THE ARCHAIC MAYA INSCRIPTIONS. 



INTRODUCTION. 



In any attempt to deal with Maya chronology it will be found expedient to arrange 

 the subject under several separate heads in order to avoid confusion, as different 

 systems prevailed not only at different centers of their civilization, but varying styles 

 were concurrently made use of in the same place. The three most radically differing 

 systems are the Yucatec, Cakchiquel, and the more ancient one of Palenque, Copan, 

 Quirigua, Menche, Tikal, and probably other cities of the great central region. For 

 lack of a more specific descriptive title— the calendar corresponding with that of no 

 existing people— I have given to this last system the designation of the Archaic Maya 

 calendar. 



THE YUCATEC SYSTEM. 



The Yucatec system can be restored only from the chronicles, as not a single legible 

 date, so far as I know, has yet been found among any of the ruins of the peninsula. 

 These chronicles are not very satisfactory material to work upon. They have come 

 down to us mutilated and full of errors, yet enough is ascertainable from them to 

 substantiate Landa's imperfect exposition of the Yucatec chronological scheme and 

 enable us to supplement somewhat the information derived from him. 



The year consists of 365 days, beginning successively with Kan, Muluc, Ix, and 

 Cauac. The ahau consists of 360 days, the katun of 20 ahaus, or 7,200 days, and the 

 cycle of 13 katuns. 



The principal respects in which the Yucatec system differs from the Archaic are 

 these : the year begins with Kan, Muluc, Ix, or Cauac, instead of Ik, Manik, Eb, or 



biol. cent.-amer., Archceol. 1 



