Maya Glyphs

Hello. I am a Maya Glyph. I might look like a little picture to you. Sometimes I look like a person's face, or a wiggly animal, or just a cool shape. But I am a secret. I am special picture-writing. The wonderful Maya people made me a long, long, long time ago. They wanted to remember all of their amazing stories, so they drew me to tell everyone about their world. I am not just a pretty drawing, I am a secret message filled with exciting tales from the past.

My story began a very, very long time ago, around the 3rd century BCE. That's older than anyone you know. Special writers called scribes made me. They were so careful. Sometimes, a scribe would tap, tap, tap with a tool and carve me into a big, tall stone. These special stones were called stelae, and they stood outside for everyone to see me. Other times, a scribe would use a soft brush and colorful paints to put me inside a special book. The book was made from tree bark and folded up like an accordion. I told stories about brave kings and strong queens. I helped everyone remember important days and big celebrations. I felt so proud to hold such big stories inside me.

But then, something a little sad happened. For many, many years, people forgot how to read my secret messages. It felt like I was sleeping, and all my amazing stories were quiet. I waited and waited for someone to remember me. Then, starting in the 1950s, very clever people came along. They looked at me so closely, like detectives solving a big mystery. They worked and worked and finally figured out my secrets. They woke me up. Now, I can share all the wonderful stories of the Maya people with you and everyone in the whole world. My secrets are not secrets anymore, and I am so happy to share my stories again.