THOMAS] THE GREAT CYCLE SYMBOL 265 



As Goodman admits iii the passage quoted, it is only in tlie three 

 great cycle signs presented (see figure 100) that the evidence of num- 

 bering is found; let lis examine this evidence. "Here," he says, "the 

 reckoning returns to the 5-day period. It is multiijlied by 72, making 

 an ahau," yet he fails to allude to anything in the figure to justify tlie 

 statement. That the comb-like characters and their substitutes have 

 the value of 20 is probably correct, the sign being duplicated, as 

 Goodman suggests, for tlie sake of symmetry. The fair inference is 

 that in the katun symbol they indicate that this time jjeriod or order 

 of units is equal to 20 ahaus (20x360=7,200). This admission, how- 

 ever, as will be seen, is fatal to Goodman's theory. 



The three figures given represent, according to this author, the 

 5-lth great cycle, and indicate by the details, but each in a different 

 way, the number 54. This, be says, is shown in the first (o) in the 

 center of the superfix, where he finds a sign of IS and a face denoting 

 ■i — though he admits that the latter is too imperfect for positive deter- 

 mination. The fact is that he has jjresented no proof that the dotted 

 coil denotes 18. He asserts in his explanation of the ahau series on 

 Stela J, Copan, copied in full in my previous paper, that the double coil 

 denotes 18, but gives no proof to sustain the statement. His symbol 

 for 18 in the ear ornament (page 87) is wholly different. Moreover, 

 the face in the superfix, so far as the details i-emain, corresponds in 

 no respect with the face numerals for 3 given on page 43 of his work, 

 but on the contrary bears a strong resemblance to at least two of the 

 face characters for 1 (page 42). It is unnecessary to follow him in 

 order to find the desired numljer in the other two figures {b, c), as not 

 a particle of proof is offered to sustain his assertions. It is apparent 

 from his language that he felt his attempt hei'e was a failure, but it 

 was necessary to offer something on the jioint in l)ehalf of his theory. 

 Why 54 was given as the number of this great cycle, which begins 

 with the day 4 Ahau 8 Cumliu, is apparent from the great-cycle 

 column of his "Perpetual Chronological Calendar"; but his reason for 

 beginning the series with 4 Ahau 13 Yax will be referred to farther on. 



In order to make clear what is stated below in regard to the forms 

 and details of the symbols of the great cycle, katun, etc. , a number of 

 the types of the great-cycle symbol are shown in figure 162 ; of the ahau 

 in figure 163; of the katun in figure 164; and of the cj'cle in figure 165. 



That this symbol — sevei-al varieties of which are shown in figure 

 162 (also seen in figure 160, and as initials in plates LXXI-LXXIII, 

 LXXV, LXXVI, and lxxviii, and figures 146, 147, 151, and 158) — is 

 built up from, or base<? on, the 360-da}' or ahau sjnnbol of the onli- 

 nary form, as shown in number ii, figure 163, is evident. Tlie katun 

 symbol of the ordinary type (A", figure 164), has the same body foi-m 

 as the ahau symbol, but there is added a superfix consisting of a 

 comb-like figure on each side, with a middle character usually resem- 

 bling a Cauac svmbol. 



