110 THE ARCHAIC MAYA INSCRIPTIONS. 



skeleton jaw, an invariable sign for 10, here doubled in value by the row of dots in the 

 upper part. 



The manner of piecing out the numerals in some of the above instances has been 

 too forced for the result to be regarded as altogether trustworthy; there are also 

 several inconsistencies or errors ; but, take it all in all, the number of occurrences in 

 perfect accord with our assumption is too great to be attributable to accident, and we 

 are therefore justified in believing our theory to be correct, however we may have erred 

 in particular applications of it. We have gained a great deal more than is apparent at 

 a first glance. Not only have a considerable number of equivalents for different ahaus 

 and symbols for minor time periods been identified and the value of many new numeral 

 signs established, but — more important than all this — we have satisfied ourselves that 

 there is a plan underlying the employment of a portion of these signs which is capable 

 of almost unlimited variation and extension. It can be best shown by a simple list of 

 the composite numerals and their elements. 



COMPOSITE NUMERALS. 



Elements of which they are composed. 



2 3 4 5 6 9 10 10 15 



This exhibit requires no explanation; it is self-explanatory. I will only direct 

 attention to the possible fact that in the reverse curve, one of the signs for 10, is the 

 original wing, which by different styles of striation and dotting becomes a symbol for 

 higher numbers. 



I shall next give two extracts from the second tablet in the Temple of Inscriptions. 

 They are not reckonings between specific dates, but simply exercises showing different 

 ways of scanning time and notating periods. They illustrate one of the three purposes 

 I attribute to the inscriptions — the educational one. If the tablets were mere shrines 

 or chronological records, there would have been no necessity for repeating the same 

 time-measure over and over, consecutively, with no other apparent object than to show 

 that it could be expressed in a variety of ways. But repetition, being the plainest and 



