38th Annual Student Research Conference
From Public Plazas to Personal Possessions: Comparing Orthographic Variation Across Maya Writing Contexts
Joshua Perlman
Dr. Darrin Hetrick and Dr. Douglas Ball, Faculty Mentors
The understanding of the ancient Maya writing system has advanced exponentially since Yuri Knorozov‘s (1952) breakthrough with the syllabic system that was used in tandem to picture based logograms. The flexibility of the script allowed for a word to be spelled using main glyphs with affixed phonetic complements or purely phonetically using symbols representing CV syllables. This paper investigates the relationship between these orthographic decisions and the social context they functioned in. The aim is to explore whether elite instances of the Maya script (i.e. monuments) and non-elite instances (i.e. pottery) exhibit distinctive orthographic patterns. The study employs comparative analysis of grapheme distribution patterns across a sample of stelae, architectural elements, ceramic vessels, and portable objects, while considering their archaeological contexts and communicative purposes. Through an epigraphic and sociolinguistic approach, this research offers potential insight into the literacy practices and social correspondence of the ancient Maya.
Keywords: Writing Systems, Maya Epigraphy , Orthographic Variation, Linguistic Anthropology
Topic(s):Linguistics
Anthropology
Presentation Type: Oral Presentation
Session: 305-5
Location: SUB Georgian B
Time: 2:00