Mayanist
 | This articleappears to be adictionary definition.(May 2023) |
 Tulum/ 1844 lithograph by F Catherwood | |
| Occupation | |
|---|---|
| Synonyms | Mayologist |
Occupation type | profession |
Activity sectors | |
AMayanist(Spanish:mayista) is a scholar specialising in research and study of theMesoamericanpre-ColumbianMaya civilisation.[1][2][3]This discipline should not be confused withMayanism,a collection of New Age beliefs about the ancient Maya.
Mayanists draw upon many inter-related disciplines includingarchaeology,linguistics,epigraphy,ethnology,history,photography/art,architecture,astronomyandceramics.
The termMayanistwascoinedby parallel with specialised fields studying other historicalcivilisations;see for example,Egyptologist(Ancient Egypt) andAssyriologist(Ancient Mesopotamia). It has been in widespread use from the late 19th century onwards, particularly by those who have studied and contributed to thedeciphermentofMaya hieroglyphics,the complex and elaboratewriting systemwhich was developed by the ancient Maya.
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