Evolution And History

Cities and Cultural Change 267

In the Americas, writing systems came into use among
various Mesoamerican peoples, but the Maya system was
particularly sophisticated. The Maya writing system, like
other aspects of that culture, appears to have roots in the
Olmec civilization,^8 though discoveries announced in
2006 of a stone tablet with a different writing system in-
dicate that the Olmec had another form of writing distinct
from Maya glyphs.^9
The Maya hieroglyphic system had less to do with
keeping track of state property than with extravagant cel-
ebrations of the accomplishments of their rulers. Maya
lords glorified themselves by recording their dynastic
genealogies, important conquests, and royal marriages;
by using grandiose titles to refer to themselves; and by
associating their actions with important astronomical
events (Figure 11.7). Different though this may be from
the recordkeeping of ancient Mesopotamia, all writ-
ing systems share a concern with political power and its
maintenance.

THE EARLIEST GOVERNMENTS

A king and his advisors typically headed the earliest city
governments. Of the many ancient kings known, one
stands out as truly remarkable for the efficient government
organization and highly developed legal system charac-
terizing his reign. This is Hammurabi, the Babylonian
king who lived in Mesopotamia (modern Iraq) sometime
between 3,700 and 3,950 years ago. From Babylon, the

Figure 11.6 Cuneiform writing developed from representa-
tional drawings of objects. Over time the drawings became sim-
plified and more abstract, as well as being wedge-shaped
so that they could be cut into a clay tablet with a stylus.

Figure 11.7 The translation of the text on the monument

shown on page 260 gives some indication of the importance

of dynastic genealogy to Maya rulers. The “scattering”

mentioned may refer to bloodletting as part of the ceremonies

associated with the end of one twenty-year period, or katun,

and the beginning of the next.

Object  Pictogram  (Sideways)  Cuneiform

Fish

Ox

Bird

Source: University of Pennsylvania Museum of Anthropology

The day 13 Ahau

Eighteenth day of the month,

Cumku,

End of the seventeenth katun.

The completion of its period.

(part of the ruler’s name?)

Chitam

In the dynastic line, lord of Tikal,

From Yax Moch Xoc

(an early Tikal king)

The ninth plus twenty,

In the count of the rulers

(successor to ?)

His lord father,

Yax Kin Caan Chac

(a probable title)

In the dynastic line, lord of Tikal,

In his fourth katun (period of 20 tuns,

or 360 day years)

The leader (batab)

Sixteen days plus one period

of twenty days,

Plus two tuns (back to),

The day 11 Kan,

Twelfth day of the month

of the parrot, Kayab,

He took the throne,

At the place of leadership,

He who scatters blessings.

(^8) Pohl, M.E.D., Pope, K. O., & von Nagy, C. (2002). Olmec origins of Meso-
american writing, Science 298, 1984–1987.
(^9) del Carmen Rodríguez Martínez, M. (2006). Oldest writing in the New
World. Science 313, 1610–1614.