Using glyphic variation to infer the social and spatial scale of learning among Classic Maya scribes

Summary

This study uses Maya hieroglyphic inscriptions to trace the evolution of alternative writing conventions during the Classic period (ca. 250-900 CE). The third person ergative pronoun u- is represented by up to a dozen different graphemes in Classic Maya writing. These glyphs are also the most common set of signs found in the corpus of hieroglyphic inscriptions, regardless of media. The variation and frequency of these signs provide data to model cultural forces that shaped this writing system. We evaluate diversity in u glyphs to examine changes in the make-up of scribal traditions during the Classic period. Some have suggested that antagonistic polities used different signs to denote u glyphs. We evaluate this claim with antagonistic and other social networks using a comprehensive dataset of texts and network ties. In addition, we evaluate the role of geographic space in structuring choice between alternative u glyphs. These analyses contribute to our understanding of the social and spatial scales of learning among the Classic Maya.

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This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 80th Annual Meeting, San Francisco, CA (2015)   •
• Evolutionary theory and archaeology, Part I: Cultural transmission, cultural evolution, and evolutionary archaeology

Keywords

Spatial Coverage