26 BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY [bull. 57 



greatest diversity <>f opinion concerning them prevails among those 

 who have stu<lie(l the subject, scarcely any two agreeing at any one 

 point; and finally because up to the present time success in reading 

 Maya writing has not come through this channel. 



The classification followed herein is based on the general meaning 

 of the glyphs, and therefore has the advantage of being at least self- 

 explanatory. It (H^ddes the glyphs into two groups: (1) Astronomi- 

 cal, calendary, and numerical signs, that is, glyphs used in counting 

 time; and (2) glyphs accompanying the preceding, which' have an 

 explanatory function of some sort, probably describing the nature of 

 the occasions which the first group of glyphs designate. 



According to tliis classification, the great majority of the glyphs 

 whose meanings have been determined fall into the first group, and 

 those whose meanings are still unknown into the second. This is 

 particularly true of the inscriptions, in which the known glyphs 

 practically all belong to the first group. In the codices, on tlie other 

 hand, some little progress has made been in reading. gl^^hs of the 

 second group. The name-glyphs of the principal gods, the signs for 

 the cardinal points and associated colors, and perhaps a very few 

 others may be mentioned in tliis connection.^ 



Of the unknown glyphs in both the inscriptions and the codices, a 

 part at least have to do with numerical calculations of some kind, a fact 

 which relegates such glyphs to the first group. The author beUeves 

 that as the reading of the Maya glyphs progresses, more and more 

 characters will be assigned to the first group and fewer and fewer to 

 the second. In "the end, however, there will be left what we may 

 perhaps call a "textual residue," that is, those glyphs whicli explain 

 the nature of the events that are to be associated with the correspond- 

 ing chronological parts. It is here, if anywhere, that fragments of 

 Maya history will be fomid recorded, and precisely here is the richest 

 field for future research, since the successful interpretation of this 

 "textual residue" will alone disclose the true meaning of the ]\Iaya 

 writings. 



Three principal theories have been advanced for the interpretation 

 of Maya writing: 



1. That the glyphs are phonetic, each representing some sound, 

 and entirely dissociated from the representation of any thought or idea. 



2. That the glyphs are ideograpliic, each representing in itself some 

 complete thought or idea. 



3. That the glyphs are botli phonetic and ideographic, that is, a 

 combination of 1 and 2. 



It is apparent at the outset that the first of these theories can not 

 be accepted in its entirety ; for although there are undeniable traces 



> There can be no doubt that Forstemann has identified the sign for the planet Venus and possibly a 

 few others. (See Forstemann, 1906: p. 116.) 



