Isthmian script
| Isthmian script | |
|---|---|
Detail showing three columns of glyphs from La Mojarra Stela 1. The two right columns are Isthmian glyphs. The left column gives a Mesoamerican Long Count calendar date of 8.5.16.9.7, or 156 CE. | |
| Script type | Undeciphered
(assumed to be logosyllabic) |
Period | c. 500 BCE – 500 CE |
| Direction | Top-to-bottom |
| Languages | Epi-Olmec (ISO639-3:xep) |
The Isthmian script is an early set of symbols found in inscriptions around the Isthmus of Tehuantepec, dating to c. 500 BCE – 500 CE, though with dates subject to disagreement. It is also called the La Mojarra script and the Epi-Olmec script ('post-Olmec script').
It has not been conclusively determined whether Isthmian script is a true writing system that represents a spoken language, or is a system of proto-writing. According to a disputed partial decipherment, it is structurally similar to the Maya script, and like Maya uses one set of characters to represent morphemes, and a second set to represent syllables.