Maya ：A combination of phoneticsymbols and logograms
The Maya writing system was a combination of phonetic symbols and logograms. It is most often classified as a logographic or （more properly） a logosyllabic writing system， in which syllabic signs play a significant role. It is the only writing system of the Pre-Columbian New World which is known to represent the spoken language of its community. In total， the has more than a thousand different glyphs， although a few are variations of the same sign or meaning， and many appear only rarely or are confined to particular localities. At any one time， no more than around 500 glyphs were in use， some 200 of which （including variations） had a phonetic or syllabic interpretation.
The earliest inions in an identifiably Maya date back to 200–300 BC.Since its inception， the Maya was in use up to the arrival of the Europeans， peaking during the Maya Classical Period （c. 200 to 900）. Although many Maya centers went into decline （or were completely abandoned） during or after this period， the skill and knowledge of Maya writing persisted amongst segments of the population， and the early Spanish conquistadors knew of individuals who could still read and write the . Unfortunately， the Spanish displayed little interest in it， and as a result of the dire impacts the conquest had on Maya societies， the knowledge was subsequently lost， probably within only a few generations.
The decipherment and recovery of the now-lost knowledge of Maya writing has been a long and laborious process. Some elements were first deciphered in the late 19th and early 20th century， mostly the parts having to do with numbers， the Maya calendar， and astronomy. Major breakthroughs came starting in the 1950s to 1970s， and accelerated rapidly thereafter. By the end of the 20th century， scholars were able to read the majority of Maya texts to a large extent， and recent field work continues to further illuminate the content.
Most surviving pre-Columbian Maya writing is from stelae and other stone inions from Maya sites， many of which were already abandoned before the Spanish arrived. The inions on the stelae mainly record the dynasties and wars of the sites’rulers. Also of note are the inions that reveal information about the lives of ancient Maya women. Much of the remainder of Maya hieroglyphics has been found on funeral pottery， most of which describes the afterlife.
玛雅文字：语音符号与语素文字的结合
玛雅文字系统是语音符号与语素文字的结合体。通常被归类为字符或语素文字系统，其中音节符号发挥着重要的作用。玛雅文字是前哥伦布新世界时期唯一的文字系统，它是已知社会的代表性口头语言。总的来说，该文字具有1000多种不同的字形，虽然有些是标志或意义的变化形式，但是有许多似乎很罕见或仅限于特定地区。在任何时候，玛雅文字只有不会超过500个字形在使用，其中有200个具备语音或音节解释。
可以辨认的玛雅文字最早出现在公元前200～公元前300年间，这种玛雅文字自创造成形以来一直都在使用，直到欧洲人的到来。玛雅文字使用的高峰期在玛雅古典时期（公元200～900年），虽然在此期间或在此之后，许多玛雅中心步入衰落时期或完全瓦解，但是玛雅人的书写体系的技能和知识却在某些人群中间传承下来，早期的西班牙侵略者们还听说过有人会阅读和书写这些文字。不幸的是，西班牙人对此兴趣不大，如此造成的后果对玛雅社会产生了可怕的影响，这种知识随后消失了，玛雅文字可能只传承了几代人。
解密和恢复这些如今已经消失的玛雅文字是一个漫长而艰苦的过程，公元19世纪末20世纪初，第一批文字已经被破译，其中主要部分是数字、玛雅人的日历和天文学。20世纪50～70年代，玛雅文字的研究有了重大突破，此后又加速发展。到20世纪末学者们在很大程度上能够看到大多数玛雅文字，最近的实地工作继续进一步阐明了这些内容。
