32 



THE ARCHAIC MAYA INSCRIPTIONS. 



not evenly resolvable into years. It was to overcome this difficulty, I think, that the 

 260-day count of bissextiles was introduced, in the manner following : 



Annual Calendar Bissextile Plan. 



CALENDAR 

 ROUNDS. 



CALENDAR 

 ROUNDS. 



CALENDAR 

 ROUNDS. 



CALENDAR 

 ROUNDS. 



4-YEARS. 



BISSEXTILES. 











1 



1 









1 





13 







20 







260 





360 









4,680=260x18. 



7,200 











93,600=260x360. 



Here again is a departure from the expected, the natural supposition being that 

 they would pause at the 18-calendar round in consequence of its importance as the 

 point of the chuen, ahau, and year conjunction ; but this would have resulted in a 

 bissextile count of 234, an awkward number to deal with in their peculiar numerative 

 system ; but that they did arrive at it, nevertheless, is shown by the frequent 

 appearance of the eighteen 13-bissextile sign — -18x13 = 234; and that they at times 

 adopted a chuen count of bissextiles also, is equally well indicated. This proves that 

 they must interchangeably have made use of two other plans — as shown below : 



Variant Chronological Bissextile Plan. 



GREAT CYCLES. 



CYCLES. 



EATUNS. 



400 DAYS. 



CHUENS. 



BISSEXTILES. 











73 



1 









73 





20=1 chuen. 







73 







360=1 ahau. 





73 









7,200=1 katun. 



73 











93,600=13 katuns. 



