lORSTEMANN.] TIME PERIODS OF THE MAYAS 497 



occupies the first place among the large numbers in the Dresden 

 codex on page 24, as 14,040 occupies the last place on page 73. The 

 other large numbers in the Dresden codex, except those in the five 

 serpents, are in strikingly close proximity to this high number, just 

 like the dates on the stelse at Copan. Thus we shall soon be able to 

 determine all these numbers according to our computation of time, 

 which will be a step of the greatest importance. Indeed, I believe 

 that to all intents and purposes this step has already been taken in 

 the ingenious exposition of Cyrus Thomas (see A Study of the Manu- 

 script Troano, 1882, pages 187 to 197). 



The Aztecs do not seem to have been familiar Avith the great periods 

 of 12X312 years just mentioned. According to the Anales del Museo 

 Nacional de Mexico, volume 2, 1882, pages 347 and 349, they had a 

 cycle of 10X104 years and the triple of it, IOX'^12 years; therefore, 

 here, too, multiples of 8 years were always employed. 



Apparently, side by side with this interconnected series of periods, 

 there is another quite distinct one. It was noted that Mercury per- 

 formed its ap]3arent revolution around the sun in 115 days, and to 

 reconcile this 115 with the tonalamatl of 260 days, is the task of the 

 number adverted to, 11,960=104X115=46X260. The two dates on 

 page 24 of the Dresden codex at the left below, I Ahau, 18, third 

 month, and I Ahau, 18, seventeenth month, are this distance apart, 

 and this interval also forms the basis of the wonderful series on 

 pages 51 to 58. Thus, that which was only represented in brief on 

 page 24 is carried out more fully on pages 46 to 50, and also on pages 

 51 to 58. 



Yet this 11,960 is most curiously connected with the numbers before 

 discussed. The double katun (37,960) has the same relation to 

 11,960 that the solar year (365) has to the Mercury year (115), for 

 both are multiples of 104, and have the ratio, therefore, of 73 to 23. 

 Thus the two numbers are distant from one another by just 100 (a 

 round number to us, but not to the Mayas) tonalamatls. Further, if 

 we subtract from the double katun twice 11,960 (=23,920), the result 

 is nothing more nor less than the remarkable 14,040. 



The apparent revolution of Mars, indeed, which, strange to say, 

 comprises just 3 tonalamatls=780 days, seems to be the basis of the 

 Dresden series, on pages 43 to 44 and 59, and that remarkable 14,040 

 IS equal to 18 of these Mars years, while the 113,880 equals 146 of 

 them. Here we must not, however, feel too secure. Jupiter and 

 Saturn seem never to have been included in the computation at all, 

 with their apparent revolutions of 397 and 380 days, respectively 

 (between two superior conjunctions), which closely approximate the 

 solar 5'ear. 



7238— No. 28-H»r) 32 



