135 



THE PALENQUE INSCRIPTIONS. 



The inscriptions at Palenque are longer and completer and their reckonings, as a 

 general thing, range over far greater periods than those of Quirigua and Copan. They 

 also have more diversity in respect to examples showing the different methods of 

 computing time. So, altogether, they furnish more and better material for study than 

 all the other cities combined. 



Temple of the Cross. 



Initial date: 53—12—19—13—4x20—8 Ahau-18 Tzec. The initial directive 

 series follows, succeeded by five glyphs whose purpose is not intelligible, but which, 

 among other things, must take the reckoning back twenty days to 1 Ahau-18 Zotz, 

 that appears for some reason to be thereafter regarded as the initial date. After three 

 glyphs, which are probably directives stating that the computation is from that date, 

 there is a reckoning of 8 — 5 X 20, with the directive signs repeated, to 4 Ahau-8 Cumhu, 

 beginning the initial score days of the 13th cycle. This reckoning is a mistake. It 

 should be either 6 — 14x20, the distance from 8 Ahau-18 Tzec to 4 Ahau-8 Cumhu, 

 or 6 — 15x20, the distance from 1 Ahau-18 Zotz — more likely the latter, as it will 

 presently be seen that other reckonings go back to that date. Then follows another 

 reckoning of 1 — 9x2, succeeded by five unintelligible glyphs, to 13 Ik-5 Mol. The 

 computation and the 13 Ik are right, but the month date should be 20 Chen, as will 

 be seen by reference to the annual calendar. It will be evident pretty soon that the 

 sculptors got their copy mixed up. The 5 Mol should have gone with another date. 

 After half a dozen glyphs, unintelligible further than like most intervening characters 

 they are to be found elsewhere in the lists of period symbols, there is another reckoning : 

 1 — 18 — 3 — 12x20, from the preceding date, to 9 Ik-15 Ceh. This is correct, and in 

 connection with the previous reckoning it proves conclusively that the preceding date 

 should be 13 Ik-20 Chen. Six unintelligible glyphs follow; then there is a reckoning 

 of 2 — 1 — 7 — 11x2, succeeded by four directive signs, to 9 Ik-20 Zac. I call attention 

 to the directive signs. Two of them are the bissextile character and its coadjutor, 

 which I think are employed in Palenque to denote different numbers of calendar 

 rounds. These should denote fifteen, if intended to indicate the length of the 

 reckoning; if to express an additional period, it is uncertain how many. The other 

 two directive signs are identical with two of those used after 1 Ahau-18 Zotz to show 

 the reckoning is from that date. This reckoning is also from that date; hence the 



