THE MEXICAN CHRONOLOGY 



WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO THE ZAPOTEC CALENDAR" 



By Ediiart) Seler 



The peculiarities of the s^ystein of chronolojjfy in use among the 

 various civilized nations of ancient Mexico and as far as Nicaragua are 

 well known. We know that it was based on a period of 20 days, which 

 were known by the names of various tangible ol)jocts, half of them the 

 names of animals, and which were hierogh'phically designated by pic- 

 tures of these animals or objects. Twent}^ signs were taken on account 

 of the vigesimal system of numeration, which all these races used. The 

 calculation of the days, however, at least in the prevailing chronclog}', 

 was not carried on according to this vigesimal system, but the numerals 

 1 to 13 were combined with these twent}^ signs, so that each of the suc- 

 cessive da3's was distinguished by a sign and a numeral in such a way 

 that when the numeral 1, combined with the lirst sign, served to desig- 

 nate the lirst day, the fourteenth day took the fourteenth sign. I)utwith 

 the numeral 1 again. Thus, a period of 13 X 20, or 2()0, davs was obtained 

 as a higher chronologic unit. For only after the lapse of this period 

 of time did a day again obtain the same numeral and the same sign. 



In the following table (Table I) the twenty signs are designated by 

 Koman, the thirteen numerals by Arabic, numerals. 



Table I (first half) 



i 



aZeitschrift fur Ethnologic, Berlin, 1891. 



I 



II 



III 



V 



V 



VI 



VII 



VIII 



IX 



X 



XI 



XII 



XIII 



XIV 



XV 



XVI 



XVII 



XVIII 



XIX 



XX 



i;3 



