Grolier Codex

by Enrico_Dandolo

So, apparently Mesoamerican archaeologists have determined that the Grolier Codex, an ancient astronomical text that was thought to be a hoax, is the genuine article. How does this change our understanding of Mesoamerican history?

http://arstechnica.com/science/2016/09/confirmed-mysterious-ancient-maya-book-grolier-codex-is-genuine/ Link taken from r/history.

Mictlantecuhtli

It's hard to say since the journal article isn't out just yet (It's being sold on Amazon and is dated to December 2015, but there is no citation for it on Scholar, it doesn't appear in any of the author's CVs, and the press release is just now coming out? I think the date on Amazon is an error). The astronomical portion of the codex will probably not add a whole lot to what we already know about how Maya calendrics and cycles of time other than the fact that some of these cycles only measure a century or so rather than multiple centuries. That portion of the codex is also poorly preserved with huge pieces missing.

I think the important part of the analysis of the codex is the mix of art styles between a Maya style and a Central Mexican style. This isn't completely unknown or unique if one counts the stela that record foreign invaders coming into the Lowlands, conquering Tikal, and placing one of their own on the throne. In these stela the Maya are rendered in the typical Maya style, but the foreigners are rendered in a more Teotihuacan art style complete with typical Teotihuacan armor and armaments that are not found within the Maya region. These foreigners may be from Teotihuacan or a Teotihuacan influenced region, the debate still continues.

If this codex did, in fact, come from Chichen Itza the mix of art styles makes more sense since Chichen seems to exude the mixing of multiple art styles to become an international city. Initially scholars thought the Toltecs invaded or influenced Chichen, but recent work is showing that the mix of Central Mexican "Toltec" architecture is contemporaneous with the Maya Puuc style architecture within the site. This codex may be the balance between local ideas and knowledge with the desire to adopt or use non-local art styles for added status or prestige.