Hieroglyphs and History at DOS Pilas: Dynastic Politics of the Classic Maya

Since their discovery by early explorers, Maya hieroglyphs have prompted much speculation. What did this complex writing system record? How was the information organized, and what themes did it emphasize? What did the script reveal about the society that produced it? After over a century of research, epigraphers have finally deciphered much of the hieroglyphs' structure, content, and chronology, thereby opening a way to understand Maya civilization in its own terms.This pioneering study uses the inscriptions and monumental art of Dos Pilas in the Peten region of Guatemala to reconstruct the history and fate of a crucial Maya-dynasty. Houston's innovative approach combines data derived from the hieroglyphs with the findings of archaeology and anthropology to provide a detailed picture of Dos Pilas' development as a dynastic center. Houston reveals that the rulers of Dos Pilas were conquerors who established and maintained a regional polity. The records of their deeds on monuments at Dos Pilas and sites nearby contain a wealth of detail that matches anything found at other major Maya centers.This information on a major Classic period (roughly A.D. 250-900) site illuminates a world of intrigue, diplomacy, warfare, and courtly life. Though the written record inscribes only the elite version of events, it amplifies much that is already known about the Classic Maya and will be of interest to historians of the region, archaeologists, anthropologists, art historians, and epigraphers.