The Maya developed the most sophisticated and highly developed writing system in pre-Columbian America. Unlike the more pictographic systems used by their neighbors, Maya script was logosyllabic, meaning it combined symbols for whole words (logograms) with symbols representing syllables (phonetic signs). This allowed the Maya to record virtually anything that could be spoken, including complex astronomical observations, royal genealogies, and historical narratives. They wrote on stone stelae, ceramics, and in bark-paper books called codices. Tragically, during the Spanish conquest, many of these codices were burned as 'works of the devil,' leaving only four surviving today. The decipherment of Maya script, which was largely completed in the late 20th century, transformed our understanding of the Maya from a peaceful, star-gazing people into a complex society of warring city-states with a rich and documented history.