INSCRIPTIONS OF THE EARLY PERIOD. 61 
head. The middle field or glyph-panel originally contained four glyph- 
blocks; though most of the bottom block is now missing. From the part 
remaining, however, it is possible to estimate the original height of the top 
as having been 74 cm. As the first two glyph-blocks and upper horizontal 
band are 37 cm. high, the whole 
altar must have been twice this 
height, or 74 cm., of which the 
bottom 8 cm. are now missing. 
The thickness of these two 
fragments is practically the same, 
39 cm. and 4o cm. respectively, 
and it may well be that both 
were originally parts of the same 

monument. If so, it was over e ae 
1.78 meters long. +0 YY 
. . . . . Ye Z Y YH of Y YH “ey yy : Y 
The inscription is fairly Uy YMMV. YJ 
clear, with the exception of the 
last glyph-block. Unfortunately 
the loss of this glyph-block alone is sufficient to prevent exact dating, 
since it recorded the terminal day of the Period Ending date in a3b. (See 
Fic. 6.—Inscription on top of Altar Q’. 






plate 24, f, and figure 6.) ‘This latter glyph is clearly the sign for the 
lahuntun or 3600-day period @yysy and should be interpreted as indicat- 
ing that Altar Q’ dates from acs one of these half-katun periods.!. The 
day closing the particular QS) lJahuntun here in question was re- 
corded in a4a, and although the day-sign itself (Ahau) and possibly part 
of the coefficient are missing, the date of the altar can be limited to one of 
four possible readings under our postulate, with the probabilities in favor of 
one in preference to the other three. From what is left of the day coeff- 
cients in ada, &28 it would appear to have been either 7 or 12, although 
6 or II or even 8 or 13 are not impossible readings. Two numerical dots 
appear and the possibility of another, now effaced, must be recognized. 
Inspection of the coefficient, therefore, gives 7 or 12 as the best values, with 
6, 11, 8, or 13 as remoter possibilities. 
There were 1o lahuntuns in the first half of Cycle 9, 7. ¢., during the 
Early Period, as follows: 
9.0.10.0.0 7 Ahau 3 Yax 
6.1,10,0.0 5, Ahau #3; Tzec 
g.2.10.0.0 3 Ahau 8 Cumhu 
9.3.10.0.0 1 Ahau 8 Mac 
g.4.10.0.0 12 Ahau 8 Mol 
g.5.10.0.0 10 Ahau 8 Zip 
9.6.10.0.0 8 Ahau 13 Pax 
9.7.10.0.0 6 Ahau 13 Zac 
g9.8.10.0.0 4 Ahau 13 Xul 
9.9.10.0.0 2 Ahau 13 Pop 

1The term “lahuntun” has been suggested by the writer for the half-katun or Io-tun period, lahun being 
the Maya word for ten. See Morley, 1917), p. 197 and plate 2 and Appendix II, pp. 566, 567. 
