| Description |
1 online resource (streaming video file) (52 min. 17 sec.) ; 314005254 bytes |
| Summary |
Cracking The Maya Code is arguably one of the greatest of all archaeological detective stories.The Maya script is the New World's most highly developed ancient writing system. Records of this written language were all but destroyed by European conquerors, who burned an untold number of Maya books. Today, only four known, partial examples survive.The ancient Maya civilisation of Central America left behind an intricate and mysterious hieroglyphic script, carved on monuments, painted on pottery and drawn in hand-made bark-paper books.For centuries scholars considered it too complex ever to understand - until recently when an ingenious series of breakthroughs finally cracked the code and unleashed a torrent of new insights into the Maya's turbulent past.Unlike the Rosetta Stone, which unlocked the secrets of Egyptian hieroglyphs in practically one fell swoop, deciphering the Maya script involved a long series of hunches and tantalising insights as well as false leads, blind alleys and heated disagreements among scholars.Cracking The Maya Code presents the epic inside story of how the decoding was done and what Maya writings now reveal.As Maya inscriptions were slowly deciphered it became clear that this was an empire of divine rule and blood sacrifice, with warrior-kings waging constant battles, conquest and power struggles with rival lords.Today, the decoders are working with the descendants of the ancient Maya to link their spoken language with the deciphered glyphs, and modern Maya are reclaiming the rich and complicated history that has finally been unlocked.PRODUCTION DETAILS:Night Fire Films for WGBH |
| Event |
Broadcast 2010-07-25 at 14:30:00 |
| Notes |
Classification: G |
| Subject |
Archaeology and art.
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Archaeology -- Antiquities.
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Inscriptions, Mayan.
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Mayan languages -- Writing.
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Sepulchral monuments.
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Guatemala.
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| Form |
Streaming video
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| Author |
Coe, Michael, contributor
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Fash, William, contributor
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Hopkins, Nicholas, contributor
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Houston, Stephen, contributor
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Josserand, Kathryn, contributor
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Lebrun, David, director
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Martin, Simon, contributor
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Matthews, Peter, contributor
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O.Sanders, Jay, cast
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Schele, Linda, contributor
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Stuart, David, contributor
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Stuart, George, contributor
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