Studies in Central American Picture-Writing First Annual Report of the Bureau of Ethnology to the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, 1879-80, Government Printing Office, Washington, 1881, pages 205-245

"Studies in Central American Picture-Writing" by Edward S. Holden is a historical exploration into unlocking the secrets of ancient Central American hieroglyphs, with a special focus on the mysterious ruins of Copan and Palenque; the goal is to decipher the encoding methods of the creators and the messages left behind by them, starting with a personal connection to the works of John L. Stephens and evolving into a methodical approach to understanding the ancient linguistic symbols, ensuring interpretation stays grounded in evidence rather than speculation.