Santa Maria Text

Santa Maria Text

What is Santa Maria Text?

The Santa Maria Text is a 3,456-year-old inscribed baked clay tablet broken into three pieces.

The tablet is believed to be the oldest known example of writing in the Americas and is currently housed at the University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology.

The Discovery of the Santa Maria Text

Initial Discovery

The Santa Maria Text was discovered by a farmer named Justo Rufino Martínez in 1999 while plowing his field in the village of Santa Maria Ixcatlan, Oaxaca, Mexico.

First Publication of the Text

The text was first published in 2006 by researchers John Justeson, Terrence Kaufman, and Barbara Mires.

Significance of the Discovery

The discovery of the Santa Maria Text has had a major impact on the study of Mesoamerican history and linguistics.

Interpretation of the Santa Maria Text

Controversy Surrounding the Interpretation

There is considerable debate among scholars about the interpretation of the Santa Maria Text.

Some researchers believe that the text is a form of proto-writing, while others argue that it is a fully developed writing system.

Justeson, Kaufman, and Mires' Interpretation

John Justeson, Terrence Kaufman, and Barbara Mires argue that the Santa Maria Text is a form of writing that uses a combination of logographic and syllabic signs.

According to their interpretation, the text records a ritual calendar and contains references to deities and other supernatural beings.

Other Interpretations

Other researchers have proposed different interpretations of the Santa Maria Text.

Some argue that it is a form of proto-writing, while others believe that it is a fully developed writing system.

Implications of the Santa Maria Text

The Santa Maria Text has important implications for our understanding of the development of writing in the Americas.

If the Justeson, Kaufman, and Mires interpretation is correct, then it would mean that writing emerged in Mesoamerica much earlier than previously thought.

The text also provides new insights into the beliefs and practices of the ancient Mesoamerican people.