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.

About the Author

John Montgomery is an illustrator, epigrapher, writer, and PhD candidate in the field of Pre-Columbian Art at the University of New Mexico. He also teaches art history at the South-western Indian Polytechnic Institute in Albuquerque. A long and varied experience in Central America first inspired his interest in the ancient Maya. His glyphic illustrations based on a lifetime of involvement with Maya glyph decipherment. He lives in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Reviews

""Presented with the meticulousness of one who has mastered Maya epigraphy."