The Madrid Codex

The Madrid Codex is one of the four preserved codices (manuscript volumes) of Maya hieroglyphs. It dates from shortly before the arrival of Spanish conquerors in the 16th century, several centuries after the decline of the vast Maya civilization around 900. This codex reads as a kind of prophetic almanac, predicting successful times for such activities as hunting and idol-making.

Newberry Library, Chicago/SuperStoc