The Dresden Codex, the Great Maya Book of the Stars
Unlike other great civilizations of old, such as the ancient Greeks, Romans, or Egyptians, surprisingly few Maya texts survive.
This is, of course, not because the Maya did not produce a great many written sources, but because of the zeal with which the invading European Conquistadors destroyed all Mesoamerican texts they could get their hands on, accusing them of being heretical.
But despite their best efforts, a handful of ancient Maya texts did survive, though mostly in imperfect copies. The most famous of these surviving works is the Popul Vuh, also known as the Sacred Book of the Maya. However, the surviving version of the Popol Vuh exists only as a Latin-script translation, not in the original hieroglyphic Maya.
Maya script, also known as Maya glyphs, is the native writing system of the Maya civilization of Mesoamerica and the only Mesoamerican writing system to have been substantially deciphered.
The Dresden Codex
The Dresden Codex is a Maya book believed to be the oldest surviving book written in the Americas, dating to the 11th or 12th century. It is believed to be a copy of a text dating to the 7th or 8th centuries. Its rediscovery was key to deciphering the hieroglyphic Maya system and is to this day considered one of the most important documents of its kind.
The original name of the codex is unknown, but for centuries it was known as the Grolier Codex until it was lost and rediscovered in Dresden, Germany, hence its current name.
How exactly this priceless artifact ended up in Germany is uncertain. It was likely transported to Europe by scholars in much the same way as another famous ancient Maya text, the Madrid Codex.
The Dresden Codex is made of amate, a material derived from tree bark. Its pages measure roughly 8 by 20 inches and can be folded accordion-style. When unfolded, the text measures 3.7 meters (12 feet).
The Dresden Codex has provided scholars with a treasure trove of information on the Maya’s knowledge of the cosmos.Photo: Carlos Rosado van der Gracht / Yucatán Magazine
Note the use of the Maya numeral system, which uses 20 as its base instead of 10. Any number, save zero, can be represented using only two symbols — these being dots and dashes.Photo: Carlos Rosado van der Gracht / Yucatán Magazine
Artwork by Fernando Castro Pacheco depicting Fray Diego de Landa, who was responsible for the destruction of innumerable Maya texts and artifacts.Photo: Carlos Rosado van der Gracht / Yucatán Magazine
K’awill’s serpentine tail entangles a Maya noblewoman. Illustration based on elements from the Dresden Codex and Ceramic Vessel K5164. Illustration: Carlos Rosado van der Gracht / Yucatán Magazine
Note the use of Maya Blue behind the figure on the far right, the Lord of the Underworld himself, Ah Puch.Photo: Carlos Rosado van der Gracht / Yucatán Magazine
Knowledge developed by Mesoamerican cultures, such as the Olmec and the Maya, was later adopted by civilizations such as the Aztec. Pictured is the famous Sun Stone, which contains calendric elements but, despite popular belief, is not a complete calendar itself.Photo: Carlos Rosado van der Gracht / Yucatán Magazine
K’awill’s serpentine tail entangles a Maya noblewoman. Illustration based on elements from the Dresden Codex and Ceramic Vessel K5164.Illustration: Carlos Rosado van der Gracht / Yucatán Magazine
In all, the codex contains 78 pages with writing on both sides, as well as decorative front and back covers. The codex was first published in 1810 by Alexander von Humboldt.
Another noteworthy aspect of the Dresden Codex is its ample use of blue. Across the ancient world, the use of blue was rare because of the difficulties involved in producing this color. The color known as Maya Blue was made from a small-leaved plant called anil, which, when combined with a special type of clay found in Mesoamerica, produced a stable pigment.
Within the pages of the Dresden Codex is information relating to the ritual Tzolk’in 260-day calendar, which takes its cues from the movements of several stars and planets, chief among them Venus and Mars. Interestingly, this calendar aligns with nine cycles of the Moon and the human gestational period.
Why the Dresden Codex is so Important
Besides the ritualistic Tzolk’in calendar, other Maya calendars include the 365-day Haab calendar and the long count calendar, which is divided into units of time called Baktunes, each lasting 394.25 years — a long count indeed.
Being the sophisticated astronomers that they were, within the pages of the Dresden Codex we find several accurate astronomical tables tracking the positions of celestial bodies and providing information about eclipses.
For the Maya, science and religion were deeply intertwined and in some ways indistinguishable. For this reason, it should come as no surprise that the Dresden Codex includes numerous representations of gods in the Maya pantheon.
Some of the deities represented include the goddess of the moon and childbirth, Ixchel, the god of corn, Yum Kaax, and, of course, the rain god, Chaak, who is depicted a whopping 134 times.
The Dresden Codex also offers insights into several deities for which we otherwise have little documentation, such as K’awill — sometimes also called Bolon Dzacab.
To view the entire Dresden Codex in its correct reading sequence, click here. The file is quite large, so it may take some time to load, but it’s well worth it.
For more on the fascinating legacy of the Maya, make sure to check out our weekly feature, Archaeology Monday, in which we cover a fascinating Maya archaeological site or related topic every week.
Senior Editor Carlos Rosado van der Gracht, PhD, is a journalist, photographer, and expedition leader. Born in Mérida, Carlos holds degrees from universities in Mexico, Canada, and Norway. Most recently, he earned a doctorate in Heritage Studies in 2026.
