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EARLY WRITING SYSTEMS
A. Middle Preclassic origins
1. Zapotec writing
a) Monument 3 at San Jose Mogote
b) Danzantes
2. Maya texts without written dates
a) El Porton
b) Chalchuapa
1) Monument 1
c) Nakbe
1) Stela 1 (no text)
d) El Mirador
1) Stela 2
e) Kaminaljuyu
1) Stela 11
a> carved from block of granite
b> figure wears masks of long-lipped god
c> spiked clay incense burners like those found in excavations
d> carries weapon in left hand with chipped flint "eccentric"
e> may stand on glyph of rulership
2) Stela 10
a> gods with masks & axes
f) Dumbarton Oaks pectoral
g) Cerros masks
h) Loltun cave
1) note similarities to KJ Stela 11
i) Pomona Flare
1) dates to second half of Late Preclassic
2) first records of Maya rulership
3) first complex grammatical constructions
4) first head variant numerals
5) first portrayals of Sun, Corn, and Rain gods
6) "The holder of power is the Sun God; the Sun God cast corn
to/for the sky god."
B. Characteristics of early writing
1. Long Count
a) expressed in bar-and-dot numerals
b) begins August 13, 3114 BC
c) units
1) baktun - largest period was 144,000 days
2) katun - next was 7,200 days
3) tun - then 360 days + 5
4) uinal - then 20 days
5) kin - then one day
C. Late Preclassic inscriptions
1. Chiapa de Corzo (36 BC)
a) in Grijalva Basin
b) spare monument with little left but date
c) Stela 2 (36 BC)
1) 7?.16?.3.2.13
2) day sign at end
3) December 9, 36 BC
2. Stela C at Tres Zapotes (31 BC)
a) discovered by Stirling
b) fragmentary basalt monument
1) abstract, derivative were-jaguar on one side
2) Olmec-style carving despite Late Preclassic date
c) first period missing, but reconstructed as seven
1) 7.16.6.16.18
2) date reads September 2, 31 BC
3) top part of stela discovered in 1969
a> had bar and two dots
3. Abaj Takalik, Stelas 2 (> AD 41) & 5 (AD 126)
a) Stela 1 (no date)
1) figure with coiling headdress
2) large snake coming out of waistband
3) column of unreadable glyphs
b) Stela 2 (> AD 41)
1) two figures flanking a central column of text
a> Cycle 7 (before AD 41) date
2) Izapan-style carving
a> two figures facing each other
b> very early form of Initial Series date
c> baktun 7 date
4. El Baul (AD 36)
a) site on coffee plantation east of Abaj Takalik
b) Stela 1 (AD 36)
1) also known as "Herrera Stela"
2) discovered in 1923
3) stylistically similar to Izapa monuments
4) profile figure with spear in hand beneath scroll cloud
5) patron deity above
6) Olmec-style head behind
7) two vertical columns of glyphs
8) date begins with 7
a> 7.19.15.7.12
b> March 4, AD 36
9) only 50 years later than Stela C at Tres Zapotes
5. Abaj Takalik, Stela 5 (AD 126)
a) Stela 5 (AD 126)
1) two figures flanking a legible Long Count date
a> 8.4.5.17.11 or AD 126
6. La Mojarra
a) two bar-and-dot dates
b) correspond to AD 143 and AD 156
7. Tuxtla Statuette (AD 162)
a) discovered in Olmec area
b) duck-billed, winged figure with human features
c) 8.6.2.4.17
1) Long Count date of March 14, AD 162
d) dates to after Olmec period
8. Hauberg Stela (AD 199)
a) earliest clearly Maya monument is miniature "Hauberg Stela",
whose date is 8.8.0.7.0 3 Ahau 13 Xul (October 9, AD 199)
1) limestone, 84 cm high
2) date given without a Long Count
a> determined by lunations and haab date
3) ruler's name has been deciphered as Bak Tu'l (Bone Rabbit)
4) depicts bloodletting ritual and vision experience
a> bloodletting preceded protagonist's accession to kingly
office by 52 days
5) wears mask of a god and holds manifested vision over his
arms
a> Vision Serpent held against his chest
b> scalloped tree design with falling severed bodies
c> being who is contacted emerges from serpent's mouth
6) headdress
a> Jester God headband
b> large earflare
D. Early Classic inscriptions
1. Mathews placed beginning of Early Classic in AD 238
a) corresponds to 8.10.0.0.0
1) suggested as beginning date of Tikal dynasty
b) has been revised to 8.9.0.0.0 (AD 219)
1) reign of Yax-Moch-Xoc and founding of Tikal dynasty
2. Stela 29
a) earliest date
b) dates to AD 292 (8.12.14.8.15)
c) sculptured portrait of Tikal ruler holding two-headed
serpent bar
3. Leiden Plaque (AD 320)
a) found near delta of Motagua River in nineteenth century
b) carved of jade, comes from royal belt-head assemblage
c) inscription on rear records accession of king named
Balam-Ahau-Chaan on Sept. 17, AD 320
d) portrayal on front
1) holds double-headed serpent bar
a> symbol derived from serpent frames
b> arms against chest show that he is holding object
2) wears collar with carved human head
3) wears sandals
4) flanged headdress
a> cap lined with jade cylinders and beads
b> jade flares supported by headress
c> main head is jaguar
1> head in the mouth of Jaguar Sun
5) Jester God on top of headdress
6) captive lying at feet
a> marked as noble with ahau glyph on head
7) represents accession and sacrifice
e) Stages in accession
1) designated heir was given elements of royal costume
a> most important items were cloth headband with Jester God
mounted at front and flanged headdress
2) king displayed himself to the people attending the rite in
full costume
a> may have dressed with court in attendance, then walked out
to edge of pyramid to show larger audience
3) wife or mother of king brought forth bloodletting
instruments, and both drew blood
a> woman from her tongue
b> man from his penis
4) captives taken (either before or after accession)
5) captive bound and sacrificed by having his heart removed
6) king was mounted on scaffold and ritual cycle was completed
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