Breaking the Maya Code

Over the past two decades, significant progress has been made in deciphering Mayan glyphs found at UNESCO World Heritage Site Copán and other Mayan sites. The breakthrough involved interpreting these symbols as a combination of phonetic and conceptual elements, initially proposed by Russian scholar Knorosov in the 1950s. This was further advanced by comparative linguistic studies in the 1970s, leading to the decipherment of approximately 85% of the glyphs. The narrative highlights the challenges posed by scholarly rivalries, personality clashes, and Cold War politics that hindered progress. Despite remaining mysteries, this account provides a firsthand perspective on the complex process of decoding an ancient language, enriched with illustrations and engravings of the glyphs.

Coe, M. D. (2011). Breaking the Maya Code. The Guatemala Reader. https://doi.org/10.1215/9780822394679-004