Writing amidst the Scribbles: The Role and Place of Writing in Ancient Maya Graffiti

Abstract

The significantcorpus of ancient Maya graffiti (c. 200 BC-AD 950) attests to the widespreadpractice of secondarily altering architectural surfaces during the course oftheir use.  For the most part this corpusis highly figurative and includes a series of schematic elements that attest totheir production by the hands of a variety of agents. As one of the largestcorpora of graffiti from any early civilization, the figural representationsinclude a wide array of themes.  Somegraffiti feature complex, narrative scenes that document important moments ofritual life of the ancient Maya. Almost paradoxically, amid the intricate andhighly figurative scenes are hieroglyphic graffiti. What do these writtengraffiti record, and what is the degree of literacy that these attest to? Thisraises a series of interesting questions including whether written and figuralgraffiti were etched onto walls by the same individuals, or whether theserepresent different social segments each leaving their mark. From theseobservations follow a series of important ramifications as to authorship, theuse of the built environment as well as the motivations behind the graffitiitself.