Paul Schellhas

Born in Berlin in 1859, Paul Schellhas trained as a lawyer before becoming one of the early European scholars to focus deeply on Maya manuscripts. He is especially associated with the Dresden Codex, one of the most important surviving Maya books.

Schellhas became influential for his careful analysis of Maya deities and glyphs. A system of labeling gods in the codices with letters, first used as a practical research tool in his work, became widely known among later scholars as the Schellhas system.

He died in Berlin in 1945, during the final months of World War II. Though not as famous as some later archaeologists, his work gave Maya studies a lasting framework and is still remembered in the history of decipherment.