26 



THE ARCHAIC MAYA INSCRIPTIONS. 





THE GRAND ERA. 



The grand era is composed of seventy-three great cycles and comprises 374,400 years, 

 or 136,656,000 days. It is the period in which the Maya chronological calendar 

 completes itself, just as their annual calendar does in a period of fifty-two years. 



As the existence of this period is very likely to be questioned, I will give my reasons 

 more fully here for believing in such an era. The numbers 73 and 949 are as 

 important factors in the Maya chronological scheme as 13 and 20. This results from 

 two features of the system not hitherto touched upon, which may very properly be 

 termed the minor and grand rounds of the periods. After 73 occurrences, and not 

 until then, every period of the chronological calendar begins again with the same day 

 of the same month, but (with the exception of the burner and great cycle) with a 

 different day number. This is the minor round. Thirteen of these, or 949 occurrences, 

 constitute the grand round, when the periods hegin again not only with the same day 

 of the same month but with the same day number. The following tables will show 

 how harmoniously this principle runs throughout the whole scheme : — 





PERIOD. 



DAYS. 



PERIOD. 



YEARS. 



73x20 



Chuen. 



Burner. 



Aliau. 

 Katun. 

 Cycle. 

 Great cycle. 



1,460 



4,745 



18,980 



26,280 



525,600 



10,512,000 



136,656,000 



Luster. 



Week of years. 

 Calendar round. 

 Minor ahau round. 

 Minor katun round. 

 Minor cycle round. 

 Grand era. 



4 



13 



52 



72 



1,440 



28,800 



374,400 



73x65 



73x260 



73x360 



73X7,200 



73 X 144,000 



73x1,872,000 





