THE LESSER CIVILIZATIONS 145 
be considered at that time. It may not be out of place, 
however, to discuss briefly here the religion and time 
counts of the Zapotecans. 
The high priests of the Zapotecans were called 
“Seers”’ and the ordinary priests were “Guardians of 
the Gods” and “Sacrificers.”.. There was a sort of 
priestly college where the sons of chiefs were trained 
in the service of the gods. The religious practices 
included incense burning, sacrificing of birds, and ani- 
mals, and letting of one’s own blood by piercing the 
tongue and the ear. Human sacrifice was made on 
stated occasions and was attended by rites of great 
solemnity. The Zapotecs never went to the blood 
excesses that stain the annals of the Aztecs. 
The 260 day cycle of the time count, was subdivided 
into four periods of 65 days and each period was under 
control of a single god and was associated with one of 
the cardinal points. Each period of sixty-five days was 
further divided into five groups of thirteen days for 
a ceremonial reason. Some authorities have con- 
sidered that the general form of the Central American 
calendar originated in the region of the Isthmus of 
Tehuantepec and spread to the north and to the south. 
But dependable history in the Mayan area goes back 
much farther than in the Zapotecan region and renders 
such a guess extremely hazardous. 
Totonacan Culture. In the central part of the 
state of Vera Cruz are found the remains commonly 
referred to the Totonacan Indians. ‘These Indians are 
southern neighbors of the Huastecas who are an outly- 
ing Mayan tribe. The Totonacan language is accord- 
ing to some authorities thrown into the Mayan stock. 
If not truly Mayan it contains many loan words. This 
apparent connection in language is all the more inter- 
