Mayan Codices 2011

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The Mayan Codices


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Mayan Writing

The Mayans had a written native system and weremasters of mathematics.

Composed of over 800 symbols.

Different from hieroglyphs, because they have a phoneticstructure.

Writing system was a unique combination of phoneticsymbols and ideograms.

Their writing was highly sophisticated. Most likely onlymembers of the higher classes were able to read their

symbols. They used pictographs and phonetic or syllabic

elements, in recorded inscriptions on stone and woodand used within architecture.


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Mayan Writing

pictographs

Maya Discovery This mural found in the ruins of a pyramid in

Guatemala depicts the Maya creation myth. Here, the son of

the maize god sheds his own blood in sacrifice.


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Mayan Writing

The codices = as sacred books

Registries of news, chronicles, literature, art, astronomy,medicine, botanic.

Folding books were made from fig tree bark and placedin royal tombs. The main being the wild fig tree or Amate.

Mainly priest could write them, because of the knowledgethey had. They were called ah ts'ib (writers) or o ahwoh (painters).

Many of these books did not survive the humidity of thetropics or the invasion of the Spanish, who regarded thesymbolic writing (Mayan Writing) as the work of the devil.


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Paper was named by the Mayas huun ( Nahuatl wordamatl).

The folding books are the products of professionalscribes. The Mayans developed their huun-paper aroundthe 5th century, the same era that the Romans did, buttheir paper was more durable and a better writing surfacethan papyrus. The codices have been named for thecities in which they eventually settled.


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In the 16th century, the Spanish burned every codex theycould find, along with anyone who could read or write.

In July of 1562, Diego de Landa, the first bishop of Yucatan,burned 5,000 idols and 27 hieroglyphic rolls at Mani inYucatan; he is the main reason that so few examples ofMayan hieroglyphs exist today. He also tortured and killedmany Mayans.


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In the 16th. century, Diego de Landa developed with thehelp of his informants an alphabet included in his bookValue of things of Yucatan.

This alphabet was the basis for studies undertaken by thetwo most important Mayan epigraphers in the XX century,English archaeologist J. Eric S. Thompson and theRussian linguist Yuri Valentinovich Knrosov.


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Dresden Codex

It has information about astronomical tables ofoutstanding accuracy, almanacs, Venus cycle, eclipses,

religion and arts.

It has 39 pages,

Length 3.51 meters

Its glyphs are red, blue, yellow, black and green.

Probably written in 1210 or 1250 A.C

In 1810 Alexander Humboldt announce what it was. It

seems it was a gift to Charles I of Spain.

It is in the Saxon State Library in Dresden, Germany.


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Dresden Codex

According to the Dresden Codex, the Mayans calculatedthe Venus cycle with respect to Earth in 583,935 days.

Today it is estimated to be between 583,920 andapproximately 583,940 days.


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Dresden Codex


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Paris or Peresianus Codex

Even thou some parts are missing, its glyphs areexcellent but complex. Probably it was written in the XIII

and XV centuries. Its has information about time,astrology (a zodiac with 364 days), astronomy and hascalendars.

It has 22 pages, Length 1.45 meters

Probably written in the XIII and XV centuries

In 1832 Len de Rosny recovered it from old papers in abasket near a chimney the at Bibliothque Nationale inParis (now Bibliothque Nationale du France).

The name Peresianus is because it was inside a roll ofpaper with the inscription Prez.


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Paris or Peresianus Codex


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Madrid or Tro-Cortesianus Codex

It describes several Mayan ceremonies and their rituals,arts; sacrifices, medicine, mythology, prophecies, wars. It

has 256 calendars. Not all of its hieroglyphs have beendeciphered.

Its has 112 sheets

Length 6.80 meters

In 1866 Brasseur de Bourbourg identified it.

Since 1964 it is in the Museo de Amrica de Madrid.


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Grolier Codex

It appeared in the 1970s. It is said to have been found in acave, is really a fragment of 11 pages. It is currently in amuseum in Mexico, but is not on display to the public.

Each page shows a hero or god, facing to the left. At the top

of each page is a number, and down the left of each page iswhat appears to be a list of dates. The workmanship isparticularly poor. The pages are much less detailed than inthe other codices, and hardly provide any information that isnot already in the Dresden Codex.


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Mayan Codices 2011

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