Reading Mayan Hieroglyphs

The path to decipherment

Rudimentary script developed by Olmec Maya inherit and embellish/expand on

script around 300 BC. Early uses apparently for inventory and

astronomical observations. Create earliest history of the Americas

Each of these glyphs is comprised of other glyphs.

Scribes working on books. Illustration from Codices.

Bumpy path to breaking the code.

Key individuals in the effort to decipher Mayan glyphs

Sir Eric Thompsen

Michael Coe

Yuri Knorosov

Linda Schele

TatianaProskouriakoff

David Stuart

Historical movement of Mayan language groups

Forms of script

Logographic Ideographic Syllabic Alphabetic Esoteric

How much of this ideograph is contextual?

How many do you encounter each day?

Copan. Temple of inscriptions

Mayan numerical system

Typical transcription.

Read from top to bottom left to right

The common practice is to create a line drawing of all inscriptions in order to impose clarity.

Epigraphers divide Glyph panels into a grid system for reading

Borgia codex

Page from Borgia codex

Page from Borgia codex

Paris codex

Paris codex

Dresden codex on exhibit

Basic Bibliography Michael Coe

1992 Breaking the Maya Code. Thames and Hudson, NY. Henderson, John

1981 The World of the Ancient Maya. Cornell University Press, Ithaca, NY.

Schele, Linda and Freidel, David 1990 The Untold Story of the Ancient Maya. William Morrow and Co., NY.

Morley, Sylvanus 1975 [1915] Introduction to the Study of Maya Hieroglyphs. Dover Publ., NY.

Tracing the glyphs

Team with one partner. Examine inscription from the hieroglyphic

panel you are given.Are there separate elements? How many?

Isolate them.Trace or sketch main characters as line

drawing in pencil.Any recognizable characteristics?