Into the Minds of Ancients: Advances in Maya Glyph Studies

Author: Houston S.D.

Source: Journal of World Prehistory, Volume 14, Number 2, June 2000 , pp. 121-201(81)

Publisher: Springer

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Abstract:

A decade of Maya glyphic decipherment creates many opportunities for historical, linguistic, cultural, and archaeological interpretation. New evidence points to improvements in understanding decipherment as a discipline and social practice, the origins of Maya script, the use and meaning of glyphs in ancient society, and the language and sociolinguistic implications of Maya texts. The glyphs reveal information about Maya kingship and its relation to supernatural forces along with cues to a synthesis of history during the Classic period (A.D. 250–850). A test case from Piedras Negras, Guatemala, relates such discoveries to the ongoing excavation of a Classic city with abundant inscriptions.

Keywords: Maya Lowlands; Classic period; decipherment; Maya archaeology

Language: English

Document Type: Regular paper

Affiliations: 1: Department of Anthropology, Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah 84602, USA

Publication date: 2000-06-01