718 MAYAN CALENDAR SYSTEMS [ETH. ANN. 19 
who expressly mentions “‘primero ano de la era de buluc-ahau,” and 
of the natives doing homage to the various ahaus for ten years each. 
Mr Goodman’s radical error, as we shall see, is taking numerical nota- 
tion for a time system. 
The first example to which attention is called is taken from plate 
24 of the Dresden codex, and includes that portion of a long series 
running up the plate which is shown in our figure 15. 
If the order in which the series ascends be that in which it is to be 
followed, it is evident this must be from right to left, taking the lower 
division first, thus: D2, C2, B2, AY (in the lower division), then D1, 
C1, Bl, and Al (in the upper division). But the plan of the series 
may be the reverse of this, as it is pos- 
sible that it runs back in time, and is 
to be read from left to right the dif- 
ferences between the columns being 
subtracted instead of added; the result 
is, however, the same. As there are 
no month symbols by means of which 
to determine the years, and our only 
object in referring to the series is 
to show the value of the symbols 

according to the relative positions 
e200 cee 6002 egy 

they occupy in relation to one another, 
the order in which they are to be read, 
/@e- ; sae 
= — - © = —. and the value of the counters, it is not 
2 om , material in which direction the series 
be taken. We will therefore follow 
i. e., from right 

the ascending order 
STAVian DEL UAMainGS EA RCE UATIEY to left, beginning with D2 (right-hand 
Fic. 15—Part of plate 24, Dresden codex. ¢olumn in lower division). Using 
Goodman’s names, and subtracting D2 from C2 (the ovals which are 
red in the original being counted as naught) thus: 
C2 D2 Diff. 
Katuns.... 4 3 
Albausts.ss)0 13 s 
Chuens ... 2 0 2 
Dayseseeee 0 0 0 
we find the difference to be 8 ahaus, 2 chuens, 0 days. As the day at 
the foot of the column (D2) is 8 Ahau, without an accompanying month 
symbol, we may select in our table 1 any 8 Ahau and assign it to any 
month, as the count will hold good. 
For convenience we select 8, the third number in the figure column 
headed 6, and find Ahau opposite in the Ezanab column. Assuming 
the month to be Pop, the first month of the year, the year will be 6 
Ezanab. As eight ahaus contain 2,880 days, and two chuens 40 days— 
