4 Ajaw 8 Sak. Drawing by Jorge Pérez de Lara.

Maní Workshop: Ts’íib (“Writing”)
by Jiménez Balan Iván de Jesús

Young people from the community of Maní were invited to participate in an epigraphy workshop. The place: U Tuch Lu’um (“naval of the land”), Maní, Yucatan.

Beginning 2 Ix 2 Xul – Ending 6 Etz’nab 6 Xul
(July 13-17, 2015)

This workshop aimed to raise awareness among young people to learn the wisdom of our grandparents, knowing the Maya syllabary, learning about ancient writing, and providing basic tools to start writing and reading ancient inscriptions. Continue reading →

Dear readers,

As an addendum to our previous blog about the advanced workshop taught by Nikolai Grube, the Sak Chuwen Group wishes to thank a number of individuals who helped make the workshop a success, names that inadvertently were not mentioned in the last blog, persons without whose help the workshop would not have been possible:

1. Igor Xoyon and Karina Koy for their work giving beginner and intermediate-level workshops that allowed many of the students to participate in the advanced workshop.
2. Alejandro Garay for his superb efforts in coordination and logistics.
3. Antonio Cuxil for offering to serve as tour guide during the visit to the ancient Maya city of Quirigua.
4. To the team of Dirección General de Desarrollo Cultura y Fortalecimiento de las Culturas, whose arduous efforts handled the muliple details of making the workshop happen.

It is hoped that we maintain this collaboration between institutions and individuals to make possible the continuation and persistence of teaching Maya epigraphy in Guatemala.

Iyaxel Cojti Ren, Sak Chuwen Group

Today’s blog was submitted by our long-time colleague and co-organizer of the up-coming Third International Congress of Maya Epigraphers in 2016 (more about that in coming announcements), Ajpub’ Garcia Ixmatá, Tz’utujiil-speaker and resident of Antigua, Guatemala.

Ancient Writing in San Pedro Cutzán, Suchitepéquez
by Ajpub’ Pablo García Ixmatá

Again, appreciation to the foundation Mayas for Ancient Mayan for the support offered for the teaching of Maya epigraphy and the Maya calendars.

This workshop occurred on March 27, 2015, in the community of San Pedro Cutzán, Suchitepéquez. This event happened with sixty boys and girls of the “basic level,” and among them three teachers.

The majority of the youths are speakers of Maya Tz’utujiil. The themes we focused on were the following: ancient writing, the calendar of 260 days, and the territorial Mesoamerican spaces where Maya cities (archaeological sites) are found today.

“Basic Level” institute, San Pedro Cutzán.

Continue reading →