Introduction to Maya Hieroglyphs XIX European Maya Conference Bratislava 2014 Harri Kettunen Christophe Helmke Wayeb Comenius University in Bratislava The Slovak Archaeological and Historical Institute Introduction to Maya Hieroglyphs Fourteenth Edition XIX European Maya Conference Bratislava 2014 Harri Kettunen Christophe Helmke Wayeb Comenius University in Bratislava & The Slovak Archaeological and Historical Institute 2014 Kettunen & Helmke 2014 Maya Hieroglyphs TABLE OF CONTENTS: FOREWORD ..................................................................................................................................................................... 6 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS .................................................................................................................................................... 6 NOTE ON THE ORTHOGRAPHY ...................................................................................................................................... 7 I INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................................................................ 8 1. History oF Decipherment ................................................................................................................................... 9 2. Origins oF the Maya Script .............................................................................................................................. 12 3. Language(s) oF the Hieroglyphs ..................................................................................................................... 13 II THE WRITING SYSTEM ............................................................................................................................................. 14 4. ConVentions oF Transliterating and Transcribing Maya Texts .................................................................. 14 5. Reading Order .................................................................................................................................................. 16 6. Compound Glyphs, InFixing, and ConFlations ............................................................................................ 17 7. Logograms ......................................................................................................................................................... 18 8. Syllabograms / Phonograms ........................................................................................................................... 19 9. Phonetic Complements .................................................................................................................................... 19 10. Semantic DeterminatiVes and Diacritical Signs ......................................................................................... 20 11. PolyValence: Polyphony and Homophony ................................................................................................. 20 12. Number oF Known Hieroglyphs .................................................................................................................. 22 III GRAMMAR ............................................................................................................................................................... 24 13. Word Order ..................................................................................................................................................... 24 14. Verbs ................................................................................................................................................................. 26 15. Nouns and AdjectiVes .................................................................................................................................... 26 16. Pronominal System ........................................................................................................................................ 27 IV TYPICAL STRUCTURE AND CONTENT OF THE TEXTS ............................................................................................. 30 17. Monumental Inscriptions .............................................................................................................................. 30 18. Ceramics .......................................................................................................................................................... 30 19. Codices ............................................................................................................................................................. 37 20. Portable Artefacts ........................................................................................................................................... 39 APPENDICES .................................................................................................................................................................. 40 Appendix A: Assorted Texts ................................................................................................................................... 40 Appendix B: Titles ..................................................................................................................................................... 44 Appendix C: Relationship Glyphs .......................................................................................................................... 44 Appendix D: Classic Maya Emblem Glyphs ......................................................................................................... 45 Appendix E: Note on the Calendar ........................................................................................................................ 47 Mathematics ........................................................................................................................................................... 47 Tzolk’in and Haab ................................................................................................................................................. 49 Calendar Round ..................................................................................................................................................... 49 Long Count ............................................................................................................................................................. 49 Initial Series ............................................................................................................................................................ 50 Supplementary Series ........................................................................................................................................... 50 Distance Numbers ................................................................................................................................................. 50 Possible Haab CoeFFicients For the Tzolk’in Day Names ................................................................................. 51 “Lords oF the Night” (Cycle oF 9 Days) .............................................................................................................. 51 An Example oF the Correlation oF the Long Count, Tzolk’in, Haab, and the Lords of the Night ............. 52 How to ConVert Maya Long Count Dates to Gregorian Dates ...................................................................... 52 A Shortcut Guide For the ConVersion oF Maya Long Count Dates to Gregorian Dates ............................. 54 2/151 Kettunen & Helmke 2014 Maya Hieroglyphs Period Names ......................................................................................................................................................... 55 Day Names (Tzolk’in Calendar) ......................................................................................................................... 56 Month Names (Haab Calendar) .......................................................................................................................... 58 Appendix F: The Landa Alphabet .......................................................................................................................... 60 Appendix G: Transcriptions of Classic Maya Phonemes .................................................................................... 61 Appendix H: Articulation Organs and Places ...................................................................................................... 62 Appendix I: Synharmonic vs. Disharmonic Spelling ........................................................................................... 63 Appendix J: Notes on Classic Maya Grammar ..................................................................................................... 66 Classic Maya Voice System .................................................................................................................................. 66 Appendix K: An Example of Hieroglyphic Analysis ........................................................................................... 73 Appendix L: Phonogram Charts ............................................................................................................................. 74 CONCISE DICTIONARY OF MAYA LOGOGRAMS .......................................................................................................... 79 A THEMATIC CLASSIC MAYA – ENGLISH DICTIONARY .............................................................................................