MORLEY] IISrTEODUCTION TO STUDY OF MAYA HIEROGLYPHS 121 



20 cycles, or 1 great cycle (that is, 20 X 144,000 = 2,880,000-) . In other 

 words, it may be accepted (1) that the glyphs in figure 61, a-c, are 

 signs for the great cycle, or period of the sixth place; and (2) that 

 the great cycle was composed of 20 cycles shown graphically by tw^o 

 elements, one being the cycle sign itself and the other a superfix 

 having the value of 20. 



It has been shown that the last six glyphs in figure 60 (A4, A5, A6, 

 A7, A8, and A9) aU belong to the same series. Let us next examine 

 the seventh glyph or term from the bottom (A3) and see how it is 

 formed. We have seen that in the only two texts in which more than 

 six periods are recorded the signs for the seventh period (see fig. 61, 

 d, e) are composed of the same elements in each: (1) The cycle sign; 

 (2) a superfix having the hand as its principal element. We have 

 seen, further, that in the only three places in which great cycles are 

 recorded in the Maya writing (fig. 61, a-c) the coefficient in every case 

 is greater than 13, thus showing that in aU probabihty 20, not 13, 

 great cycles made 1 great-great cycle. 



Therefore, since the great-great cycle signs in figure (5\,d,e, are com. 

 posed of the cycle sign plus a superfix (*), this superfix must C^f\ 

 have the value of 400 (20 X 20) in order to make the whole glyph * 

 have the value of 20 great cycles, or 1 great-great cycle (20 X 2,880,000 = 

 57,600,000). In other words, it seems highly probable (1) that the 

 glyphs in figure Ql, d, e, are signs for the great-great cycle or period 

 of the seventh place, and (2) that the great-great cycle was composed 

 of 20 great cycles, shown graphically by two elements, one being 

 the cycle sign itself and the other a hand having the value of 400. 



It has been showm that the first seven glyphs (A3, A4, A5, A6, A7, 

 A8, and A9) probably aU belong to the same series. Let us next 

 examine the eighth term (A2) and see how it is formed. 



As stated above, comparative evidence can help us no further, 

 since the text imder discussion is the only one which presents a num- 

 ber composed of more than seven terms. Nevertheless, the writer 

 beUeves it will be possible to show by the morphology of this, the 

 only glyph which occupies the position of an eighth term, that it is 

 20 times the glyph in the seventh position, and consequently that 

 the vigesimal system was perfect to the highest known unit found 

 in the Maya writing. 



We have seen (1 ) that the sixth term was composed of the fifth term 

 plus a supei-fix which increased the fifth 20 times, and (2) that the 

 seventh term was composed of the fifth term plus a superfix which 

 increased the fifth 400 times, or the sixth 20 times. 



Now let us examine the only known example of a sign for the 

 eighth term (A2, fig. 60). This glyph is composed of (1) the cycle 

 sign; (2) a superfix of two elements, (a) the hand, and (6) a semi- 

 circular element in which dots appear. 



