290 THE INSCRIPTIONS AT COPAN. 
as will appear later, Temple 11 was probably dedicated in 9.16.12.5.17 and 
Altar Q probably in 9.17.5.0.0, and the similarity of Altar L to these two 
surely dated sculptures will materially help in fixing the position of its single 
Calendar Round date in the Long Count. 
On the face under discussion,' there are seven 
glyphs, three in the column between the two figures 
and two under each figure. Of these, only the first 
two in the column are decipherable. They record a 
Calendar Round date, the day of which is partially 
effaced: 2 or 3 Chicchan, Oc, or Men 3 Zip; the 
day coefficient being best at 2. (See fig. 43.) 
The month-sign is an unusual variant of 
Zip, which only occurs in two other inscriptions G& 
known, beth at Copan, and both within ro tuns 
of each other, 7. ¢., Stela N (9.16.10.0.0) and the an 
2 DDK | 

reviewing stand on the north side of the Western 
Court’ '(9.17.0:0,0)= (see, “plate/)6;), ( Thesessrarce 
month-signs all have similar subfixes Ela: which 
are entirely dissimilar to the usual Zip super- 
fix 6Tls and as suggested in footnote I on page 
OT; the three monuments on which they occur all present such 
close stylistic similarities, and, in the case of two at least, such chrono- 
logical proximity, that we are justified in assigning all three to the same 
period, if not indeed to the same sculptor. The six dates most probable here 
occurred in Cycle 9, nearest the dates of Stela N and the reviewing stand 
in the Western Court, as follows: 


(O 
Fic. 43.—Inscription on front 
of Altar L. 
9.15.18.15. 5 3 Chicchan 3 Zip 
9:16.112.0. § .2-Chicchanas/ap 
§.16.121,0;10. 5 3 Oc 3 Zap 
Olt; Aa si 92 een cig 
9.17.1 2 315) 2 Mena cip 
9.17.17. 6.15 2 Men. 3°Zip 
In all probability the day-sign is not Men; and also in the case of the last 
reading it is too late to be historically probable, and may therefore be 
eliminated. Again, only the second, third, fourth, and fifth lie near the 
dates of Temple 11 and Altar Q, the nearest monuments on stylistic grounds, 
and only the second and third are near the dates of Stela N and the review- 
ing stand in the Western Court, which have the same unusual variant of 
the Zip superfix, thus reducing the probabilities to the second and third 
readings above. : 
A careful study of what is left of the day-sign, moreover, discloses th 
presence of two sharp-pointed teeth in the upper jaw. (See fig. 43.) These 
are wanting in the three signs for Oc which Bowditch figures,” but are present 
1 The other face was never finished. 2 Bowditch, 1910, plate 5. 
