Detail of a stele from Tikal in Guatemala. Most of these Mayan-made artworks feature figures and hieroglyphs that have long been studied by archaeologists. The engravings, executed with remarkable mastery, depict people and mythological animals and are often accompanied by symbolic signs representing the days of the year. A witty system of dots and dashes marks the series of numbers invented by the pre-Columbian peoples of Central America. - 1977
