46 THE INSCRIPTIONS AT COPAN. 
It is highly probable, moreover, that the exact dating of the monuments 
will throw light on the meanings of the as yet undeciphered glyphs. This 
is certainly true of the Supplementary Series, a group of 7 or 8 signs normally 
standing between the two parts of the Initial Series terminal date, which, 
as the writer has shown elsewhere,! depend for the very fact of their existence 
upon the corresponding Initial Series. Indeed, so far as the Supplementary 
Series are concerned, it is necessary to know the date recorded by the accom- 
panying Initial Series before interpretation can even be attempted. 
Again, in the case of the Secondary Series,? if we are to determine the 
nature of the phenomena governing this important count, which ranges from 
one day to more than one million years—that is, whether it records astro- 
nomical, mythological, traditional, or historical data, it will first be neces- 
sary to know the dates on which the governing phenomena occurred. 
The record of these three counts, the Initial, Supplementary, and 
Secondary Series, the first and third solar, the second lunar, comprises 
approximately one-half of the Maya inscriptions, and enough has already 
been said concerning them to show their intimate connection with, and 
dependence upon, the counting of time. ‘To the ultimate solution of these 
and other related problems, therefore, not only in this archeological area, 
but also in the much broader field of contemporary ancient America, an~ 
accurate knowledge of Maya chronology is indispensable; and in the present 
volume this particular phase of the inscriptions at one of the largest Maya 
cities has been exhaustively reviewed. 
METHOD OF TREATMENT. 
The immediate object of this research has determined to a large extent 
the method of treatment followed in describing the different monuments. 
The Old Maya Empire, approximately the period covered by the Copan 
inscriptions (between three and four centuries), has been divided into three 
smaller periods: the Early, the Middle, and the Great; and under these 
headings the individual monuments have been described according to their 
relative chronological positions in each subdivision, the inscriptions of the 
Early Period being found in Chapter II, those of the Middle Period in Chap- 
ter III, and those of the Great Period in Chapter IV. 
The general discussion of each monument is preceded by a synoptic 
outline giving its most essential features: name, provenance, date, reproduc- 
tions of the text, and references. By this standardized treatment, which is 
followed throughout the book, the same important points about every monu- 
ment are given in a synopsis at the head of each, so that it is not necessary to 
read all the accompanying description in order to arrive at the most essential 
1Morley, 1916. The general nature of this count, dealing with the moon, is described briefly in Appendix VI. 
2Secondary Series is the name which has been applied to glyphs recording dates other than Initial Series dates. 
They consist of a number and date and are usually counted from the Initial Series or from some date which may 
be referred back to the Initial Series. For an explanation of this count, see Morley, 1915, pp. 74-76. 
3For the further discussion of this question see pp. 53, 54. 
