Reading and Writing Maya Glyphs, Foundational Level
The ancient Maya hieroglyphic writing system has attracted the interest of people around the world for centuries. This course provides a thorough introduction to the principles of Maya glyphs and answers the following common questions:
- Who deciphered the writing system, and how much can we read today?
- How do you read Maya glyphs?
- How did the ancient Maya calendar system work?
- How do you write Maya glyphs?
This course is a special summer edition of the course Maya Hieroglyphic Writing - Foundation Level also offered through Mesoamerican Studies Online. Students will learn how to read Maya glyphs as well as the artistic principles behind writing the glyphs.
Over the course of six weekly 90-minute sessions, Dr. Catherine Nuckols will explain the fundamental aspects of the writing system and how to read the glyphs. Her instructions will be paired with those of Julia Kausch, artist and Instagram "glyph-fluencer" renowned for her exact detailed drawings and digital recreations of Maya glyphs and art. Julia will teach students how to draw their own glyphs by hand. The course incorporates recent academic research, vibrant photographs and videos, and the instructors' personal experiences visiting these sites to provide students with the most up-to-date answers on the history of the ancient Maya.
Enrollment includes access to the course, recordings for missed days, and an advance PDF copy of Julia Kausch's upcoming book, Writing Maya Glyphs.
Two session groups will run during the six-week period: one that will meet on Wednesdays at 1pm Eastern time, and another that will meet on Saturdays at 3pm Eastern time. Registration is limited to a maximum of 15 participants per group to provide a personalized experience for each attendee. Enroll today to save your spot!
Your Instructor
Catherine Nuckols holds a Ph.D. in Mesoamerican Art History from Tulane University and has travelled to over 30 Mesoamerican sites and a dozen museums. She has lived in Mexico and Panama and traveled through Guatemala and Honduras. She speaks English, Spanish, Maya Ch'orti', and Dulegaya (an indigenous dialect of Panama), and is a constant learner of Mayan and Central Mexican languages. She has a passion for teaching and loves sharing what she learns with others. When she is not learning or teaching, she is probably reading, walking, or spending time with her pets, Oakley and Willow.
Guest Instructor
Julia Kausch is a Mayanist, artist, and Instagram "glyph-fluencer" renowned for her exact detailed drawings and digital recreations of Maya glyphs and art. She has created daily drawings of Maya art since 2020, posting them to her Instagram account, @julias_inkpot. Her ongoing research involves the careful examination of painted Maya ceramics and the identification of individual artists and scribal workshops in the Late Classic Maya world. She currently studies design in Germany.
Frequently Asked Questions
If you have been curious about how to read and write Maya hieroglyphs, this course is perfect for you. Register today to save your spot in the group of your choice!