10 Ajaw 13 Yaxk’in. Drawing by Jorge Pérez de Lara.
As the sun reaches its second zenith at the latitude of Copán, possibly the intended, back-calculated date of the 4 Ajaw 8 Kumk’u “creation” and the base of the Long Count, we reflect on the renewal of the world, and the revitlization of the Ojer Maya Tz’ib’—Ancient Maya Writing. It has now been one month since the Fourth International Congreso on Ancient Maya Writing took place in Huehuetenango, and I would like to once again thank all of you who helped to support this event. It was a profound and life-changing event for many of those involved, including myself, and it was a great honor to be able to participate. This month, I would like to publish an excerpt from the report on the event by Juan Rodrigo Guarchaj, the Executive Director of the Proyecto Lingüistico Franciso Marroquin (PLFM), the principal organizers of the event.
This year, the organizers requested to have multiple epigraphers come to present some of their research in a format similar to that of the Maya Meetings at the University of Texas, and to have us team up to teach the various workshops in three levels. We were very fortunate to have Barbara MacLeod, Nick Hopkins, Gerardo Aldana, and Christopher Powell help out.
Thank you all for your ongoing commitment to helping Maya people learn to read and write in the hieroglyphic script of their ancestors. It is making a world of difference in the lives of many Maya people.
Sincerely,
Michael J. Grofe, President
MAM
Group of Participants, Instructors, and Team Organizers.