Definition: There are three surviving Maya codices known in the world: Dresden, Madrid, and Paris, named because that's where the codices ended up, in museums in those cities. The codices, essentially painted books made of bark cloth, were made in central America, by the Maya civilization and they illustrate towns, legends, kingly descent and other information that the Maya held sacred.
Originally there were probably hundreds of codices; the Spanish clerics burned most of them in 1521. How the codices from Central America got to Europe is unknown, although they were probably sent to Spain by the Spanish conquistador Hernan Cortes. One additional fragment, called the Grolier codex, was found in Mexico in 1965.
This glossary entry is part of the Dictionary of Archaeology. Any mistakes are the responsibility of Kris Hirst.
Originally there were probably hundreds of codices; the Spanish clerics burned most of them in 1521. How the codices from Central America got to Europe is unknown, although they were probably sent to Spain by the Spanish conquistador Hernan Cortes. One additional fragment, called the Grolier codex, was found in Mexico in 1965.
This glossary entry is part of the Dictionary of Archaeology. Any mistakes are the responsibility of Kris Hirst.
