Mayan And Mayan Writing System - 1067 Words

Mayan culture and civilization are said to be far beyond their time by their complex writing and numerical system. In the pre-Columbian America, the Mayan writing system is said to be the â€Å"only† true writing system within the Americas. By examining the environment the Maya had lived, we are able to look at the how the Maya used their writing system and it also further reflects the Maya’s surroundings. The Mayan civilization had flourished throughout the Yucatan peninsula in Central America. They inhabited areas of which is now modern-day Mexico, Belize, Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras (Cartwright). Being located near the Equator, there are various environments in Central America. The Maya could have resided in the tropical jungles or†¦show more content†¦Thinking Mayan stelae was only for commemoration for the Mayan calendar, new deciphered texts reveal that royal ceremonies centered on the placement and dedication of the monuments themselves (Stuart 150). Stuart claims that rather than being medium for remembering royal accomplishments and how stelae played an active role in ancient Maya ritual life. The Mayan writing system was used to write down significant dates of historic king s’ birth, deaths, and even enemy captures (Encyclopedia Britannica). Many scholars believed that the sole purpose for Mayan hieroglyphs was to record major events of royal families and their reign. Along with complex writing system, the Mayan civilization created a numerical system for astronomical and divinatory purposes. The Maya had used their writing and numerical system to create calendars and almanacs. Another characteristic of the Mayan writing system is the publication of their own books. The Maya had wrote on fig-bark paper and it was folded like a brochure pamphlet their covers were bonded together from jaguar skin (Encyclopedia Britannica). The surviving codices played a major part for the writing Mayan writing system to be deciphered. It was difficult to decipher Maya hieroglyphs, a majority of Mayan texts were burned by the Spanish. Only four codices are known to remain: the Grolier, Paris, Madrid, Dresden Codex (Encyclopedia Britannica). The earliest andShow MoreRelatedMayan Civilization : Ancient Civilizations1314 Words   |  6 PagesMayan Civilization The mayan civilization was one of the earliest civilizations that occupied areas that are today known as Guatemala, Northern Belize, and Mexico. The mayan civilization lived through what is known as the Classic Period. Their culture began about 250 C.E. and ended near 900 C.E. While most of the population lived in what is present day Guatemala the population of the mayans rose from 5,000 to almost two million people near the end of the Classic Period. Although the mayans are knownRead MoreThe Mayan Culture1090 Words   |  4 PagesMayan culture was one of the most complex civilizations of the Mesoamerican societies. 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