THE MAYAN CIVILIZATION 105 



The straight vigesimal system was doubtless used by 

 the Mayas in ordinary counting, bu1 in counting time a 



very important change was introduced in the third 

 position. Also the Dames were modified : hun was called 

 kin which means sun or day. In the second position kal 

 was called uinal which mean- month and 18 of these 

 were taken to form a /////. stone, which was the third 

 unit. The ///// then had a value of 18x20=3(30 days, 

 making a conventional year about five and a quarter 

 day- less than a true year. Twenty tuns made a kal- 

 tun or katun and above this period the numeral system 

 proceeded as before and in the ascending values the 

 names already given were merely combined with tun, 

 if dates is right in his clever suggestion. For years it 

 has been customary to speak -of the fifth period as cycle 

 for want of a native term : this will now be called baktun . 

 One hablatun, the highest period Avith a name, has the 

 astonishing value of 460,800,000,000 days. However, 

 the highest number which has come down to us records 

 only 1,841,639,800 days, or about five million years. 

 \» edless to say it is not historical. 



In our decimal system the number 347,981, for in- 

 stance, is really: — 



3 x 100000 



4 x 10000 



7 x 1 000 

 9 x 100 



8 x 10 



1 X 1 



When written out in a horizontal line each "position" 

 value ten times thai of the " position " to the right 

 of it. It is understood that a digit which stands in a 

 "position " is to be multiplied by 1.10. 100. 1000, etc., as 

 the case may be. The Mayas, using the principle of 

 position, ordinarily write their bar and dot numerals in 



