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VMA - Virtual Mesoamerican Archive. Yucatec Maya Pronunciation Guide, Alphabet and Phonology. The Popol Vuh - The Creation Story of the Maya. The Popol Vuh is the creation story of the Maya.

The Popol Vuh - The Creation Story of the Maya

Below is one part of this story that recounts the first attempts of the creator, Heart of Sky to make humans. The story goes on to explain that the final attempt, that resulted int the "True people" was accomplished by constructing people with maize. This is a very reasonable explanation since, in essence, it was the cultivation of maize that gave the early Maya culture the means to change from hunters gatherers to their highly advanced civilization.

I have edited this sample, based on the wonderful translation by Dennis Tedlock. His book is available through Amazon.com and is listed below. Mayan hieroglyphic script and languages. Origin The Mayan civilisation lasted from about 500 BC to 1200 AD, with a classical period from 300-900 AD.

Mayan hieroglyphic script and languages

The earliest known writing in the Mayan script dates from about 250 BC, but the script is thought to have developed at an earlier date. Recent archeological finds indicate that the Mayan civilisation started much earlier: around 3,000 BC. In about 1566, the first bishop of Yucatan, Diego de Landa, compiled a key to the Mayan syllabary consisting of 27 Spanish letters and the Mayan glyphs with similar sounds. Maya Exploration Center. An Introduction to the Study of the Maya Hieroglyphs by Sylvantus Griswold Morley.