Deciphering ancient writing systems has always proven to be an exciting, even "Romantic," endeavor, as with the first reading of Egyptian hieroglyphs in the early 19th century by Champollion. Although the Maya peoples of Mesoamerica elaborated (although they did not really invent) a similar writing system, it has taken much longer to decipher it, well into the 20th century. One reason is that the writing system did not meet the expectations and assumptions scholars brought to this task, and many pronounced it undecipherable. One of those expectations is that the number of unique signs should determine what kind of writing system it was: pictographic (a picture of the thing represented), or alphabetic or syllabic (based on sound value). It is actually a combination of all three. There were few literate individuals, mostly in the aristocracy, and they seemed to have delighted in coming up with innovative ways to write the same things, so one rarely sees the same message written identically Objectives In completing this assignment, you will: Identify the principal components of Maya hieroglyphic writing as a non-Western, non-modern form of written communication. (content) Apply that knowledge to determine how to write your own name and birthdate in the proper Maya format. A major challenge is to translate your written name into its phonetic (syllabic) parts (critical thinking) Communicate how you achieved that accomplishment in both English and in Maya. (communication) Instructions In this exercise, you will attempt to write, rather than read, in Maya hieroglyphics - specifically, your first (or second) name. You will use a syllabary to do so, meaning you have to convert your first (or second) name into syllables: consonant+vowel. Even an ending consonant, like the "m" in Tom, is written as consonant+ vowel. You are asked to draw the signs that make up your name in freehand because that comes closest to the experience of the Maya scribes themselves. The Maya writing system is calligraphic, made by painting signs with a brush on paper. First, watch the following video lecture that explains the Maya writing system and the Long count Calendar: Lab05_ANT2140_Maya_Writing.png "Lab: Maya Writing" (Links to an external site.) [12:04] | TranscriptPreview the document https://mediasite.video.ufl.edu/Mediasite/Play/ee56b5f42f3d4a8fbab993e9c2d82e821d Download the Lab Activity Sheet Actions . Fill it out according to the instructions to determine your birthdate in the Maya Long Count calendar (using a website to calculate it for you) and write it and your name in hieroglyphs in the blank template. You will need to use the Maya Syllabary Actions , compiled by David Stuart, to write your name. My name is Matthew Elam After you complete the activity sheet, scan or photograph it to submit your assignment.