THOMAS] INITIAL SERIES OF QUIRIGUA INSCEIPTIONS 209 



6 Ahau 8 Ceh. Searching through his " Archaic Aunual Calendar" 

 we find that Ahau 8 Cell occurs only in the 51st jear, aadtliat Cabau 

 is the oth day of the month in this year. Counting forward 4 months 

 from Ceh brings us to Kaj'ab, where 13 Caban is the otli day. AVe 

 thus ascertain that 12 Caban 3 Kayab is the date sought. 



If the number of days, the name of the daj' of tlie terminal date, 

 the mouth, and day of the month be unknown— thus in our example 

 54^9-14-13— U?, 1:2 (day) ? (month)— it is possible to limit the result to 

 one of two daj-s, in this ease to 12 Kan 12 Pax, or 12 Cabau 5 Kayab. 

 In the first case, the number of days will be 4, and in the second 

 17. If the number of chuens and the day and month of the date 

 be unknown, but the number of the day and the day of the month 

 known, the date can be determineil. 



There are occasional side aids which may be taken advantage of in 

 the investigation of the face numerals. One example which we will 

 notice, bearing on the series which has been under consideration 

 (initial series 54-0-14-13—4-17, west side Stela F, Quirigua), is as 

 follows: The initial series on the west side of Stela E, Quii-igua (plate 

 Lxxii), is, ordiuary numerals being used throughout, and all distinct, 

 54-9-14-12-4-17, 12 Cabau 5 Cayab. This is identical with the other 

 series, except that there are only 12 ahaus, while in the other there 

 are 13. 



Although all that is positively known in regard to the first series 

 (so far as our present investigation has extended) is the initial and 

 terminal dates, the number of the days, and the day of the month on 

 which the Ahau falls, %\e also know that the series as given above 

 will agree with these items. If the 12 ahaus in the second series 

 given above should, in fact, be 13, there will be perfect agi-eement 

 with that on the west side of Stela F. It is evident fi-om what has 

 been shown above that, -n-itli all tlie items of the series save one beiug 

 known, that item can be determined although wholly obliterated or 

 incorrect. Enough is given to show that, counting back 4 months 

 and 17 days from 12 Cabau 5 Kaj-ab, we reach 6 Ahau 8 Cell. By 

 calculation, or bj' referring to Goodman's "Ai-chaic Chronological 

 Calendar," o4th great cycle, 9th cycle, and 14th katun, it is seen that 

 6 Ahau 8 Ceh can only be in the 13th ahau, and is not found in the 

 same cj^cle and katun in either the 53rd or 55th great cj"cle. The 

 question as to whether Goodman's tables cover the range of the initial 

 series will be considered farther on, when we have investigated more 

 series. However, the fact that the series on the west side of Stela E, 

 when the number of ahaus has thus been corrected (as calculation 

 also shows 12 to be wrong), agrees yr. eciselj" with the rendering given 

 of that on the west side of Stela F is not i^roof that this rendering is 

 correct, it only adds a degree of probability, supposing that Goodman 

 has based his determination on an examination of the face characters. 

 The fact may be noted, also, that some two or three other inscriptions 

 22 ETH— 04 14 



