The study of Maya epigraphy and iconography constitutes one of the most dynamic and well-established fields of research on the pre-Hispanic world. As we move further into the second quarter of the twenty-first century, the progressive decipherment of hieroglyphic writing and the development of increasingly sophisticated approaches to image analysis have profoundly transformed our understanding of the political history, ritual practices, cosmology, social relations and the multiple forms of representation developed by the ancient Maya societies. Far from being disciplines already closed in their conclusions, epigraphy and iconography continue to be renewed through the discovery of new monuments and objects bearing texts and images, the critical revision of previously accepted readings and interpretations, dialogue with other disciplines, and the incorporation of new documentation and analysis tools.
In recent years, technologies such as photogrammetry, three-dimensional scanning, multispectral photography, data mining and other digital resources have notably expanded the possibilities for recording, preserving and studying texts and images that were previously inaccessible or deteriorated. These technological advances have been combined with an organic development of both disciplines, driven by new historiographical questions, debates over iconographic interpretation, refinements in the decipherment of writing, and growing attention to the archaeological, material and social contexts in which inscriptions and visual representations were produced.
This symposium calls for recent research reflecting the contemporary vitality of Maya epigraphic and iconographic studies. Contributions are welcome on both new discoveries and the reinterpretation of known materials, methodological innovations, theoretical discussions, regional studies, advances in the decipherment of texts, iconographic analyses, and applications of digital technologies. The purpose is to offer a space for collective reflection on the current state of these disciplines, their main debates, and the challenges they will face in the coming years.
