298 



MAYAN CALENDAR SYSTEMS 



[ETH. AXN. 22 



tion, may, and iu fact probably does, .staiKl for the same purpose here. 

 Following the latter, reading downward, is the series 9-19-8-15-0 

 (0 cycles, 10 katuns, S ahaus, 15 cliiiens, days); next comes the day 

 3 Lamat, which is followed by the short series 17-12 (17 chuens, 12 

 days), the column ending with the day 1 Ahau, though no month 

 symbol is given. 



Assuming the date at the bottom to be 1 Ahau 8 C'umhu, we count 

 back 17 months and 12 da.ys( = 352 days) from this date. This brings 

 us to 3 Lamat 1 Uayeb in the year 7 Lamat. Counting back from 

 the latter date 9-19-8-15-0, or 1,435,980 days, we reach 3 Lamat 

 11 Muan, year 12 Ezanab, the day standing at the head of the column. 

 It is true that we have no absolute proof that the terminal date (4 

 Ahau) is intended for 4 Ahau 8 Cumhu, as the count will give the 

 same result from any other 4 Ahau. The column given is the sum of — 

 that is to say, includes — the long series which occupies the right poi-- 

 tion of the middle section of plate xliii and the left portion of the 

 middle section of plate XLIV, and seems to be here precisely what an 

 initial series is in the inscriptions. This supposition, which seems to 

 be confirmed by the tapir-head symbol, which apparently stands for 

 the great cycle, is in direct opposition to the assumption that 



(2^ 



Fig. ItiT. Centerpieces of great cycle symbols. 



the terminal 4 Ahau is the initial day of a great cj'cle. On the other 

 hand, the assumption that it is the initial day of a great cycle, as 

 Seler seems to think, necessitates the conclusion that the date 3 

 Lamat 11 Muan, from which the count of the series starts, is not the 

 beginning of a great cycle, or that great cycles may overlap one 

 another. The latter conclusion would indicate that the starting point 

 is arbitrary, and that the supposed time-periods are simplj' orders of 

 units in expressing numbers. 



At any rate, if the 4 Ahau is assumed to be 4 Ahau 8 Cumhu, the 

 whole of the series lies back of, or anterior to, the commencement of 

 Goodman's 54th great cycle. 



As an indication that the conventional tapir head on plate xliii of 

 the Dresden codex is used as a great cycle symbol, attention is called 

 to the centerpieces of the three great cycle symbols shown in figure 

 107, the one marked o being from the east side of Stela F, Quirigua; 

 h from Stela N, Coijan, and e from Stela 0, Copan. The resemblance 

 to the codex symbol is too strong to be overlooked. 



In addition to these facts which seem to stand against, or at least to 

 render doubtful, the supposition that 4 Ahau 8 Cumhu, when stand- 



