120 BUKEAU OF AMEKICAK ETHNOLOGY [bull. 57 



any evidence to the contrary the writer believes they may be accepted 

 as signs for one and the same period, namely, the great-great cycle. 



The points on which tliis conclusion is based may be summarized 

 as follows: 



1. Both glyphs are made up of the same elements — (a) The normal 

 form of the cycle sign ; (h) a superfix composed of a hand with a tassel- 

 like postfix. 



2. Both glyphs occui' in numerical series the next term but one of 

 which is the cycle, showing that by position they are the logical next 

 term but one, the seventh or great-great cycle, of the series. 



3. Both of these glyphs stand next to glyphs which have been 

 identified as great-cycle signs, that is, the sixth terms of the series 

 in which they occm". 



By this same line of reasordng it seems probable that A2 in figure 60 

 is the sign for the great-great-great cycle, although this fact can not 

 be definitely estabhshed because of the lack of comparative evidence. 



This possible sign for the great-great-great cycle, or period of the 

 8th order, is composed of two parts, just hke the signs for the great 

 cycle and the great-great cycle already described. Tliese are: (1) 

 The cycle sign; (2) a superfix composed of a hand and a semicircular 

 postfix, quite distinct from the superfixes of the great cycle and 

 great-great cycle signs. 



However, since there is no other inscription known which presents 

 a number composed of eight terms, we must lay aside this fine of 

 investigation and turn to another for further light on this point. 



An examination of figure 60 shows that the glyphs which we have 

 identified as the signs for the higher periods (A2, A3, A4, and A5,) 

 contain one element common to all — the sign for the cycle, or period 

 of 144,000 days. Indeed, A5 is composed of this sign alone ^\'ith 

 its usual coefficient of 9. Moreover, the next glyphs (A6, A7, A8, 

 and A9 ar^ the signs for the katun, tun, uinal, and kin, respectively, 

 and, together with A5, form a regular descending series of 5 

 terms, all of which are of known value. 



The next question is. How is this glyph in the sixth place formed ? 

 We have seen that in the only three texts in which more than five 

 periods are recorded this sign for the sixth period is composed of the 

 same elements in each: (1) The cycle sign; (2) a superfix containing 

 two "shepherd's crook" infixes and surrounded by dots. 



Further, we have seen that in two cases in the inscriptions the 

 cycle sign has a coefficient greater than 13, thus showing that in all 

 probabiUty 20, not 13, cycles made 1 great cycle. 



Therefore, since the great^cycle signs in figure 61, a-c, are composed 



g^ of the cycle sign plus a superfix (*), this superfix must liave the 



* value of 20 in order to make the whole glyph have the value of 



Gljrph A9 is missing but undoubtedly was the kin sign and coefficient. 



