
— 
MAYAN CALENDAR SYSTEMS. 
By Cyrus THomas 
PREFATORY NOTES 
The recent explorations in Central America and southern Mexico 
by Maudslay, Holmes, the Peabody Museum, and others have brought 
to light so much new material that a modification in some respects of 
conclusions based on the data previously obtained is required. It is 
expedient, therefore, to bring conclusions and deductions into harmony 
with the new data. At present, however, attention will be limited to 
an examination and discussion of the inscriptions and the Dresden 
codex in the light of this additional material and of the recent discoy- 
eries In regard thereto. 
That progress toward the ultimate and correct interpretation of 
these inscriptions and of the codices and symbolic figures will be slow is 
well understood, and that more or less modification of previous views 
will follow as the result of new discoveries is to be expected. ‘This 
fact is well illustrated in the Old World in the efforts of archeologists 
and linguists to reach a positive and satisfactory conclusion in regard 
to the so-called Hittite remains. 
The most important material for the object of this paper, relating 
to the inscriptions, is found in the data obtained by Mr Maudslay dur- 
ing his explorations of the ruins of Copan, Quirigua, Tikal, and Palen- 
que. Although the ruins of the last-named place have been described 
and figured again and again, it was not until Mr Maudslay’s clear and 
large photographs of the inscriptions were published that the data 
relating thereto—save that on the slab in U. S. National Museum— 
were in a condition to be satisfactorily studied by those interested in 
the subject. New light has also been thrown on the inscriptions by 
certain discoveries made by Mr J. T. Goodman and Dr E. Férstemann 
in regard to the signification of some of the glyphs. 
The positive results so far obtained by attempts to explain the 
inscriptions and codices, including those obtained by Mr Goodman 
and Dr Férstemann, relate almost wholly to the time and numeral 
symbols. In his elaborate and important memoir, Mr Goodman 
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