The Mayan Decipherment - Essay Example

The Mayan Decipherment The Mayan Decipherment Considered to be one of the three writing systems in the world, the Mayan glyphs are said to be the last to be translated. Historically, the Mayan glyphs indicate that the language was used over 2,300 years ago, meaning it is probably one of the oldest languages to ever exist. It is through the Mayans that the evolution of the writing system began in native America. The translation of the texts found, which date back to 200 or 300 BC, was a long and tedious task. Confusion came about as scholars in the 19th and 20th centuries did not know whether to decode the texts using syllables or alphabets. The coming up of different schools of thought on the subject of Mayan glyphs has paved the way for different interpretations of the texts, but it is through these schools that the interpretation has rapidly advanced (Coe & Stone, 2005). Consequences arise from the decipherment of such texts among scholars and the whole world. This paper will examine such consequences, and how they might influence the world today. Prior to the 20th century, very little could be done to decipher the coded messages in the Mayan glyphs. The only things that could have been and had been translated were; dates, numbers, rulers’ names, with events such as warfare, birth, and even death being deciphered. The idea that the glyphs were logographic meant that each sign signified one word. Also, different scholars believed that the Mayans made inscriptions that were extremely astronomical. That is probably why with the arrival of Christianity in Mesoamerica, the monks decided to burn any literature that could be found as they believed they would aid in helping the Indians resist Christianity (Coe & Stone, 2005). At the time, the texts could be found in lintels, wall paintings, and even carvings. It is through various connections that scholars who tried to translate the texts that a connection was made about the origin of the texts. Many believe that all Mayan languages have the same roots. As compared to the system that is now present in the world where only 26 signs represent 26 words that are identified as the alphabet, the Mayan system had over 100 signs. The Mayans could use or choose different signs to represent one sound, and this made it particularly difficult to decipher. Scholarly, the decipherment process may have begun with Benjamin Whorf whose main intention was to identify and bring out phonetic elements within the Mayan writings. His claims would later be supported by Yuri Knorozov, where the scholar indicated that syllables were used and not alphabetic symbols. Western Mayanists chose not to use Yuri’s decipherment technique by claiming that he used a Marxist-Leninist tactic, but later in their quest to decipher these texts, found out that the syllabic technique used earlier was more productive (Tedlock, 2010). It is after the works of Knorozov that major headway could be made, but resistance from a major scholar hindered such progress. Eric S. Thompson, a prominent epigrapher, is said to have single-handedly stalled the progress that would have been made had Knorozov’s school of thought been used. All the important scholars were willing to follow the line of thought brought forth by Thompson who was a major opponent of Knorozov’s works and findings. Even though phonetic readings could now be translated and understood through Knorozov’s works, the Marxist view that most of the opponents thought he had downplayed the reasoning behind his translation of the Mayan texts. In this case, Thompson held the old school of thought, which insinuated that the ancient texts were based on religion, prophecy, and astronomy. The effects of this line of thought can be felt to date even in reference to some of the Mayan scriptures or texts that are referred to in most classroom settings (Tedlock, 2010). Whenever individuals think of the Mayan texts, the first thing that comes to mind is the religious, astronomical, and even prophetic messages that may be present in these writings. According to Tatiana Proskouriakoff, a Russian-American scholar, the writings or inscriptions had indications of life events that occurred within the Mayan society. Later developed texts proved that this theory or line of thought was true as the inscription were histories of the different classes of individuals present in Mayan history at the time. The coming together of different scholars in different fields, for example; anthropology, history, linguistics, and archaeology made it possible to decipher the story of the Mayan people (Coe & Stone, 2005). Michael Coe, David Kelley, Gilette Griffin, and Ian Graham are some of the prominent names that come with the mention of Mayan decipherment as this was more of a multidisciplinary process. It is through tackling the Mayan texts, inscriptions, and writings that advancement occurred exponentially. Conferences were held, for example; the Mesa Redonda de Palenque was held in 1973, which aided different disciplines to decipher a list of Mayan kings at a Mayan site in Palenque. This helped increase the understanding of the Mayan culture and civilization. This revelation brought forth different aspects of a culture that was not earlier understood, presenting newer opportunities for scholars who would capitalize on such advancement to bring forth new vocabulary for the Mayan civilization. Some exhibitions, for example; The Blood of Kings, which was an elucidation of Mayan art, was held to introduce and make known the new school of thought surrounding Mayan civilization (Soustelle, 1984). However, even as this was going on, the old school of thought, which was supported by Eric S. Thompson, resisted and continued to refute the findings of the new school. The coming together of this school of thought ensured that some part of ancient America could be read, interpreted, and understood. What this school of thought brought out through their findings made it possible for the world to see that the Mayan culture and civilization was one that was similar to most of the previous civilizations that existed in the world. They had a history similar to those of other people, which had integrated systems that were; spiritual, cultural, and highly intellectual. From the growing belief in the new school of thought, the old view held by Thompson was gradually fading. The belief held by this school where the Mayans were perceived as ever-peaceful people devoid of conflict, or other characteristics that made them completely different from other ancient societies and civilizations that existed in other parts of the world, was dying (Montgomery, 2004). The two schools differ, but the arguments brought forth by the old school do not seem to hold ground when compared with those brought by the new school. The revelation that the Mayan society is a simple civilization that survived and lived just like any other civilization, for example; the Egyptian or Greek civilizations, holds more ground when it comes to the interpretations of ancient texts. The counter-argument by the old school is that the interpretation by the new school only focuses on the elite and influential people in Mayan history. However, this does not mean that the interpretations do not represent a larger part of the Mayan civilization (Montgomery, 2004). The Mayans had large and vast collections of literature and this was before the Spanish conquest, which saw the burning of most of them to ensure that they did not deter the conversion of Indians. In conclusion, the Mayan decipherment brought forth new opportunities for not only scholars in different disciplines, but the whole of the American civilization. It brought with it understanding of a civilization that is long gone, but a large part of their history and past is yet to be interpreted. The progress is now faster than it was in the past, and a large number of scholars presently concur that the existing number of Mayan books can be interpreted and read accurately. The new generation of scholars has the opportunity to do more in terms of interpreting and deciphering the three books on Mayan history, and find out what might have been missed during the decipherment by earlier scholars. Different audiences or interested parties can take confidence in the fact that the Mayan civilization may just have similar traits as those in the past and even present. Their interest in art, warfare, social status, life, and even death is a clear indicator that every society is based and built on certain foundations, which tend to be similar despite the geographical location. References Coe, M. D. & Stone, M. L. (2005). Reading the Maya glyphs. London: Thames & Hudson. Montgomery, J. (2004). How to read Maya hieroglyphs (Hippocrene Practical Dictionaries). New York: Hippocrene Books.  Soustelle, J. (1984). The Olmecs: The oldest civilization in Mexico. New York: Doubleday and Co. Tedlock, D. (2010). 2000 years of Mayan literature. California: University of California Press. Read More