Deciphering Aztec Hieroglyphs A Guide to Nahuatl Writing

"Aztec writing was an ancient system that developed explosively in the face of cultural needs arising from the terrible shock of the Spanish conquest and colonization. It is a historical case worthy of study to understand the catalysts of the creative power of the human being. In this book, Whittaker analyses the system from the perspective of a noted expert in Aztec history, language, and culture.”—Alfredo López Austin, Emeritus Professor of History at the Instituto de Investigaciones Antropológicas of the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México

"At last! Gordon Whittaker has written a book that many of us have long wished for. He presents the Aztec glyphs in all their complexity and playfulness, and he does so in terms that any careful reader can follow. Whittaker is the perfect guide to the Nahuas’ glyphic universe, for not only does he have a deep knowledge of all the existing sixteenth-century pictorial sources, but also he has an excellent grasp of the Nahuatl language. Readers at all levels will, in their different ways, find the time they spend with this work to be richly rewarding.”—Camilla Townsend, Distinguished Professor of History, Rutgers University, and author of Fifth Sun: A New History of the Aztecs

"This book definitively resolves the centuries-deep enigma of Aztec hieroglyphic writing. Avid general readers and Mesoamerican experts alike have longed to understand the Aztecs through their own script. Now, thanks to Gordon Whittaker, they can at last.”—Benjamin D. Johnson, University of Massachusetts Boston and NEH Xolotl Project