40 THE ARCHAIC MAYA INSCRIPTIONS. 



but few of them. When this one, (§5[6@> is attached to Ahau in a date it means 

 that the day begins an ahau, thus having the sense of beginning, as is the case with 

 one of the characters in other numeral series. Great latitude was exercised in the 

 drawing of this particular sign, but that is to be expected of all characters whose 



position renders their meaning unmistakable. Another form, (j@) I)KJ' * s P art °^ ^ le 



symbol for the month Zac, in which connection it is betokened to be- an equivalent 



of G. In the symbol of the month Kayab in the inscriptions this form (yZ^J^jfJ 



is substituted in place of a sign for 10 in the same symbol as it appears in the codices, 

 thereby justifying the presumption that it stands for that number. It will be noticed 

 that in none of the signs for simple numbers is the character striated. In ahau 



symbols in Tikal this form f^ V-fff-f lP? represents 72. It is a partially skeletonized 



member of the same series, with a sign for 2 at its base. The question is, is the upper 

 part a sign for 7 raised to ten times its value by partial striation 1 That the peculiar 

 form is not accidental or meaningless is proved by the fact that on the Tablet of 



Inscriptions at Palenque a variant of it, Q^^M©^, represents 73 in the calendar- 

 round symbol. The only difference is the replacement of the 2 by a 3 sign at the base, 

 the partially skeletonized superstructure still signifying 70. Again, and in the same 

 tablet, the 7,200 feature of the cycle symbol is represented by the former of these 



signs still further skeletonized, thus : QiSSfS)- Here the hundredfold value 



imparted by complete striation is unquestionable ; the only doubt is as to whether a 

 tenfold increase is implied by partial skeletonizing. 



