When watching the video about the history of literacy and writing in class, one topic that caught my attention was the Mayan system of writing that served as a pathway for literacy in Central America. I had some background knowledge going into this topic, as I have been able to visit the Mayan ruins of Chichen Itza, Tulum, and Coba to view this system of writing myself. I was able to learn about the ways in which they used hieroglyphics and architecture to communicate aspects of their culture. I also was lucky enough to visit Chichen Itza the year that people thought that they Mayans had predicted the end of the world, which was quite interesting and ended up being a huge focal point of the tour. We were able to learn about the specific hieroglyphics that lead people to make these conclusions, discovering how a mis-interpretation of written word made an entire culture believe that we were facing a catastrophic event. Overall, I was most surprised that what I thought I had known about literacy and the definition of being “literate” was completely wrong. I always thought of literacy as being proficient in a language with a clear alphabet or being able to speak and communicate with another. However, after viewing the Mayans intricate carved images, I was reminded of how powerful all forms of written language are and the lingering effects they can have on society. All-in-all, I would 10/10 recommend this trip to anyone interested in history and literacy. Not only did it make for some super cool photo-ops, but I also learned a great deal about Mayan culture.
