Anthropology hosts Mayan hieroglyphic workshop

Posted by Jayme Blaschke
University News Service
March 27, 2007

The Anthropology Department at Texas State University-San Marcos will present a weekend Mayan Heiroglyphic Workshop March 31-April 1.

The workshop will be held from 9 a.m.–5 p.m. on Saturday and 9 a.m.–4 p.m. on Sunday, with a lunch break around 12:30.

This two-day workshop will explain the basics of Maya writing and provided practical experience in reading actual hieroglyphic texts. Designed for people with no previous experience, the Texas State Anthropology Department Workshop will start “from scratch.”

After a brief introduction into the fascinating culture of the Maya, participants will begin immediately to look at the real texts. By the end of day 1, participants will be reading simple texts. On day 2, participants will learn the methods by which more difficult inscriptions are analyzed and understood.

Participants will break up into small groups to get “hands-on” experience under expert supervision. They will begin to piece together Mayan scripts and journey into the Underwater Otherworld and the end of time.

A notebook containing workshop materials, hieroglyphic inscriptions, and reference charts, maps, etc. that is useful to decipherment will be provided.

There is a $50 fee for the workshop.

For more information please contact The Texas State Department of Anthropology at (512) 245-8272 or via email at ra18@txstate.edu.