Turns Out That The World Isn't Ending In December 2012

07:31

May 11, 2012

Archaeologists found this small room where royal scribes apparently used walls like a blackboard to keep track of astronomical records and the society's intricate calendar some 1,200 years ago. (Courtesy of National Geographic, via AP)

Despite popular culture's obsession with the December 2012 "end of times," a recent discovery of 1,200 year-old Maya paintings makes it clear that the ancient civilization's understanding of time intervals goes beyond December 2012.

Guest:

William Saturno, Boston University assistant professor of archaeology, lead author of "Ancient Maya Astronomical Tables from Xultun, Guatemala"

More:

National Geographic Explorer's Journal: William Saturno

This segment aired on May 11, 2012.

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