It is a diverse, multifaceted human endeavour. Like the hieroglyphs of Egypt and the Aztec glyphs, message sticks are powerful symbols of the intellectual and creative capacities of their creators.

It is a diverse, multifaceted human endeavor. Like the hieroglyphs of Egypt and the Aztec glyphs, message sticks are powerful symbols of the intellectual and creative capacities of their creators.

Author DBC Pierre travels through Mexico on a personal odyssey to recount the fate of the Aztec civilization. In this extract, he investigates the unfolding of a legendary doomsday prophecy.

Another glyph, slightly to the left, represents a xiuhhuitzolli, a diadem or headdress, worn by the Aztec ruler himself. Stuart believes the two glyphs, taken together, send a clear message of ...