While deciphering these new finds in May, Stuart recognized the 2012 reference on a stairway block bearing 56 delicately carved hieroglyphs. It commemorated a royal visit to La Corona in AD 696 by the most powerful Maya ruler of that time, Yuknoom Yich’aak K’ahk’ of Calakmul, only a few months after his defeat by long-standing rival Tikal in AD 695.
Thought by scholars to have been killed in this battle, this ruler was visiting allies and allaying their fears after his defeat.
“This was a time of great political turmoil in the Maya region and this king felt compelled to allude to a larger cycle of time that happens to end in 2012,” said Stuart.
So, rather than prophesy, the 2012 reference places this king’s troubled reign and accomplishments into a larger cosmological framework.
“In times of crisis, the ancient Maya used their calendar to promote continuity and stability rather than predict apocalypse,” said Canuto. (ANI)
Australian press and commentators react to Ashes defeat
London, Aug.24 (ANI): The Australian press and commentators have reacted along predictable lines to the latest Ashes series defeat to England in England.
“The Australian selectors have faced serious issues right through the series and they have not been solid. The selectors need to be made answerable at the end of this campaign, said former Australian opener Michael Slater.
“Not only did they [the selectors] handcuff Ponting at The Oval with four pacemen on a palpably dry pitch, but they also, once again, resorted to the failed ploy of expecting part-time spinners to do a specialist task,” The Independent quoted Ian Chappell, as saying.
“Forget all that nonsense about criticising Ponting’s captaincy. He remains unequivocally the best player to lead the team,” said the Herald Sun.
“I really don’t think that England deserve to win this year. This is hard for me to acknowledge, since I’m South African, and it’s in my blood to hate anything Australian,” said Frost on www.cricket- blog.com.
“We’ve scored eight tons versus England’s two. He [Ponting] must go as a captain – the only captain to lose the Ashes with the invincibles will become the only captain to lose two Ashes.” virtualGaz on www.cricket-blog.com
“England don’t deserve to win the Ashes. They haven’t scored enough centuries.
Day one of the final Test said it all. England won the toss. They picked the best side while Australia may have got their side wrong. The bowlers performed modestly in the first session. England got the start they wanted. Australia were rattled. The wicket was flat. The ball was swinging a bit but hardly venomously.
Ricky Ponting was chewing his nails and looked agitated. And still no English batsman could take control. Sorry but that’s not good enough,” said Robert Craddock in his report for the Herald Sun.
“Andrew Flintoff had to produce something magnificent in his final Test, you just knew, and when he threw down the stumps to dismiss Australian skipper Ricky Ponting to end a defiant innings, the Oval faithful had their moment,” said Jamie Pandaram, The Age. (ANI)