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A BRIEF STUDY OF THE PALENQUE TABLET. 



In order to assist students in their efforts to interpret the 

 inscription on this tablet, I notice here some discoveries 

 which may possibly lead to valuable results in this direction. 

 However, to bring this article into proper limits and avoid 

 the necessity of introducing tables and diagrams, I must 

 take it for granted that the readers have access to my "Study 

 of the Manuscript Troano " and to Dr. Rau's " Palenque 

 Tablet " and refer them thereto. The only figures referred 

 to are that of the entire tablet, and the photograph of the 

 right slab, both in Dr. Rau's work. A copy of the first will 

 also be found in my '' Study MS. Troano." I will also have 

 occasion to refer to the Calendar Table V, p. 1], and the 

 diagram of Dr. Rau's figure of the tablet, on p. 199, of the 

 "Study MS. Troano." 



The order in which the characters on the tablet are to be 

 read is as given in the same work, pp. 200-201. That is to 

 say, the columns are taken two and two, commencing at the 

 top and reading from left to right across the two until the 

 bottom is reached, then going to the top of the next two 

 which stand to the right. Thus it will be seen that the 

 character at the bottotn of the second column will be fol- 

 lowed by the top character of the third column, the bottom 

 one of the fourth by the top one of the fifth. As we will 

 have occasion to refer only to the columns at the sides, it is 

 unnecessary to refer to the central portion. 



The particular point to which I wish to call attention at 

 present is that the particular manner of reckoning the days 

 of the month, found in some of the series of the Dresden 

 Codex, notably the extensive one on Plates 46-50, is found 

 on this tablet. The peculiarity of this method is that the 

 day of the month is counted not from the first of the given 

 month, but from the last of the preceding month ; thus, the 



fifteenth day of Pop, beginning the count with the first, will. 

 according to this method, be numbered 16. 



I will now refer to the tablet to confirm this statement. 

 Turning to the right slab and to our diagram (Study MS. 

 Tro., p. 199) we observe that the columns of this part are 

 taken in pairs thus: ST, UV, and WX. The character 10 S 

 is 11 Lainat. The little loops by the side of the outer 1 of 

 the 11 are apparently of no significance, being left as mere 

 ornamental supports or protection to the single numeral. I 

 will not stop at present to give the proof of this, as the stu- 

 dent will soon learn it for himself. Moreover, it is evident 

 that they form no part of the numerals and hence have no 

 bearing on the question now before us. The character 10 T, 

 immediately to the right of the 11 Lamat above mentioned,. 

 is beyond question, 6 Xul. The two characters taken 

 together are to be interpreted " 11 Lamat the 6th day of the 

 month Xul." Turning now to our Calendar Table (Study 

 MS. Tro , p. 11) we see that Lamat is never the 6th day of 

 the month according to the usual method of counting, but is 

 the fifth day of the month in the Kan years. If the count- 

 were to begin with the last day of the preceding month it 

 would then be the 6th, as here numbered. 



Characters 17 T and 1 U form another pair. The first (17" 

 T) is unquestionably 8 Ahau, but the month symbol, 1 U, 

 has not been determined; however, the number attached ta 

 it is clearly 13. Ahau is never the 1.3th day of the month 

 but is the 12th io Muluc years. Here, again, counting from 

 the last day of the preceding month agrees with the number- 

 ing on the tablet. Symbols 17 U and 17 V are 5 Kan the 

 12th day of the month — ? — (probable Kayab as the char- 

 acter contains the phonetic elements h and h). Kan is the 

 11th day of the month in Ix years, therefore the sam& 

 method of numbering is followed in this instance. 

 We notice a few other examples briefly. 

 Symbols 5 X and 6 W. — The first 1 Ymix, the second th& 

 4th day of the month — ? — . Ymix is the 3d day of the- 

 months in the Cauac years. We refer next to 10 X and 11 W ; 

 the first is 7 Kan, the second the 17th day of the month — ? — 

 (possibly TJo or Mol\ Kan is the 16tb day of the month in 

 Muluc years. Attention is called next to 8 T and 9 S; where, 

 the first is 1 Kan and the other the 2d day of the month, — 

 we have suggested may be Kayab. Kan is of course the- 

 first day of Kan years, but is never the second day of a. 

 month. In 7 U and 7 V we have 3 Ezanab, the 11th day of 

 the month Xul. Ezanab is the 10th day of the month in 

 Muluc years. 



Turning now to the left slab of the tablet we notice the- 

 following, though with less assurance than in reference to- 

 those named, as here we have no photograph. The first twa 

 we call attention to are 16 A and 16 B, the first of these is 

 1 Ahau, the second the 13th day of the month Xul (?). Ahau 

 is the 12th day of the month in Muluc years. Next 3 D and 

 4 C. The first of these is 4 Ahau, the second the 8th day of 

 the month — ?— (probably Cumhu). Ahau is the 7th da3r 

 of the month in the Ix years. Next 9 C and 9 D. Here the 

 first is 13 Ik, the second has no number attached to it, hence 

 we can only guess that it is a month symbol ; nevertheless,, 

 it is a curious coincidence that precisely the same method of 

 notation is found once on plate 48 and twice on plate 50 of 

 the Dresden Codex, no number-symbol being attached where 

 the day is, according to this method of counting the 20th of 

 the month. As Ik is the 19th day of the month in the Kan 

 years, it would, according to this method, be counted the- 

 20th, and no number-symbol would be given. I think it- 

 possible that the symbol 9 D is that of the month Pop. Ther 



