Oldest Maya Long Count calendar date may reveal how royalty turned time into power

Archaeologists working at the ancient Maya site of El Palmar in Campeche, Mexico, have discovered what may be the earliest known Long Count calendar date in the Maya lowlands.

It is carved into a stone monument and is interpreted as Aug.

31, AD 180, in our modern calendar.

The finding could reveal insights into how the earliest Maya rulers used time to stake their claim to the throne. ...