INSCRIPTIONS OF THE MIDDLE PERIOD. 165 
unusual, being like that on Stela 3, 7. ¢., from top to bottom and left to 
right, and, unlike that on the altar of Stela 1, the inscription of which is 
composed like this, of a single band of glyph-blocks. 
The text opens on Fragments 8 and U, and the missing Fragment T, 
with an Initial Series introducing glyph at a, plate 20, b, shown by the star 
in figure 28, and the next piece (plate 20, b, and Fragment V, figure 28) pre- 
sents the cycles, katuns, tuns, and uinals of the corresponding Initial Series 
number. The cycle coefficient (Ba u. h.) is missing, although it doubtless 
may be restored as 9. The cycle-sign itself is recorded in Ba |. h. and traces 
of the clasped hand on the lower part of the face may still be distinguished. 
The katun coefficient (Bd u. h.) is perfectly clear, but of unfamiliar form. 
The tun coefficient (ca u. h.) is unusual; the head-variant numeral 
is itself very clearly the death’s head, but this is preceded by a bar which 
ordinarily would have the value of 5, presumably 5+10, since 5X10, 7. ¢., 
uniting the two by multiplication, would give an impossible value for the 
tun coefficient. Leaving this point indeterminate for the present, however, 
let us continue the inspection of our text. 
The uinal-sign and coefficient in cb are perfectly clear as o uinals. Note 
the clasped hand denoting o in the coefficient. 
Unfortunately the next two glyph-blocks, 7. ¢., p and FE, are missing, 
both being on the missing Fragment T (see figure 28). These, doubtless, 
recorded the kins and day of the Initial Series and the first two glyphs of the 
Supplementary Series. ‘To compensate for this rather serious loss, however, 
the glyphs on Fragments W and X (figure 29 and plate 20, b) are unusually 
clear, and in a series of 10 consecutive characters they give sufficient data by 
which this altar may be dated. The first of these, Fa, is Glyph E of the 
Supplementary Series, and there follow in Fd, c, Ha, Hd, and 1a, Glyphs D, 
C, X, B, and A of the Supplementary Series, respectively, the last, Glyph A, 
here having a coefficient of 9. Next, in 1d follows the month-sign of the 
Initial Series terminal date, unusually clear as 13 Mol. Following this in 
ja is a well-known ending-sign, being almost identical with the forms used 
on Stele 12 and 2 (compare Ja with the next to last glyph in plate 17 and the 
third to last glyph in plate 18), and after this in yb, the glyph meaning “ End 
of a hotun.” Finally, in ka and kd (the latter on Fragment Y) is the day 12 
Ahau and another ending-sign. Fragment Z presents no decipherable 
glyphs, although ma is two katuns and md is a familiar grotesque head of 
unknown meaning. The last glyph-block, 0, that is on the left of the Initial 
Series introducing glyph, is on Fragment S again and has no decipherable 
signs. 
: Whatever the doubtful coefficients in the Initial Series number may be, 
there seems little doubt that we have recorded in 1)-] the statement that the 
month of the Initial Series terminal date is “13 Mol,” and further, that it 
fell on a hotun-ending. By referring to Goodman’s tables, it will be found 
that the only hotun in Cycle 9 ending on a month position of 13 Mol within 
