Maya Codex Tradition

Timeline

1. c. 900–950Petén and Yucatán · Maya lowlandsAfter the decline of the Classic Maya city-states, the writing tradition shifted to the northern Yucatán Peninsula, where the priestly class continued to record Long Count dates, Venus cycles, and ritual calendars in codices, sustaining the transmission of knowledge.
2. c. 950–1000Chichén Itzá and surrounding city-states · Yucatán StatePostclassic Maya artisans made paper from fig bark, coated it with lime, and painted with mineral pigments; codex contents covered astronomical tables, divinatory rituals, and dynastic lineages, with production techniques becoming increasingly mature.
3. c. 980–1000Maya priestly libraries · Yucatán PeninsulaCodices were hereditarily kept by priests and played a central role in divinatory rituals, coronation ceremonies, and agricultural festivals, serving as an important vehicle of power and legitimacy for the Maya civilization's knowledge elite.