Maya glyphic writing is one of the most complex scripts ever devised. From before AD 250 until well after the Spanish conquest Maya Indians of Mexico and Central America used elaborate pictorial signs to record ideas, words and syllables.

This book surveys the discovery and the partial deciphering of glyphic writing and introduces the reader to the media on which glyphs are recorded. It explains the underlying principles of Maya writing, including its grammar, before reviewing how deciphering has dramatially enhanced our understanding of ancient Maya civilisations.