The Mayan Writing System

The ancient Maya of Central America developed one of the most complex writing systems in the Americas. Their writing used a mix of pictures and symbols called glyphs. Maya scribes carved glyphs into stone, painted them on walls, and wrote them in books. This writing helped them record their history, calendar, and beliefs.

How Maya Writing Worked

Maya writing used about 800 different glyphs. Some glyphs stood for whole words, and others stood for sounds. Scribes combined glyphs in blocks that were read from left to right and top to bottom. Learning to read and write was a special skill held by trained scribes and priests.

Cracking the Code

After the Maya civilization declined, the meaning of their writing was lost for hundreds of years. Scholars worked for decades to figure out what the glyphs meant. In the 1950s and 1960s, breakthroughs finally allowed researchers to read many Maya texts. We are still learning new things from Maya writing today.

Fun Facts

• The Maya made books from bark paper that folded like an accordion.
• Only about four ancient Maya books survive today because many were destroyed by Spanish conquerors.
• Maya scribes were highly respected and sometimes signed their work.

Did You Know?

The Maya writing system is the only one from the ancient Americas that has been mostly decoded by modern scholars.