The books that were burned, and the one that survived in Dresden (Maní, Yucatán, 12 July 1562; Dresden Codex)
Record: the document says itPattern: documents line upLens: our readingOpen: not yet proven
Year: 1562 · Places: Mexico, Central America, Europe
SUMMARYThe books that were burned, and the one that survived in Dresden (Maní, Yucatán, 12 July 1562; Dresden Codex) [Connections: Tech of the Americas, Nov 5, 2026]
RECORDWikipedia ("Diego de Landa"): at the Maní auto-da-fé Landa burned a disputed number of codices ("according to Landa, 27 books") and "approximately 5,000 alleged Maya cult images." Landa wrote: "we burned them all, which they (the Maya) regretted to an amazing degree" (Relación de las cosas de Yucatán, XLI). Wikipedia ("Dresden Codex"): the codex "contains accurate astronomical tables," including Venus tables and lunar intervals "correlating with eclipses" (Thompson 1972); it is "one of four hieroglyphic Maya codices that survived"; it was bought in Vienna in 1739 and entered the Royal Library of Dresden in 1744. HOSTILE
WITNESSLanda is both the destroyer and a main colonial source on the Maya
PATTERNAstronomy and calendar science existed in books; most of the books were burned by a named friar, and what survived sits in European libraries
LENS (WW9)"Reset" is a documented act with a date and a signature
OPENThe real count of burned books is disputed
SOURCEWikipedia, "Diego de Landa"; Wikipedia, "Dresden Codex".