The mural shows that early Maya painting had achieved a high level of sophistication and grace well before the great works of the Classic Maya in the seventh century.

With its fine painting and its elaborate mural showing the mythic basis of kingship, the chamber has upended much of what we thought we knew about the early Maya.

It has opened a window into the very origins of Maya civilization.

The way the Maya built pyramids is by building one layer on top of another. We have [the building where the writing was found] sandwiched between two other buildings. We can get a date from the building itself, but also a range from the other two.

Between 200 and 300 A.D. is when we become literate in Maya writing. It's definitely writing, though, no question about that. Some of these signs are consistent with Maya writing for the next 1,000 years.

This is a high-level group, which is probably why I know so few of you.