Maya script

the long version

"This handbook unlocks the secrets of the symbolic written characters of the ancient Maya of Mexico, providing a vivid portrait of their gods, people, and everyday life.". "Maya Script presents about 200 Maya glyphs, or symbolic figures, taken from carved stone reliefs, ceremonial artifacts, and rare Maya codices. Some are ideograms (pictorial symbols representing things, not words); others are phonetic signs. The glyphs express kings, queens, heroes, animals, customs such as their remarkable burial system, and abstract concepts. Each one opens a window on fragments of everyday life, gods and ceremonies, even emotions. Some give us portraits of the great leaders who played important roles in the rise of this extraordinary culture. The complexity of their incredible calendar and astronomical calculations reveals a highly developed civilization."--BOOK JACKET.