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THE MAYAN CIVILIZATION 127 
dition of wings or by the enclosing of the old parts under 
new masonry. 
Dated Monuments. We have seen that many 
monuments carry hieroglyphic inscriptions containing 
dates in the Mayan system of counting time. It is im- 
possible to read the texts that accompany these dates. 
But it is a remarkable fact 
that when we arrange the 
monuments in their artistic 
order we find that the in- 
scribed dates in the great 
majority of cases fallin the 
same order. ‘This leads us 
to conclude that the dates 
are practically contempor- 
aneous with the carving and 
setting up of the monuments. 
Now the above is especially 
true when the inscription 
gives a simple Initial Series 
date. When more than one 
date is given the historic 
one appears in most instan- 
Fig. 51. Late Sculpture 
; from Chichen Itza. The 
ces to be the latest, but in headdress resembles that 
a few instances it appears to Worm by the rulers on the 
‘ ‘ highlands of Mexico. 
be a specially emphasized z 
intermediate date. In addition, then, to contempor- 
aneous dates there are some that refer to the past and 
others that refer to the future. 
Some writers have assumed that the stele and other 
inscribed monuments were primarily time markers set 
up at the end of hotun (or five year) periods. ‘This seems 
an unnecessarily narrow view. We can demonstrate 
that some inscriptions deal with astronomical facts cover- 
