2. Reading Mayan Hieroglyphs The path to decipherment

3. 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

4. Each of these glyphs is comprised of other glyphs.

6. Scribes working on books. Illustration from Codices.

7. Bumpy path to breaking the code. Key individuals in the effort to decipher Mayan glyphs

8. Sir Eric Thompsen Michael Coe

9. Yuri Knorosov Linda Schele Tatiana Proskouriakoff

10. David Stuart

12. Historical movement of Mayan language groups

13. Forms of script Logographic Ideographic Syllabic Alphabetic Esoteric

14. How much of this ideograph is contextual? How many do you encounter each day?

15. Copan. Temple of inscriptions

16. Mayan numerical system

20. 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.

24. Epigraphers divide Glyph panels into a grid system for reading

27. Borgia codex

28. Page from Borgia codex

30. Paris codex

33. Dresden codex on exhibit

34. 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.

35. 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?