
INSRIPTIONS OF THE EARLY PERIOD. IIs 
This monument is the only one from the Early Period described by 
Stephens, who named it Statue B, and it is the first stela thus far presented 
which was standing when found.! It is in the Western Court at the foot of 
Mound 16 and is 3.2 meters long, 76 cm. wide at the widest part, and 66 cm. 
thick. It is wedge-shaped, being wider at the top than at the bottom, which 
gives it a top-heavy and unwieldy appearance. Although it is doubtless 
standing just where it did when the city was abandoned, Stela P can not be 
regarded as in situ strictly speaking, since its date, 9.9.10.0.0, is earlier than 
the earliest possible date of construction of the Western Court. The whole 
southern half of the Main Structure, including the Eastern and Western 
Courts and the Court of the Hieroglyphic Stairway, dates from the Great 
Period, or the latter part of the Middle Period, and any monuments of the 
Early Period found here, as Stela P for example, must have been brought 
thither from some earlier location after 9.15.0.0.0 or thereabouts. 
A parallel case already noted is that of Stela E on the terrace at the 
west side of the Great Plaza. Its early date also clearly indicates that it too 
could not have been im situ where found. It therefore seems likely that 
Stele E and P (successive hotun-markers in the Long Count) were brought 
from some other group to their present positions; and all circumstances 
point to this group having been the large settlement at Group 9, probably 
the largest in the valley during the Early Period, where Stela 7 was found, 
these three monuments, as we have just seen, recording three successive 
hotun-endings in the Long Count. 
The front of Stela P is sculptured with a large human figure, which still 
shows archaic features, the top of the monument being broader than the 
bottom; the effect being wedge-shape. The eyes are bulging, and the arms, 
legs, and face crudely carved, flat, and heavy.” The inscriptions on the back 
and two sides open with Initial Series introducing glyphs, but only that on 
the back is followed by an Initial Series number, a3—asa, Bob, Glyph A, of 
the Supplementary Series appearing in Bea. The number is expressed by 
head-variant numerals, all of which are perfectly clear and record the date 
9.9.10.0.0 2 Ahau 13 Pop, as follows: 
A1-B2_ Initial Series introducing glyph 
A3 9 cycles 
B3 g katuns 
B4 10 tuns pe 
B4a O uinals 
B4D o kins 
Asa 23 Ahau 
BO6b 13 Pop 
Seler reads the Initial Series of Stela P as 9.9.13.0.0 3 Ahau 3 Uayeb.'! 
This reading, however, is open to five serious objections, four of which 

1Stephens, 1841, vol. 1, p. 140. 
2Spinden, 1913, p. 156. 
’Maudslay’s drawing (1889-1902, vol. 1, plate 89, glyph 5 left half) incorrectly shows 1 as the day- 
sign coefficient. A careful study of the original, however, established the presence of two dots and two @ 
ornamental scrolls, as in the accompanying figure, making the number 2 instead of 1. 
4Seler, 1902-1908, vol. 1, p. 773. 

