I think the Maya participated in the invention of writing much earlier than thought. As cities began in Mesoamerica around this time, writing was a part of that, just like public art and presentation of political ideology. It's all part of a package.

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Currently the policy is to acquire them on a voluntary basis, there is also an issue of cost.

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It's like trying to read some of the writing in medieval manuscripts or handwriting from the 1500s. Even though it is our same writing system we don't recognize it.

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