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 Uniwersytet w Bonn, Uniwersytet WarszawskiInternetowy kurs: EPIGRAFIKA MAJÓW

Chapter 04 - History of Maya Writing 

Lesson 3 - Foreign Influences 

Like the peoples of other cultural regions in the world, the ancient Maya were never isolated, but partof a greater cultural sphere – in this case Mesoamerica. Throughout their existence as a distinctculture they have been in contact with other Mesoamerican groups in various ways which resultedboth in the exchange of commodities as well as people and ideas (Berlo 1984, Popson 2002, Braswell2003, Cowgill 2003).

During the Early Classic it had been the great Mesoamerican city of Teotihuacan, which had massiveideological-political and economic influence in Mesoamerica. Several ethnic groups, including Maya,from throughout Mesoamerica lived in their proper barrios at this city, thus demonstrating thecosmopolitan character of this city (Taube 2003). The contacts between Teotihuacan and the Mayanot only resulted in the adaption of specific military armour (atlatl -spear-thrower, flexible shield) and

perhaps even troops but also of an iconographic complex closely related to warfare and ancestral cult(D. Stuart 1999, Laporte 2003, Sharer 2003). This iconographic complex also included a set of signfrom the Teotihuacan symbol system (Fig. 4.20).

(Fig. 4.20 Early Classic lidded vessel showing Teotihuacan-style signs (K7530)

If the latter - sometimes referred to as Teotihuacan writing (Berlo 1984, Taube 2001) - was indeedglottographic remains unsure. But so far it rather appears to be a non-glottographic symbol system asthe one known from the Post-classic Mixtec codices.

At the end of the Classic period, during the Terminal Classic the inscriptions of several sites show

certain signs, which had been previously absent from the Maya inscriptional corpus. These strangelooking signs have been argued as evidence for strong non-Mayan influence. The unusual renderingof day signs together with the non-Mayan facial features in portraiture at Seibal and other sites (Fig.

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 4.21) in the Pasión river-region are understood as the result of contacts between Maya and non-

Mayan people from the Gulf Coast of Veracruz. Indeed there are close stylistic parallels to the RioBlanco ceramic style from Veracruz (von Winning and Gutiérrez Solana 1996).

(Fig. 4.21 Seibal, Stela 13)

If talking about foreign influence in the Maya area, especially Chichen Itza in northern Yucatan comesinto mind. Earlier referred to as Maya-Toltec style, the innovative style in architecture and iconographyat this site had earlier been interpreted as the result of the conquest by central Mexican groups under the leadership of the quasi-mythical figure of Quetzalcoatl-Kukulkan. Although still a matter of debate,one can generally agree that this blending of style was the consequence of less a complete conquestbut rather the more or less peaceful exchange between local and foreign elites including the adoptionof Central Mexican military technology and perhaps even the hiring of non-Mayan troops.

Not only two different styles in architecture and iconography are present at Chichen Itza but also twodifferent writing systems. Besides to the texts in clear Classic Maya tradition on painted capstones,sculptured lintels, jambs and a stela, there can be observed numerous personal names in a non-

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 Mayan writing or rather symbol system which for example accompany the portraits of warriors on thecarved columns of the Temple of the Northwest Collonades and a series of seated lords on thronebench in an earlier construction phase of the Temple of the Chac Mool (Fig. 4.22). 

(Fig. 4.22 Chichen Itza, personal names in non-Mayan writing)

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 Again there are stylistic parallels to the Rio Blanco Style of Veracruz (Fig. 4.23).

(Fig. 4.23 a) Chichen Itza, Caracol, Sculptured Disk; b) Rio Blanco style ceramic vessel)

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 That influences also went the opposite direction – from the Maya area to Central Mexico - is evident inthe terminal Classic murals at Cacaxtla, Tlaxcala, which date in the Terminal Classic (G. Stuart 1992,Foncerrada de Molina 1993). Although using the local symbol-system in the accompanying captions,the style and the iconography point clearly to a Maya master painter (Fig. 4.24).

(Fig. 4.24 Cacaxtla, wall-painting)

During the Post-Classic period another style originating from the contacts and exchange of ideasthroughout Mesoamerica, is the so-called Mixteca-Puebla style or horizon (Paddock et al 1982). Mayaart was strongly influenced by this art-style which is well known from the post-classic Mixtec codicesand central Mexican, especially Aztec art. This style not only influenced calligraphy and iconography of the Post-classic Maya (Fig. 4.25).

(Fig. 4.25 Tulum, Str. 5, mural)

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It also resulted in the loan of Nahuatl words as is evident in the Codex Dresden (Whittaker 1986). Herethe Nahuatl names of several Central Mexican deities were recorded by transcribing them in syllabicspelling.

Consistent phonetic (syllabic) spelling is a typical strategy to write of foreign words in Maya writing.

The most famous example is the spelling of the word kakaw , which is probably an ancient loan from aMixe-Zoquean language.