Some projects can be completed in a year; others unfold over the better part of a decade. In 2019, SEI began its work on Classic Maya hieroglyphs through a grant from the U.S. National Endowment for the Humanities and a partnership with the Unicode Consortium. That first stage accomplished a preliminary list of characters. Last year marked the beginning of the project’s second stage, representing a significant acceleration of the research.

During this phase, key objectives were defined: to design as many glyphs as possible with sufficient size variations, to enable the transcription of the widest possible range of Maya epigraphic texts, and to move toward Unicode standardization. Beyond these technical considerations, this project pursues a broader ambition. By bridging history and innovation, this initiative aims to make the Maya writing system a tool for cultural preservation, education, and experimentation, accessible to both researchers and non-specialists.

This post provides an overview of the project’s progress, describes the inherent complexities involved in designing a typeface for this complex script, and highlights the important role of archives such as the Merle Greene Robertson Collection, which remain essential resources for advancing such work today.

About the Project

The project draws on the complementary expertise of several collaborators:

Gabrielle Vail, archaeologist and epigrapher based at UNC-Chapel Hill (United States), contributes her linguistic and epigraphic expertise as a recognized specialist in the Maya writing system, as evidenced by her contributions to the Maya Hieroglyphic Codices Database, the Maya Hieroglyphic Database, and the New Catalog of Maya Hieroglyphs, among others, which are essential references for the study of these hieroglyphic signs. 

My participation in the project, as a type designer, stems from my research on Maya hieroglyphs from the Codical Period conducted at the Atelier National de Recherche Typographique (France) as part of the Missing Scripts program. This study of codices enabled me to develop a methodology adapted to Maya hieroglyphs, which I subsequently refined to meet the specificities of the Classic Period. My contribution centers on the research and digital creation of glyphs, aiming to accurately translate the visual and structural complexity of these signs.

Andrew Glass, Principal Product Manager at Microsoft (United States), draws on his experience with complex writing systems, such as Egyptian hieroglyphs, to provide the typographic engineering that undergirds the typeface. His contributions also guide the development of a keyboard to type Maya Hieroglyphs and the encoding model so the script can be added to Unicode.

Additionally, Debbie Anderson, Helena Kansa, and Anushah Hossain from SEI help oversee the project, working as intermediaries between our team and the Unicode Consortium and helping to define the broader strategy for encoding Maya Hieroglyphs — a project that started in 2015 and spans both Codical and Classic varieties.

Screenshot from an online meeting with members of the team. (Author’s documentation)

In-person working session on Maya with Gaby and Andrew at Audubon Park, New Orleans, Louisiana. (Author’s documentation)

The complementary nature of our respective skills is a major asset in approaching the various aspects of the project. This multidisciplinary approach facilitates the rigorous identification of linguistic, graphic, and technical aspects and offers relevant solutions to the challenges posed by the digital representation of Maya hieroglyphs.

Introduction to the Writing System

Maya hieroglyphic script is, undoubtedly, the most elaborate writing system in the Americas. Due to the graphic variety and the complexity of the signs and structure, this system has not yet been integrated into the Unicode standard. Our work focuses primarily on the epigraphic corpus of the Classic Period, covering more than six centuries of Maya writing from approximately 250 to 900 AD, and centered in the cities of the Maya Lowlands in present-day Mexico, Guatemala, Belize, and part of Honduras.

Mainly engraved or even incised on stone, this script is distinguished by its ornamental richness, illustrative quality, and considerable stylistic diversity. These texts often recount historical events related to the reign of Maya rulers, such as their military victories, the commemoration of their accession, political alliances, and rituals that can often be linked through calendrical cycles to significant actions performed by primordial and ancestral beings.

Maya writing is usually composed in paired columns, most commonly read from left to right and top to bottom, following a structured visual organization. The individual signs are arranged in blocks, called quadrats, which may contain one or more glyphs in approximately phonetic order. These quadrats can take many forms: some feature a dominant main sign surrounded by smaller affixes, while others present a more balanced arrangement of elements of similar size.

The composition is highly flexible, allowing logograms (representing words, concepts, or ideas) and syllabograms (representing syllables) to be combined within the same blocks in various configurations. This flexibility enabled scribes to employ numerous formal variations, which not only made it easier to adapt the text to space constraints, but also reflected an undeniable aesthetic concern to enrich its graphic variety.

Process

Since the potential corpus for hieroglyphs from the Classic Maya Period is so sprawling, it was essential to define a strategy and order for which glyphs we prioritize, as tackling them all could easily take a decade. The method used to select glyphs is based on a very practical approach. We start by choosing a reference monument, usually well documented and accessible, whether it is a well-known stela or a lintel particularly representative of the Classic Period. Using this monument as a basis, I identify and draw all the glyphs needed for its complete typographical reconstitution. This method has a twofold advantage: not only does it allow us to develop a repertoire of signs gradually, but it also enables us to produce typographical transcriptions of entire monuments, making the progress of the project tangible and providing a future working tool for Gabrielle’s workshop.

To ensure the accuracy of the sign drawings, a precise methodology was adopted. The first step consisted of gathering all usable occurrences of the same sign from various sources, periods, and geographical contexts in order to build a reference corpus. Based on this, a synthesis and analysis phase was carried out in collaboration with Gabrielle to understand the sign by identifying its essential formal features. This approach consisted of distinguishing the elements that convey meaning from those that are purely ornamental, retaining only the components that are significant to the representation of the sign. The objective is not to reproduce a hieroglyph specific to a given place or period, but to construct a generic visual representation encompassing all its occurrences. It should be noted that some glyphs are very common, while others are rare or occur only once, which can make their reading more uncertain and, consequently, their interpretation more complex.

Based on this preliminary analysis, the design phase begins with successive hand-drawn sketches, each layer refining the glyph’s outline. The next step is digitization, which involves digitally redrawing the sign’s contour as a skeleton. This structure facilitates future glyph deformations while maintaining an optically appropriate stroke thickness.

Given the complexity of Maya blocks, which can contain a large number of signs, the typography must be able to display each glyph in both its largest, most detailed form and in reduced sizes, allowing it to be freely combined with other glyphs. According to this principle, each sign must theoretically be available in 36 possible variations, ensuring formal consistency regardless of its size. This management of variations is defined on an archetypal six-by-six composition grid, and is adapted from Andrew’s previous work on Egyptian hieroglyphs. Each glyph must therefore precisely reconcile linguistic requirements with the technical constraints of its digital composition.

Into the Merle Greene Robertson Collection

In April 2025, I had the opportunity to undertake a research residency at the Doris Z. Stone Latin American Library (LAL) and Research Center at Tulane University in New Orleans (United States). I was warmly welcomed by the entire team, whose support and availability greatly facilitated my work. The LAL holds an exceptional collection: the archives of Merle Greene Robertson, an American artist, archaeologist, and researcher whose work is a vital source for the study, documentation, and preservation of Maya heritage. This collection, the result of more than forty years of fieldwork, brings together approximately two thousand ink on rice paper rubbings, along with photographs, field diaries, maps, and detailed drawings documenting monumental Maya art and hieroglyphic texts from throughout Mesoamerica.

Portrait of Merle Greene Robertson accessed via the Doris Z. Stone Latin American Library and Research Center. (Author’s documentation)

Roll of rubbings at the Merle Greene Robertson Collection, Doris Z. Stone Latin American Library. (Author’s documentation)

Expedition itinerary map from the Merle Greene Robertson Collection, Doris Z. Stone Latin American Library. (Author’s documentation)

Research notebook on Maya monuments and map from the Merle Greene Robertson Collection, Doris Z. Stone Latin American Library. (Author’s documentation)

Merle Greene Robertson developed and perfected a rubbing technique over many years to precisely reproduce the sculpted reliefs of Maya monuments. The process involved applying moistened rice paper to an engraved surface, then delicately pressing it to conform to the stone’s contours. Once the paper was almost dry, sumi ink or oil paint, depending on the terrain or the size of the monument, was applied in successive taps until the image appeared in negative. This process, by contrast, revealed the depth and complexity of the sculptures while preserving their physical integrity.

In a context marked by the deterioration and looting of numerous archaeological sites, Merle Greene Robertson described her work as a “race against time.” She ventured into the Mesoamerican jungle, facing harsh conditions, local wildlife, and the threat of looters, to document these endangered monuments. As one of the first women to play a central role in several major archaeological missions, she made her mark through her determination and expertise, becoming a leading figure in Maya cultural research and conservation.

Rubbing details of the Palace Tablet, Palenque (Mexico), from the Merle Greene Robertson Collection, Doris Z. Stone Latin American Library. (Author’s documentation)

Original Lintel 25 (British Museum) and Merle Greene Robertson rubbing side-by-side. Image via The Trustees of the British Museum, CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 and the Doris Z. Stone Latin American Library. (Author’s documentation)

Tablet of 96 Glyphs rubbing from the Merle Greene Robertson Collection, Doris Z. Stone Latin American Library. (Author’s documentation)

Tablet of 96 Glyphs rubbing from the Merle Greene Robertson Collection, Doris Z. Stone Latin American Library. (Author’s documentation)

Rubbing details of the Palace Tablet, Palenque (Mexico), from the Merle Greene Robertson Collection, Doris Z. Stone Latin American Library. (Author’s documentation)

Rubbing details of the Palace Tablet, Palenque (Mexico), from the Merle Greene Robertson Collection, Doris Z. Stone Latin American Library. (Author’s documentation)

Analysis of Merle Greene Robertson’s archives enabled me to identify a large number of glyph occurrences, compare their outlines with those already drawn, and establish new correspondences. This exploration allowed the typographic transcription of monuments previously unpublished or poorly documented, using the typeface designed for this research. In addition, the in-depth examination of these materials provided valuable information on the evolution and regional variations of the signs.

Shark glyph “XOK” from Palace Tablet rubbing, Palenque (Mexico) at the Merle Greene Robertson Collection, Doris Z. Stone Latin American Library. (Author’s documentation)

Rubbing details of the Palace Tablet, Palenque (Mexico), from the Merle Greene Robertson Collection, Doris Z. Stone Latin American Library. (Author’s documentation)

Tablet of 96 Glyphs rubbing from the Merle Greene Robertson Collection, Doris Z. Stone Latin American Library. (Author’s documentation)

Glyph “AJ4” from Palace Tablet rubbing, Palenque (Mexico) at the Merle Greene Robertson Collection, Doris Z. Stone Latin American Library. (Author’s documentation)

Glyph edition used as a working document. (Author’s documentation)

These original materials provided an enriching experience for this research, but also a truly personal one. Away from my laptop screen, studying these rubbings, the texture of the paper, the ink variations, and handwritten annotations added a tangible, sensory dimension. Indeed, this experience revealed not only the monumental nature of these inscriptions, but also their finesse, precision, and the quality of their execution.

Access to several boxes of photographic archives that had not yet been consulted gave me the opportunity to gain a deeper insight into the intimacy of these expeditions and their daily life. Opening the boxes, discovering, examining, and then digitizing some of these photographs, which had remained intact since being deposited, was definitely a privileged moment.

Merle Greene Robertson expedition photographs digitized from archival boxes at the Merle Greene Robertson Collection, Doris Z. Stone Latin American Library. (Author’s documentation)

Merle Greene Robertson expedition photographs digitized from archival boxes at the Merle Greene Robertson Collection, Doris Z. Stone Latin American Library. (Author’s documentation)

Merle Greene Robertson expedition photographs digitized from archival boxes at the Merle Greene Robertson Collection, Doris Z. Stone Latin American Library. (Author’s documentation)

Merle Greene Robertson expedition photographs digitized from archival boxes at the Merle Greene Robertson Collection, Doris Z. Stone Latin American Library. (Author’s documentation)

Merle Greene Robertson expedition photographs digitized from archival boxes at the Merle Greene Robertson Collection, Doris Z. Stone Latin American Library. (Author’s documentation)

Merle Greene Robertson expedition photographs digitized from archival boxes at the Merle Greene Robertson Collection, Doris Z. Stone Latin American Library. (Author’s documentation)

Merle Greene Robertson expedition photographs digitized from archival boxes at the Merle Greene Robertson Collection, Doris Z. Stone Latin American Library. (Author’s documentation)

Merle Greene Robertson expedition photographs digitized from archival boxes at the Merle Greene Robertson Collection, Doris Z. Stone Latin American Library. (Author’s documentation)

Finally, this residency at LAL was enriched by exchanges with team members who had spent time with Merle Greene Robertson. Their stories paint a picture of a passionate, meticulous, and deeply committed researcher dedicated to preserving Maya heritage. Some of Merle Greene Robertson’s rubbings have been digitized and recently updated, and are available online on the Latin American Library website.

Perspective

The project advances on two complementary fronts. The first is the typographic transcription of reference monuments from the Classic Period. We have currently completed over 200 glyphs, each available in multiple size variations. This growing catalog continues to expand as we document signs from across the Classic Period corpus.

Classic Maya Hieroglyphs Glyph set created during the project. (Author’s documentation)

Formal variations of the syllabic glyph “mo”. Complete macaw head, affix version with beak only, simplified version with eye only, and alternate with snake coming out of the eye. (Author’s documentation)

Glyph “K’EW” (pelt, skin) represented by a jaguar pelt. (Author’s documentation)

Formal variations of the glyph “CHAPAHT”/”wa”. Complete centipede head, reduced affix version, version that can contain another glyph, and ligature with the glyph “TZ’IKIN”. (Author’s documentation)

Ligature of three glyphs (HT7 + 2SB + SMA) known as “baby k’awiil” (Unen K’awiil), God II of Palenque. (Author’s documentation)

The current glyph set already enables us to produce complete typographic transcriptions of numerous monuments, providing researchers with working tools for studying and analyzing Maya inscriptions. Each newly transcribed monument not only enriches our glyph repertoire but also serves as a practical demonstration of the typeface’s capabilities.

Beyond these immediate research applications, Unicode encoding represents the second front of the project, a crucial step for long-term accessibility and standardization. In 2022, Gabrielle submitted a preliminary proposal to Unicode, focusing on the most common glyphs in the Classic corpus, approximately 300 signs. The current goal is to complete the design of all these signs with the variations necessary for their digital composition. The Unicode encoding process is long and rigorous, involving numerous stages of technical, linguistic, and community validation. At our current pace and funding from the Mellon Foundation, we should be able to submit a consolidated and operational version to Unicode within a few years, marking a decisive step towards the digital standardization of Classic Maya writing.

Stela 11 rubbing (lower part), from Yaxchilán (Mexico) via the Merle Greene Robertson Collection, Doris Z. Stone Latin American Library. (Author’s documentation)

Digital transcription of Stela 11 using the typeface (lower part), from Yaxchilán (Mexico). (Author’s documentation)

Lintel 25 rubbing (edge side), from Yaxchilán (Mexico) via the Merle Greene Robertson Collection, Doris Z. Stone Latin American Library. (Author’s documentation)

Digital transcription of Lintel 25 (edge side) using the typeface, from Yaxchilán (Mexico). (Author’s documentation)

Stela 11 rubbing (upper part), from Yaxchilán (Mexico) via the Merle Greene Robertson Collection, Doris Z. Stone Latin American Library. (Author’s documentation)

Digital transcription of Stela 11 using the typeface (upper part), from Yaxchilán (Mexico). (Author’s documentation)

Stela 11 rubbing (left part), from Yaxchilán (Mexico) via the Merle Greene Robertson Collection, Doris Z. Stone Latin American Library. (Author’s documentation)

Digital transcription of Stela 11 using the typeface (left part), from Yaxchilán (Mexico). (Author’s documentation)

Stela 11 rubbing (right part) from Yaxchilán (Mexico) via the Merle Greene Robertson Collection, Doris Z. Stone Latin American Library.(Author’s documentation)

Digital transcription of Stela 11 using the typeface (right part), from Yaxchilán (Mexico). (Author’s documentation)

In the long term, this typeface is intended to provide epigraphers, enthusiasts, and contemporary Maya communities with a tool for studying, preserving, and using Maya hieroglyphs. By making this writing system accessible in the contemporary digital environment, the project contributes to its revitalization, enhances the accessibility of Maya texts, and promotes a better understanding of this culture, while paving the way for future research efforts.

When, then, will we finally be able to type in Maya hieroglyphs? There is no definitive answer at present. It will certainly take several more years of work before the integration of the Maya writing system from the Classic Period becomes a reality. However, the typeface is already functional for scholarly transcription and research, and each completed glyph brings us closer to the digital integration of the script, from stone to screen.

Alexandre Bassi is an independent French type designer. He obtained a master’s degree in type design from the École de Communication Visuelle in Paris, and then undertook a research period at the Atelier National de Recherche Typographique in Nancy, France. His practice is structured around three axes: type design, research, and teaching. His work evolves through commissions, collaborations with foundries, and self-initiated projects. He is a member of the Mayan Encoding Project’s multidisciplinary team, affiliated with the Script Encoding Initiative, UC Berkeley. The project aims to define, shape, and facilitate the encoding of the Classic Maya writing system within the Unicode standard.