216 THE INSCRIPTIONS AT COPAN. 
sequence in Groups C, D, E, and F above. After 9.12.5.0.0, on the other 
hand, all the lahuntun and katun-endings except the last, 9.14.10.0.0, are 
marked by corresponding monuments. 
It is not at all unlikely, in view of the foregoing, that beginning with the 
construction of the Great Plaza, which began after 9.12.5.0.0 and before 
9.13.10.0.0, an undertaking which with the work on the Acropolis then going 
forward must have absorbed the energies of well-nigh the entire masonic craft of 
the community, the practice of erecting monuments to mark the ends of first 
and third hotuns may have been discontinued as too exhaustive a drain on the 
resources of the tribe in connection with the larger work then in progress; and 
thereafter monuments may have been erected only on the lahuntun and katun- 
endings. If such were the case, there is only one period-marker missing after 
9.12.5.0.0, namely, 9.14.10.0.0; and possibly for the whole Middle Period not 
more than three—9g.10.10.0.0, 9.11.10.0.0, and 9.14.10.0.0. 
Such speculations as these, while incapable of definite proof, are yet inter- 
esting as possibly indicating why certain hotuns passed unmarked at Copan; 
and the writer feels much more inclined to accept this explanation of the 
facts observed, almost in its entirety, rather than to accept the only other 
alternative possible, namely, that the stele marking these 11 missing hotuns 
have been utterly destroyed or else still lie buried somewhere in the valley. 
Turning next to the consideration of the altars of the Middle Period, 
enough has been said already to show that in some cases at least their func- 
tions are scarcely to be distinguished from those of the stele. Indeed, in 
four cases they seem to have served as hotun-markers, just like stele. 
Of the twelve altars of the period, six are circular and drum-shaped;} 
four are rectangular,’ and two are of complex form.* The drum-shaped 
altars enjoyed their greatest vogue in the Middle Period—indeed, with the 
exception of a small one, Altar W, they do not occur at all in the Great 
Period.t| The highest example of the type is the altar of Stela I, which, in 
addition to the bands running over the top, has knots and bands on the 
periphery, both above and below the inscription. The rectangular altars, 
on the other hand, carry over into the Great Period. 
As seven of these twelve altars have been correlated with the stele for 
which they were severally designed, they may be dismissed from further 
consideration. It will be necessary, however, to examine the remaining five, 
all of which record Initial Series, in somewhat greater detail. These are: 
The West Altar of Stela 5 
The Altar of Stela 1 
Altar K 
Altar H’ 
Altar I’ 
1 The altars of Stele 19, 13, 1, and I, and the East and West Altars of Stela 5. 
2 The altar of Stela 6 and Altars K, H’, and I’. 
3 The altars of Stele J and 3. 
4 Only one altar of this type has no inscription, namely, Altar 14. It is not associated with any other monu- 
ment, and its date is therefore uncertain. (See Spinden, 1913, p. 161 and figure 214.) It stands by the river bank 
and is ornamented with bands and other decorative elements, but has no glyphs on it. It almost certainly may be 
referred to the Middle Period on stylistic grounds. As already pointed out, the plain drum-shaped stones found 
in connection with Stel 12 and 23 are probably their foundation-stones and not altars. 


