INSCRIPTIONS OF THE EARLY PERIOD. 75 
on days the corresponding month coefficients of which were either 3, 8, 13 
or 18.1 It is therefore presumptively probable that the missing Initial 
Series of this monument recorded the end of some katun, lahuntun, or 
hotun in the Early Period. Referring to Goodman’s tables,’ it will be 
found that there were ten katuns, lahuntuns, and hotuns in the Early 
Period, that ended on days the month coefficients of which were 3, namely: 
g.0.10.0.0 7 Ahau 3 Yax 9.5-15.0.0 3 Ahau 3 Uo 
g.1.10.0.0 5 Ahau 3 Tzec 9.6. 0.0.0 g Ahau 3 Uayeb 
g.2.15.0.0 9 Ahau 3 Kayab 9.7. 0.0.0 7 Ahau 3 Kankin 
9.3-15.0.0 7 Ahau 3 Ceh 9.8. 0.0.0 5 Ahau 3 Chen 
9.4.15.0.0 5 Ahau 3 Yaxkin 9.9. 0.0.0 3 Ahau 3 Zotz 
Because of the extremely archaic style of Stela 20, which is surely 
earlier than that of Stela 24, the date of which is definitely fixed as 9.2.10.0.0, 
it is possible to eliminate all but the first two values in the above list. To 
choose further between these, however, it is necessary to depend upon inter- 
nal evidence supplied by the month-sign itself, that is, the last glyphs in 
plate 9, b, and figure 9. Unfortunately the lower half of this glyph is missing. 
The upper half, however, is fairly clear, and as it bears no resemblance to 
any of the known forms for Yax,* the first value above may be eliminated, 
which leaves the second as the only possible reading for this date under our 
postulate. Moreover, inspection of what is left of the month-sign shows 
that its superfix has a series of parallel lines (2) which is characteristic of 
the superfix of the sign for the month Tzec; and on the strength of @7> 
this corroboratory evidence from the text itself it seems not unlikely ep 
that the date of Stela 20 may be g.1.10.0.0 5 Ahau 3 Tzec. ar 
The correctness of this reading, it is obvious, rests upon the truth of our 
two postulates: (1) that Stela 20 dates from the early part of Cycle 9, and 
(2) that it records an even katun, lahuntun, or hotun ending in the Long 
Count. Concerning the first, let us examine the stylistic criteria present 
and see where this monument is to be assigned on stylistic grounds. As 
already pointed out, the style of Stela 20 is probably more archaic than that 
of any other monument at Copan. Indeed, in order to find monuments of 
equal or greater age, from which comparative stylistic criteria may be 
1All time periods above the kin or day in the Maya chronological system ended on some one of the thirteen 
days Ahau. And since Ahau could have only a corresponding month coefficient of 3, 8, 13, or 18, all hotun-endings 
were thereby automatically restricted to one of these same four numerals for their month coefficients. 
2For deciphering Maya dates, as well as performing other calculations arising therefrom, the use of Good- 
man’s Archaic Annual Calendar and Goodman’s Archaic Chronological Calendar is strongly recommended. See 
Goodman, 1897. Other tables, although somewhat less convenient, are those devised by Gates. See Gates, 
1g00. A longer method involving reduction of the Maya terms to the decimal system was first used by Forste- 
mann in his pioneer work on the Maya hieroglyphic writing. See Férstemann, 1887, p. 36. Aside from any 
sentimental interest attaching to this method as being the first, it is also probably the most readily comprehended 
by the European mind, because it reduces the Maya periods to the terms of our own decimal notation. For an 
extended treatment of this method, see Morley, 1915, particularly Chapters III and IV. Bowditch (1910, Appen- 
dix VIT) has devised a method which considerably decreases the amount of purely arithmetical work in performing 
the different calculations present in the inscriptions, and R. K. Morley (1918) has developed this method even 
further. While the greater brevity of these is conceded, their use by beginners is hardly to be recommended, 
because of the complexity of the arithmetical principles upon which they depend; and for performing the common 
calculations present in the inscriptions, Goodman’s tables are more convenient and expeditious. 
§See Bowditch, 1910, plate 10, also Appendix X. 
