In presenting this Commentary on the Codex Perez to students of American
Archaeology, the Peabody Museum adds another paper to its series
relating to the study of the hieroglyphic writing of the ancient peoples
of Mexico and Central America.
The Museum is fortunate in adding to its collaborators Mr. William E.
Gates, of Point Loma, California, who for more than ten years has been
an earnest student of American hieroglyphs. From his lifelong studies in
linguistics in connection with his research in "the motifs of
civilizations and cultures," he comes well-equipped to take up the
difficult and all-absorbing study of American hieroglyphic writing. Mr.
Gates has materially advanced this study by his reproduction of the
glyphs in type. These type-forms he has used first in his reproduction
of the Codex Perez, and now in this Commentary they are used for the
first time in printing. The method used in the construction of this font
of type is explained by Mr. Gates in the following pages. This important
aid to the study will be highly appreciated by all students of American
hieroglyphs, as it will greatly facilitate the presentation of the
results of future research.
It will be seen that this Commentary is more in the line of suggestion
to be expanded after further studies, than in the way of conclusions.
At the close of the paper the author presents the general deductions he
has drawn from his comparative study of languages and cultures. His
concluding paragraph forcibly presents the hope that the understanding
of the Maya glyphs will furnish new and important data in the life
history of man.