272 THE INSCRIPTIONS AT COPAN. 
years later than the stairway’s latest existing date, 7.¢., Date 11, a decid- | 
edly more natural relationship.' 
His interpretation of Date 11, moreover, carries him even farther afield. 
He offers five possible readings, between the extremes of which is the stu- 
pendous period of over 325,000 years. His nearest possible reading before 
the earliest surely deciphered date at Copan (g.2.10.0.0 on Stela 24) is more 
than 140,000 years earlier, while his nearest possible reading after the 
latest date now known (9.18.10.0.0 on Altar G,) is more than 41,000 years 
later. These values cover such vast ranges of time that they may well be 
viewed with suspicion, especially since other readings have been suggested 
which do not develop such historical improbabilities. Indeed, resting the 
case against his interpretation of these two dates on historic grounds alone, 
it is clear that they are not only extremely improbable, but actually im- 
possible. 
SUMMARY OF THE CHRONOLOGY. 
If the writer’s interpretation of this text be accepted, its chronology may 
be summarized as follows: 
Perhaps as early as 9.13.18.17.9 12 Muluc 7 Muan (Date 10) the building 
of the Hieroglyphic Stairway was either commenced or projected. At least, 
when the work was started, it was particularly desired to memorialize this 
date, which was done by making it the first Initial Series of the new inscrip- 
tion. Next the record goes back nearly 200 years earlier, 7. ¢., to Katun 5, and 
in the lower half of the stairway at least nine Initial Series treat of a number 
of events (Dates 1 tog and 15 to 20) in the early history of the city. Finally, 
after a hiatus (?)? of about 70 years, the record comes down to more recent 
matters, and in a series of a dozen or more dates (Dates 11 to 14 and 21 to 
28), of which 6 are Initial Series, it treats of events during the construction of 
the stairway. ‘This makes a total of 16 Initial Series now known for the 
entire stairway, 10 from the lower half and 6 from the upper half. It must 
be assumed, however, that a few, particularly from the upper half of the 
stairway, have been lost, mutilated beyond all recognition when the upper 
steps crashed to the bottom, but probably not more than 8 or to all told. An 
estimate of 25 Initial Series for the entire stairway appears conservative. 
It was during the period of Dates 11 to 14 and 21 to 28, perhaps in 
9.14.13.4.17, that the neighboring city of Quirigua seems to have been 
founded, and as early as 9.15.6.14.6 some event had taken place which was of 
sufficient importance to find its way into the records of both cities. We may 
perhaps venture the opinion that this event was of greater importance to the 
inhabitants of Quirigua than it was to those of Copan, since it appears four 
times at the former city as compared with but once at the latter. Some 
time toward the close of the Middle Period, Quirigua seems to have been 


‘ Gordon himself suggests that the correlation of Stela M with the stairway would tend to indicate that both 
belong to the same period, were it not for his readings of Dates 10 and 11: “From its association with the stairway, 
one would be led to suppose that this stela belonged to the same period, but it is otherwise.” (Gordon, 1902, p. 185.) 
? Ocher now missing dates may have filled this gap formerly. 
