Evidence suggests that codices and other classic texts were written by scribes—usually members of the Maya priesthood See more

The Mayas used a positional base-twenty (vigesimal) numerical system which only included whole numbers. For simple counting operations, a bar and dot notation was used. … See more

Deciphering Maya writing has proven a long and laborious process. 19th-century and early 20th-century investigators managed to decode the See more

In recent times, there has been an increased interest in reviving usage of the script. Various works have recently been both transliterated and created into the script, notably the … See more

Mayan writing consisted of a relatively elaborate and complex set of glyphs, which were laboriously painted on ceramics, walls and … See more

An "emblem glyph" is a kind of royal title. It consists of a place name followed by the word ajaw, a Classic Maya term for "lord" with an unclear but well-attested etymology. … See more

It was until recently thought that the Maya may have adopted writing from the Olmec or Epi-Olmec culture, who used the Isthmian script. However, murals excavated in 2005 … See more