Title: Breaking the Maya Code
Author: Michael D. Coe
Publisher: Thames and Hudson
Year: 1992
ISBN: 0500277214
Author: Michael D. Coe
Publisher: Thames and Hudson
Year: 1992
ISBN: 0500277214
Michael D. Coe has written an highly readable book which chronicles the quest to decipher Mayan writing that lasted from the eighteenth century until the writing was deciphered in the 1970s and 80s. Breaking the Maya Code not only informs the reader about Mayan writing, culture, and archaeology, but also tells a fascinating story. The reader is introduced to a cast of engaging characters who either deter or further the decipherment, from Eric Thompson, a renowned Mayanist who turned out to be very mistaken about the Maya and their writing, to Yuri V. Knorosov, a Russian academic, who, without ever having visited a Mayan site, was able to provide some vital pieces to the puzzle.
Breaking the Maya Code is a good book to take with you on vacation in Mexico, particularly if you will be visiting Mayan archaeological sites. This book will give you insight into Mayan culture as well as offer an entertaining read.
