Origins of Mayan and Mixtec Writings

This article establishes the dates of creation and discovery for some Mayan and Mixtec writings. Please email me or comment if you have additional information you would like added.

Most codices destroyed by conquistadors and Catholic priests in the 16th century

1562 – Fray Diego de Landa burns Mayan Sacred texts

1600s and 1700s? – Chilam Balam written?

1700s – Popol Vuh transcribed and translated (these writings on the Popol Vuh discovered around 1855)

1700s – sole surviving copy of Songs of Dzitbalche (The Book of the Dances of the Ancients) written (first full Spanish translation in 1965)

1739 – Dresden Codex purchased in Germany

1856 – Rabinal Achí recorded?

1859 – Paris Codex discovered in Paris

1860s – Madrid Codex discovered in Spain

1844 – Annals of the Cakchiquels discovered (translated in 1855, published in 1885)

1965 – Grolier Codex acquired in Mexico

Mixtec Manuscripts

1500s – Codex Waecker-Gotter probably created (owned in 1869)

1500s – Codex Zouche-Nuttall appears as a gift? (first published 1902)

1500s – Codex Vindobonensis Mexicanus I appears as a gift?

1556 – Last date mentioned in Codex Selden (given to the University of Oxford in 1654)

1600s – Codex Bodley appears

1800s? – Codex Colombino purchased by Phillip Becker?

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References:

[1] – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mesoamerican_literature

[2] – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Mesoamerican_codices

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