One of the great innovations of the 8th century Maya world, full-figure inscriptions appeared at four Maya sites over the span of 100 years: Palenque, Copán, Yaxchilán, and Quiriguá. These inscriptions, while linguistically sound and conforming to the genre of monumental dedication texts, present a complex visual landscape for analysis. In this presentation, I summarize the key takeaways of my analysis of this corpus, which formed my dissertation at Tulane.

Catherine Nuckols is a PhD candidate at Tulane University who recently defended her dissertation and will graduate in May 2024. Her dissertation focuses on full-figure hieroglyphic writing of the ancient Maya during the eighth century CE, examining how these inscriptions exemplify both linguistic content and visual complexity. By investigating the ways in which art and writing intersect, she hopes to advance understanding of Maya visual culture as it reflects in hieroglyphic writing. Catherine earned her Master of Arts in Art History at the University of Texas at Austin and her Bachelor of Arts in Latin American Studies at Brigham Young University.

M.A.R.I. Lunch Talks invite guest speakers to host seminars at MARI on a wide variety of topics related to the archaeology, history, and ethnography of Mesoamerica and other world areas. The events typically take place on Fridays around noon and can be delivered in English and Spanish.