A New Anthropological Discovery Is Giving Us More Understanding Into the Nahuatl Language
Anthropologists might have finally cracked one of the lingering mysteries surrounding the Teotihuacan civilization. After decades of studying the civilization, researchers believe that they have finally discovered the ancient writing system. This is a major discovery of an ancient civilization that might have developed that Nahuatl language.
We might be closer to decoding the Teotihuacan language
Magnus Pharao Hansen and Christopher Helmke, researchers with the University of Copenhagen, published their findings in Current Anthropology. The researchers believe that they have finally deciphered the Teotihuacan written language. This is a major anthropological breakthrough in further understanding the civilizations that led to the Aztec Empire. The new discovery is a deeper look into the language that led to Nahuatl, which was used to form modern words today, like avocado.
“If we are right, it is not only remarkable that we have deciphered a writing system,” Helmke told ZME Science in a statement. “It could have implications for our entire understanding of Mesoamerican cultures and, of course, point to a solution to the mystery surrounding the inhabitants of Teotihuacan.”
The researchers studied the symbols in murals and ceramics. After examining the symbols, they determined that they were not simply there for decoration. The researchers found that the symbols are, in fact, the written language used by the Teotihuacan people. Unlike other civilizations from the time period, the people of Teotihuacan didn’t leave behind deciphered writing.
This might be the root of the Nahuatl language
For years, anthropologists have debated whether or not the symbols were an official written language. Pharao Hansen and Helmke claim that their discovery proves that it is indeed a written language. The researchers claim that the symbols share core features present in other Mesoamerican languages at the time.
They focused on two different features: logograms and the rebus principle. Logograms are images that represent words. The rebus principle is when pictorial elements are paired with sounds to make abstract words.
“No one before us has used a language that fits the time period to decipher this written language,” Pharao Hansen told ZME Science. “Nor has anyone been able to prove that certain logograms had a phonetic value that could be used in contexts other than the logogram’s main meaning.”
The Teotihuacan language might be the lost branch of Uto-Aztecan. The language, if verified in further research, will add to the robust history that led to the Nahuatl language.
The researchers still have a long way to go to fully decode the Teotihuacan language. Some symbols are straight forward, representing what is depicted. Meanwhile, the same image might be used to convey an idea or sound that is not immediately obvious.
