50 



THE ARCHAIC MAYA INSCRIPTIONS. 



FACE SIGN FOR 15. 



m 



The first of these faces appears twice in the initial date of the Palenque steps — the 

 only place where it occurs. As the face seems to be a death one, and therefore 

 supposably intended to represent 10, the knotted head-dress must mean only 5, 

 instead of the triple knot indicating 15. Yet, after all, this may not be the case, 

 as the face is identical with that bearing the ahau sign, in a Tikal inscription, where 

 the combination signifies but 5. It may be, therefore, that this particular face has 

 no value in itself, but is merely a vehicle to bring the accompanying sign into the face 

 series ; in which event, in this instance, 15 would be indicated by the triple character 

 of the knot. The second glyph is from Chichen Itza, where it occurs many times, but 

 in no relation where its value can be determined. It is, however, so manifestly a sign 

 for 15 that 1 have not hesitated to place it here. 



FACE SIGN FOR 16. 



All Ihe signs for this number are a combination of the 6 and 10 faces. In some 

 cases the declarative 10-sign — the bar between two dots — appears on the cheek, in 

 addition ; but the symbol occurs more frequently without it. 



