How to Read Maya Hieroglyphs,9780781810203

How to Read Maya Hieroglyphs

by
Edition: 2nd
ISBN13: 9780781810203
ISBN10: 0781810205
Format: Paperback
Pub. Date: 2004-01-01
Publisher(s): Hippocrene Books
List Price: $24.95

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Summary

The ancient Maya civilisation of Mesoamerica was one of five in the history of the world to invent an original, functional writing system. Maya scribes documented the history of their civilisation in hieroglyphic script, yet by the nineteenth century there was not a single person left who could read this pictorial writing. After two centuries of intensive questioning, debate and research by experts and novices alike, the script has been almost fully recovered -- one of the most significant historical discoveries of the twentieth century. Serving as both an introduction to the script and a convenient reference to its basic features and symbols, this book is designed for amateurs and specialists, including general readers, travellers to the Maya areas, and participants in hieroglyphic workshops.

Author Biography

John Montgomery is an epigrapher and artist who lectures on Maya hieroglyphs

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments xv
Introduction 1(1)
Map of the Maya World
2(7)
Pronunciation 9(4)
Orthography 13(2)
Conventions for Transcribing Maya Glyphs 15(2)
T-Numbers 17(2)
Abbreviations 19(2)
History of Decipherment
21(14)
Discovery Phase: Early Attempts
22(2)
Initial Decipherments
24(3)
The Age of Thompson
27(1)
The Historical Phase of Decipherment
28(2)
Phonetic Decipherment
30(5)
The Basics
35(22)
Organization
35(5)
Columns
35(4)
Glyph Blocks
39(1)
Types of Glyphs: Carved Versus Painted Forms
40(1)
Types of Glyphs: Functional Forms
41(4)
Main Signs
41(2)
Affixes
43(2)
Types of Glyphs: Iconographic Forms
45(2)
Symbolic or Geometric Variants
45(1)
Head Variants
46(1)
Full-Figure Variants
47(1)
Types of Glyphs: Grammatical Forms
47(4)
Logograms
47(2)
Phonetic Signs
49(1)
Phonetic Complements
49(1)
Semantic Determinatives
50(1)
Polyvalent Signs
51(1)
Selected Common Signs
52(5)
Introduction to the Calendars: Numbers, Initial Series, and Long Count
57(14)
Numbers
57(7)
Symbolic Numbers
58(1)
Head-Variant and Full-Figure Numbers
58(5)
Other Signs for ``Zero''
63(1)
Systems of Time
64(1)
Initial Series
64(2)
Long Count
66(4)
B'aktun
66(1)
K'atun
66(2)
Tun
68(1)
Winal
68(1)
K'in
68(2)
Summary
70(1)
The Calendar Round
71(18)
Tzolk'in
74(6)
Ja'ab'
80(5)
How the Calendar Round Works
85(2)
The Initial Series: Putting Everything Together
87(2)
The Supplementary and Other Series
89(16)
Lords of the Night
89(5)
Lunar Series
94(4)
Current Age of the Moon
95(1)
Lunar Name
96(2)
Moon Length
98(1)
819-Day Count
98(2)
Glyphs Y and Z
100(1)
Putting It All Together
101(4)
Period Endings and Distance Numbers
105(14)
Period Endings
105(6)
Distance Numbers
111(5)
Suppression of Signs
116(1)
Distance Numbers as Initial Series
116(2)
Summary
118(1)
Phoneticism in the Maya Script
119(18)
Landa's ``Alphabet''
120(2)
Clues from the Codices
122(2)
The Principle of Synharmony
124(2)
Spelling Conventions
126(4)
Morpho-syllables
130(1)
Substitution Sets
130(1)
The Syllabary
131(3)
The Language of the Glyphs
134(1)
Summary
135(2)
Verbs, Verbal Inflection, and Grammatical Elements
137(24)
How to Identify Verbs
138(10)
Syntax
138(2)
Affixation
140(1)
Pronouns
141(1)
Third-Person Pronoun
142(1)
Second-Person Pronoun
143(1)
First-Person Pronoun
144(1)
Demonstrative Pronouns
145(1)
Quotative Particles
145(1)
Plural Endings
146(1)
The Particle Suffix -il
147(1)
Prepositions
148(1)
Verbal Inflection
148(2)
Transitive Completive Verbs
148(1)
Intransitive Completive Verbs
149(1)
Positional Verbs
149(1)
Passive Verbs
150(1)
Miscellaneous
150(1)
General Verbs
150(1)
Ti Constructions
151(1)
Summary
151(10)
The Major Events
161(36)
Birth
162(1)
Heir Designation
163(2)
Accession
165(5)
House, Monument, and Object Dedications
170(5)
Arrival and Departure
175(1)
Appear, Emerge
176(1)
Miscellaneous Actions
177(7)
``Witness,'' ``Open,'' ``Close,'' ``Enter,'' ``Give,'' ``Take,'' ``Carry,'' ``Turn, Rotate,'' ``Face Down, Doubled Over, Fold,'' ``Hurl,'' ``Mold, Form in Clay,'' ``Create, Awaken,'' ``Bathe or Water,'' ``Adorn,'' ``Cut Up,'' ``Eat,'' ``Wrap,'' ``Rest, End, Finish''
Contract, ``Betrothal''
184(1)
Get Drunk, Dance
185(1)
Bloodletting and Sacrifice
186(2)
War
188(6)
General War-Related Terms
189(1)
``Capture''
190(1)
``Bring Down''
191(1)
``Burn''
191(1)
``Drive Out''
192(1)
Star-Shell, Star-Earth, and Star-Emblem Glyph
192(1)
Axe Glyph
193(1)
Death
194(1)
Burial
195(2)
Names and Titles
197(22)
Personal Name Clauses
198(3)
Male Names
199(1)
Female Names
200(1)
Titles and Offices
201(11)
Ajaw, K'ul Ajaw, K'inich, Kalomte', B'akab', Numbered K'atun Glyphs, ``Successor'' Glyphs, Ch'ajom, Penis Title, ``He the Youthful,'' ``Warrior,'' ``Captor of,'' ``Count of Captives'' Epithet, ``First Staff,'' Ch'ok, Sajal, Itz'at, Aj K'ujun, Ordinal-Numbered Titles
Royal Names
212(3)
Tikal
212(1)
Palenque
213(1)
Copan
214(1)
Yaxchilan
214(1)
Artists' Signatures and Titles
215(4)
Relationships
219(10)
Parentage Statements
219(5)
Child of Mother
220(2)
Child of Father
222(2)
Wife
224(1)
Siblings and Other Relatives
224(1)
Companions
225(1)
Political Relationships
225(3)
U Kab', ``Under the Authority Of''
226(1)
Yajaw
227(1)
Yete
228(1)
Summary
228(1)
Locations and Objects
229(14)
Directional and Color Glyphs
229(2)
Emblem Glyphs
231(4)
Titles of Origin
235(1)
Toponyms
235(3)
Names of Buildings
238(1)
Monuments and Other Objects
238(2)
Tribute
240(1)
Summary
241(2)
Gods and Supernaturals
243(14)
``The Heavenly God, the Earthly God, All the Gods''
243(2)
Lineage Founders
245(2)
Vision Serpents
247(1)
Way, Wayob'
248(2)
The Pantheon of Major Gods
250(7)
Itz'amna, God of Gods, Jun Nal Ye, the Maize God, K'inich Ajaw, the Sun God, The Hero Twins, The Palenque Triad, K'awil, God of Royal Bloodlines, Chaak, the Rain God, Ik' K'u, the Wind God, The Paddler Gods
The Primary Standard Sequence
257(14)
The Basic Formula
258(3)
The Introductory or Presentation Phrase
261(1)
Surface Treatment
262(1)
Vessel Type
263(2)
Vessel Contents
265(2)
The Closure Phrase
267(2)
Summary
269(2)
Discourse and Structural Analysis: Putting It All Together
271(24)
The Discourse Structure of Yaxchilan Stela 11
272(1)
Multiple Episodes and Events
272(4)
Establishing an Event Line
276(1)
Discourse Structure on Piedras Negras Panel 3
277(18)
Episode 1, Event 1, Part 1
278(5)
Episode 1, Event 1, Part 2
283(1)
Episode 1, Event 2, Part 1
284(1)
Episode 1, Event 2, Part 2
284(1)
Episode 1, Event 2, Part 3
284(4)
Episode 2, Event 1
288(1)
Episode 2, Event 2
288(2)
Episode 3, Part 1
290(1)
Episode 3, Part 2
291(2)
Summary of Episodes and Events On Piedras Negras Panel 3
293(1)
Chronology of Piedras Negras Panel 3
294(1)
Advanced Decipherment
295(13)
Techniques of Structural and Comparative Analysis
295(2)
Advanced Analysis: Calculations Into the Extreme Past
297(5)
Creation Events
297(2)
Coba Stela 1
299(3)
Quirigua Stela C
302(1)
The Crack in the Turtle Shell
302(1)
Problems in Decipherment: Looking Forward
302(4)
How to Teach Yourself In Greater Depth
306(2)
Yaxchilan Stela 11, Front, Lower Glyph Panel
308(1)
Appendix I: Sample Texts and Practice Inscriptions
309(16)
Easy
309(7)
Difficult
316(9)
Appendix II: A Guide to Hieroglyphic Resources
325(6)
Internet Resources
325(2)
Maya Calendar Programs
325(1)
Other Internet Resources
326(1)
Publication Series
327(1)
Sources of Inscriptions
328(1)
Annual Meetings
329(2)
Bibliography 331(8)
List of Illustrations 339(12)
List of Plates 351(2)
Index 353

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