National Geographic grantee and archaeologist Bill Saturno reveals simple proof that the Maya—contrary to popular belief—believed the world would continue well past 2012.
William "Bill" Andrew Saturno is an American archaeologist and Mayanist scholar who has made significant contributions toward the study of the pre-Columbian Maya civilization. As of 2008 Saturno holds a position as assistant professor in Archaeology at Boston University's College of Arts and Sciences (CAS).
Prior to his position at BU, Saturno was a lecturer at the University of New Hampshire. Saturno is credited with the discovery in 2001 of one of the oldest extant murals yet discovered in the Maya region, at the site of San Bartolo in northeastern Guatemala.
In 2010, Saturno and Franco Rossi discovered what they believe to be a workroom of a record keeper. The Mayan hieroglyphics at the site included representations of dates roughly 7000 years in the future, casting doubt on the speculation that the conclusion of the Long Count calendar would result in a 2012 doomsday scenario.
Archaeologist William Saturno discusses the world's obsession with large milestones, including the completion of the Mayan Calendar and the perceived doomsday scenario. Saturno declares that Maya's perception of time held nothing sinister, and it was simply a reflection upon the arc of time.