Zapotec script
Escritura zapoteca
- Date
- c. 600 BCE · confidence medium
- Place
- San José Mogote, Oaxaca, Mexico
- Credited to
- Zapotecs of the Oaxaca Valley
- Field
- Knowledge & symbols
⚠️ Disputed: the sources disagree.
What it is
A glyph system combining names, dates from the 260-day calendar and numerals, carved on monuments such as Monument 3 of San José Mogote. It is one of the oldest scripts of Mesoamerica.
Its relation to Olmec writing (Cascajal block) and its priority over other Mesoamerican scripts are debated; decipherment is partial.
What it led to
- Monte Albán inscriptions with dates and ruler names
- spread of the 260-day calendar count
- a written tradition that influenced neighbouring scripts