132 MEXICO AND CENTRAL AMERICA 
finally cease. Many dates of the calendar round and 
period ending types are given. ‘This brilliant epoch 
seems to have come to an end through civil war and 
social decadence. The references in the chronicles to 
this early period are very brief. The settlement of 
Bacalar is stated as well as the discovery of Chichen Itza. 
An Initial Series inscription at the later site gives us one 
of our latest historical dates and permits the correla- 
tion of the ancient dates with European chronology. 
TRANSITION PERIOD 
600 A. D. to 960 A. D. 
The early Mayan cities seem to have been abandoned 
about 600 A.D. and a general shift towards the north 
seems to have taken place. Architecture was still kept 
up but pictorial sculpture practically disappeared. 
Certain cities south of Uxmal probably date from this 
decadent period, examples being Hochob and Dsibilno- 
eac. At Xcalumkin there is an Initial Series date 
which may refer to about 910 A.D. The architectural 
styles form the only evidence of artistic sequence availa- 
ble, although if excavations were conducted it is possible 
that pottery would also help. In the chronicles this 
period falls, for the most part, after the first abandon- 
ment of Chichen Itza and while the Mayas were hold- 
ing the land of Chakanputun. This land may be the 
central portion of the Yucatan peninsula. 
PERIOD OF THE LEAGUE OF MAYAPAN 
960 A. D. to 1195 A. D. 
This period is characterized by a noteworthy re- 
vival of architecture occurring in northern Yucatan. 
we ty 
