Anthropology 2246F/G Lecture Notes - Lecture 5: Vigesimal, Maya Calendar, Semitic Root
14 Feb 2017
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Anth 2246 week 5: egyptian and mayan glyphs. Developed two cursive scripts: hieratic and demotic, which existed alongside the hieroglyphs. Before that believed that the hieroglyphs were representations of ideas. No vowels, pronunciation reconstructed from later writing systems. Various forms: rock inscriptions, wood carvings, wall paintings, papyrus and ink. Maya culture from 2600 bce to about 1200 ce. Oldest maya text dates from 300 bce, ruins of san bartolo, guatemala. Very difficult to decipher, multiple languages, cultural centers abandoned. Various forms: rock inscription, jaguar skins, murals, ceramics. Multiple ways of writing, choice of number of phonograms/logograms in one word. Order, or how to put your glyphs together. In paired columns left to right, top to bottom. Vigesimal system, place based vertical bottom to top, inclusion of zero. Tzolk"in 260 day calendar (pg 129), 13x 20 days . Combined with jaab" calendar of 365 days, 18 days in 20 months plus 1 month with 5 days. (pg 127)
