Commentary Upon the Maya-Tzental Perez Codex: With a Concluding Note Upon the Linguistic Problem of the Maya Glyphs

This is a pioneering work in Maya epigraphy, capturing a pivotal moment in the long struggle to read the ancient Maya script. Written in the early twentieth century when the glyphs remained largely mysterious, William Gates offers his attempt to decode the Perez Codex, one of the few surviving Maya books from the colonial period. Gates combines careful linguistic analysis with archaeological context, methodically working through the codex's inscriptions and illustrations. He discusses the considerable challenges of decipherment, comparing his findings with existing research and acknowledging the profound cultural achievements embedded in Maya writing. The work also celebrates the artistic brilliance of the codex, treating it not merely as text but as a testament to Maya intellectual and aesthetic sophistication. For modern readers, this book serves as a historical document in itself, revealing what scholars could (and could not) understand about Maya glyphs before the major decipherment breakthroughs of the mid-twentieth century.