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More than Writing: Coding and Decoding (in) Amerindian Graphic Communication Systems between Mexico and the Andes

Subject Area Social and Cultural Anthropology and Ethnology
African, American and Oceania Studies
Term from 2019 to 2026
Project identifier Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 426605030
 
Final Report Year 2025

Final Report Abstract

The AmerGraph More than Writing project explored Indigenous American graphic communication systems (GCSs) beyond conventional Western notions of writing. Traditionally studied through iconography, art history, and anthropology, these systems have rarely been examined using writing system theories, which assume that writing primarily records speech. This assumption neglects that many symbolic scripts—such as those in mathematics, chemistry, and music—not only exist independently of spoken language but also structure knowledge in unique ways. Similarly, Indigenous GCSs encode and transmit information through semiotic systems beyond alphabetic or similar principles. A key challenge is the rigid distinction between image and writing, which has excluded most Native American GCSs from writing studies. Moreover, Indigenous knowledge transmission often takes material forms unfamiliar to Western observers, including textiles, cords, ceramics, and rock surfaces. These media fulfill communicative, mnemonic and knowledge repository functions but are rarely recognized as equivalents to writing. Thus, a core objective of this project was to develop methodologies that overcome Eurocentric biases and account for the diversity of Indigenous GCSs. The project was structured into five subprojects, each focusing on different Indigenous GCSs: 1. Mesoamerican divinatory and historical codices 2. Andean pre-Hispanic Tiwanaku graphic communicatio 3. Tio-tio communication and material culture of the Isthmo-Colombian Yukpa 4. Ayöök (Mixe) maize reading from the Mesoamerican tradition 5. Venezuelan rock art in Carabobo, Venezuela The team identified six non-hierarchical analytical dimensions for studying these systems. A major finding was that it is more productive to develop methodologies sensitive to the specific logics and practices of GCSs, instead of applying traditional approaches such as iconology and writing system theories, developed to study culturally specific materials. Traditional approaches remain valuable but require adaptation or even reformulation to be applicable to Indigenous GCSs. Semiotic and cognitive approaches offer more flexibility but are still incomplete and had to be expanded to inter-semiotic relations and complemented by analyses of writing surfaces, , and the social practices of graphic communication. Moreover, where possible, Indigenous visual graphic practices and conceptual categories should be incorporated into the analysis. Within this project, Indigenous terminologies—such as eya-eya and tumeno/yiminorh (Yukpa), and wiinmotë (Ayöök)—were examined, revealing alternative frameworks that differ from Western notions of image and writing, just as it was already known for Mesoamerica. Given the diversity of Indigenous GCSs and existing knowledge gaps, no single methodology can be universally applied. Instead, depending on the system, available data, and current state of research, the study should engage with the most appropriate of the analytical dimensions. Ultimately, this project represents a first step toward developing a flexible and universal approach to the study of Indigenous GCSs. By deepening our understanding of Indigenous perspectives and the functional principles of the GCS they developed, it expands both our knowledge of these rich practices and our appreciation of the ingenuity of non-Western graphic communications systems.

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