How to Read Maya Hieroglyphs

by John Montgomery

Overview

This comprehensive guide to deciphering Maya hieroglyphs contains a complete outline of the writing, presenting individual signs and their meanings, the script's grammatical structure and content, and explanations of the sophisticated Maya calendrical and mathematical systems.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780781810203
Publisher:	Hippocrene Books, Inc.
Publication date:	01/01/2004
Series:	New Language Guides
Pages:	378
Sales rank:	702,366
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x (d)

Table of Contents

	Acknowledgments	xv
	Introduction	1
	Map of the Maya World	2
	Pronunciation	9
	Orthography	13
	Conventions for Transcribing Maya Glyphs	15
	T-Numbers	17
	Abbreviations	19
Chapter 1	History of Decipherment	21
	Discovery Phase: Early Attempts	22
	Initial Decipherments	24
	The Age of Thompson	27
	The Historical Phase of Decipherment	28
	Phonetic Decipherment	30
Chapter 2	The Basics	35
	Organization	35
	Types of Glyphs: Carved Versus Painted Forms	40
	Types of Glyphs: Functional Forms	41
	Types of Glyphs: Iconographic Forms	45
	Types of Glyphs: Grammatical Forms	47
	Polyvalent Signs	51
	Selected Common Signs	52
Chapter 3	Introduction to the Calendars: Numbers, Initial Series, and Long Count	57
	Numbers	57
	Systems of Time	64
	Initial Series	64
	Long Count	66
	Summary	70
Chapter 4	The Calendar Round	71
	Tzolk'in	74
	Ja'ab'	80
	How the Calendar Round Works	85
	The Initial Series: Putting Everything Together	87
Chapter 5	The Supplementary and Other Series	89
	Lords of the Night	89
	Lunar Series	94
	819-Day Count	98
	Glyphs Y and Z	100
	Putting It All Together	101
Chapter 6	Period Endings and Distance Numbers	105
	Period Endings	105
	Distance Numbers	111
	Suppression of Signs	116
	Distance Numbers as Initial Series	116
	Summary	118
Chapter 7	Phoneticism in the Maya Script	119
	Landa's "Alphabet"	120
	Clues from the Codices	122
	The Principle of Synharmony	124
	Spelling Conventions	126
	Morpho-syllables	130
	Substitution Sets	130
	The Syllabary	131
	The Language of the Glyphs	134
	Summary	135
Chapter 8	Verbs, Verbal Inflection, and Grammatical Elements	137
	How to Identify Verbs	138
	Verbal Inflection	148
	General Verbs	150
	Ti Constructions	151
	Summary	151
Chapter 9	The Major Events	161
	Birth	162
	Heir Designation	163
	Accession	165
	House, Monument, and Object Dedications	170
	Arrival and Departure	175
	Appear, Emerge	176
	Miscellaneous Actions	177
	Contract, "Betrothal"	184
	Get Drunk, Dance	185
	Bloodletting and Sacrifice	186
	War	188
	Death	194
	Burial	195
Chapter 10	Names and Titles	197
	Personal Name Clauses	198
	Titles and Offices	201
	Royal Names	212
	Artists' Signatures and Titles	215
Chapter 11	Relationships	219
	Parentage Statements	219
	Wife	224
	Siblings and Other Relatives	224
	Companions	225
	Political Relationships	225
	Summary	228
Chapter 12	Locations and Objects	229
	Directional and Color Glyphs	229
	Emblem Glyphs	231
	Titles of Origin	235
	Toponyms	235
	Names of Buildings	238
	Monuments and Other Objects	238
	Tribute	240
	Summary	241
Chapter 13	Gods and Supernaturals	243
	"The Heavenly God, the Earthly God, All the Gods"	243
	Lineage Founders	245
	Vision Serpents	247
	Way, Wayob'	248
	The Pantheon of Major Gods	250
Chapter 14	The Primary Standard Sequence	257
	The Basic Formula	258
	The Introductory or Presentation Phrase	261
	Surface Treatment	262
	Vessel Type	263
	Vessel Contents	265
	The Closure Phrase	267
	Summary	269
Chapter 15	Discourse and Structural Analysis: Putting It All Together	271
	The Discourse Structure of Yaxchilan Stela 11	272
	Multiple Episodes and Events	272
	Establishing an Event Line	276
	Discourse Structure on Piedras Negras Panel 3	277
Chapter 16	Advanced Decipherment	295
	Techniques of Structural and Comparative Analysis	295
	Advanced Analysis: Calculations Into the Extreme Past	297
	Problems in Decipherment: Looking Forward	302
	How to Teach Yourself In Greater Depth	306
	Yaxchilan Stela 11, Front, Lower Glyph Panel	308
Appendix I	Sample Texts and Practice Inscriptions	309
	Easy	309
	Difficult	316
Appendix II	A Guide to Hieroglyphic Resources	325
	Internet Resources	325
	Publication Series	327
	Sources of Inscriptions	328
	Annual Meetings	329
	Bibliography	331
	List of Illustrations	339
	List of Plates	351
	Index	353

Editorial Reviews

Travels in Central America tweaked epigrapher and illustrator Montgomery's interest in the ancient Maya. After reviewing the two- century effort to decipher the script, he describes its elements and how they combine into text. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

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