Mesoamerican writing systems
In the Americas, there has been only in pre-Columbian Mesoamerica in time to the development of writing systems. This Mesoamerica is one of the few regions in the world where one has not taken place from the outside excited or influenced development of a font. The Mesoamerican writings undoubtedly have common roots, without that could be spoken by a closer relationship forever.
The number of Mesoamerican writings depends on the definition used: at the current state of knowledge, only the Maya writing reached the requirement that a spoken text can be reproduced without the presence of the original speaker alone on its graphical representation. Other graphic systems are able to record a content regardless of language, so this can also be reproduced in any conceivable language.
Among the similarities of many Mesoamerican writings include the notation calendrical data. The signs for calendrical periods or day names are usually a rectangular cartouche inscribed with or without rounded corners. The number of characters consist of either points (pads) and beam or only of points.
- 2.1 Maya writing
- 2.2 Zapotec writing
- 3.1 central Mexican writings
- 3.2 NUINE font
- 3.3 Cotzumalhuapa font
- 4.1 Mixtec writing
- Aztec Font 4.2
Preclassic writings
It is not yet decided which need to be addressed early writings from the space of the Olmec culture as the earliest. The reason for this is the difficulty of dating of stone monuments - the only witnesses of these early writings. The nature of the characters on the Cascajal - stone is still discussed controversially.
Olmec writings
See Olmec writing
The oldest word characters ( logograms ) appear between 400 and 500 BC, while earlier examples of cylinder seals are not to talk to each character as writing.
Monte Albán font
On Monte Albán there are numerous monuments that are assigned to the first two phases, and contain the characters. Precursors of this document are not known so far. Similar letters have been proven in a larger room. The signs of the I phase are arranged in vertical columns, a number of the characters are enclosed by rectangular cartridge with rounded corners. The number of characters consist of unadorned bar ( for the numerical value of 5) and undecorated plates ( for the numerical value 1 ), which were combined so that the discs were above the bar. A reading has been tried successfully for either the calendar yet for the other characters ( in which logograms are suspected ). The characters for the names of years are characterized by distinctive additional motif. It is not known what language was spoken at that time by the builders of Monte Albán.
Phase II are associated with a number of incisions provided with graphic slabs on the outside of the building J. Joyce Marcus suspects in these plates whose label is identical in structure and usually consist of a local character, including a down "hanging " human head and including one or more character columns, reviews about conquests. In these character columns at least two calendrical signs are always present, which presumably specify a date together.
Monte Albán, Stela 15 (Phase I)
Monte Albán, Danzante 8 ( presumptive ) name sign in front of face
Monte Albán, Danzante 55 ( presumptive ) name characters
Monte Albán, inscription plaque from building J
Monte Albán, inscription plaque from building J
Monument of Huamelulpan ( Oaxaca ) with kalendarischem characters
Stone block from Huamelulpan ( Oaxaca ) with kalendarischem characters
Isthmus font
See Isthmus font
The evidence of the isthmus or Epi - Olmec writing are in a wide area to the north, east and northwest to find the Isthmus of Tehuantepec, but there are only a few finds with greatly differing length of the texts. A center with several because of their weathering usually not easily recognizable character columns is the Cerro de las Mesas locality in Piedras Negras, Veracruz. Several of the monuments carry data in a system that is structurally equivalent to the Long Count of the Maya inscriptions and the date for this system converted from the second to the sixth century. Experiments, a longest inscriptions 1 on the basis of a suspected affiliation to decipher La Mojarra stela to a Mixe- Zoque are judged still controversial.
Izapa font
From the Izapa font is little evidence has come to light, is so uncertain that it is their own script. The longest text comes from Kaminaljuyu in Guatemala. Characteristic of some of the inscriptions is the use of the Long bill for the calendrical recording, the data in the first century resulted from the application of the established for the Mayan calendar conversion.
Stela 5 from Takalik Abaj, Guatemala, data 126 and 103 /83 ( reading uncertain)
Of the Classic Fonts
Maya writing
See Maya writing
The font of the Classic Maya culture is without a doubt the most powerful that has ever been developed and used in the New World. She was - as far as known at present - the only one that exactly, that is phonetically could record exactly reproduced a linguistically given text. The font used in variable combination of logograms and syllabic signs, causes a confirmation of readings is made easier for deciphering. The Maya writing makes heavy use of calendrical information, not only in the Long Count but also other, mostly based astronomical cycles.
Zapotec writing
The font of the stages IIIA and IIB of Monte Albán is significantly different from that of the front of it phases. Particularly striking is the difference in the arrangement of the characters, which is not as accurate, and in execution. Also in the characters treasure there are changes, a few characters seem to be taken directly from the front of it time. Unlike previously, no numerical values above 13 occur more, resulting in suggesting that other calendrical information was provided.
Stele 6 of Monte Albán, Phase IIIA
Late Classic / Early Postclassic writings
Central Mexican writings
In the late Klassikum occur at a number of places Monuments with characters on: In Xochicalco, Teotenango, Maltrata, as well as in Cacaxtla and isolated in Tula. It is regularly to not standing in a text context characters, very often associated with number signs (bar and washers). In addition, also vividly designed characters, probably to express the names of places and people. Since the underlying language is unknown, is likely to be futile a reading. Symbols can also be isolated, but embedded in scenes in bas-relief in Chichen Itza, for example, the Temple of Chac Mool.
Relief stone from Xochicalco with narrative scene and many calendar signs ( Palacio de Cortés, Cuernavaca )
Stele from Xochicalco (Museo Nacional de Antropologia )
Characters on the Pyramid of the Feathered Serpent
In relief stone block with calendar characters, Maltrata (now Jalapa Museum )
Stele from Teotenango
Teotenango, rock relief of a jaguar with calendar characters
Calendar mark on a stone relief, Tula ( Hidalgo )
Calendar sign on wall paintings in Cacaxtla, Building A
Name sign on wall paintings in Cacaxtla, Building A
NUINE font
In a small zone around the place Tequixtepec usually relatively small monuments of fortified hilltop settlements have received. To assign an individual calendrical signs ( with circular cartridges) and presumably local characters on which recall the Mixtec characters.
Stele from Tequixtepec, local signs of NUINE font
Cotzumalhuapa font
From the space of Cotzumalhuapa a number of monuments are known with simple representations of human figures (mostly in connection with the ritual Mesoamerican ballgame ) surrounded by a significant increase in a frame field. Are in this field at the edge of peculiar calendrical information arranged: in place of a calendar symbol for one day and one of them separate number specified here is the calendar symbol multiplies ( in circular cartridges) according to the intended number indication.
Monument of Bilbao, Guatemala
Late Postclassic writings
In the Postclassic a wide spread areas in Mesoamerica from Central Mexico to the Caribbean coast detected arts and culture style. To this was also a form of written records in connection with a particular style detailed narrative ( narrative ) pictorial representation. Together, this style was a broad convention in the graphical realization of playback issues.
Mixtec writing
The evidence of the Mixtec font come from a part of stucco reliefs in archaeological sites. The majority found, however, in about a dozen picture manuscripts that have survived from the Mixtec culture area as originals. The Mixtec pictographic script combines the narrative representation in which the information to be transmitted content can be represented by vivid pictorial images with character for calendrical data, people and place names.
Mixtec Codex Nuttall handwriting, page 16
Aztec font
See Aztec Font
The Aztec writing is mainly known from a small number of stone monuments with a few characters for data ( years in a rectangular frame ) and names of people and places. The convention of representation is less strictly regulated than in the Mixtec writing - however, this conclusion is so far perhaps inaccurate, as no dating from pre-Hispanic times illuminated manuscript is received. The numerous copies and processing of colonial era were dominated to a high degree different in each case by influencing occurred during the colonial period by European figures, whereby the views of the pre-Hispanic role models is adjusted.