INSCRIPTIONS. OF THE GREAT PERIOD. 321 
have been recorded here originally. The real obstacle to such a decipher- 
ment of glyphs E and n, however, lies in the coefficient to the left of the 
uinal-sign in Na, plate 31, which almost certainly is 2, not 3. “The writer 
examined this glyph closely with this very point in mind and was forced to 
conclude that the central-dot was, and always had been, an ornamental 
non-numerical crescent. 
If it is assumed that a piece has been broken out of it, and that formerly. 
it was just like the two outside dots in shape and size, which interpretation, 
however, the writer believes demands too much of the original, the rest of 
this decipherment becomes an easy matter. The uinal coefficient in ob 
occupies more space than the tun coefficient in pa, and the former may well 
have been 12, 7. ¢., having space for not more than 3 bars; and the latter, 7, 
1. €., having space for not more than 2 bars. All things considered, however, 
it seems best to reject this interesting Be Sey and to stand ie the first 
interpretation suggested. 
THe REVIEWING-STAND IN THE WESTERN CourrT. 
Provenance: At the northern side of the Western Court, built against 
the base of the substructure of Temple 11, at the 
Acropolis, Main Structure. (See plate 6.) 
Date: g.17.0.0.0 13 Ahau 18 Cumhu.! 
Text, drawing: plate 30. 
At the northern end of the Western Court, built.against the base of the 
lofty substructure supporting Temple 11, is a reviewing-stand of four tiers 
of seats, 16.5 meters long and 2 meters high. (See plate 30.) The back of 
‘the top seat is sculptured with a band of glyphs running from end to end and 
only interrupted by the large central ornament, a human head and shoulders, 
now badly defaced. On,each end of this band there is a large human figure 
kneeling on one knee, facing toward the center, and holding in one hand a 
torch-like object, the top of which in each case has unhappily disappeared, 
as also both of the heads. A pair of intertwining serpents, probably the 
rattlesnake, as the tails seem to show the typical Maya treatment of rattles, 
forms the necklace of each, and a larger serpent with protruding tongue, 
falling in a graceful curl, the tail hanging below, forms the belt. But for 
these decorations the figures are nude, not even having sandals, wristlets, 
or anklets. These figures are large seasinnea mosaics let into the steep 
batter of the substructure of Temple 11. The western one is in slightly 
better condition than the eastern one, 7. ¢.,in the latter the forearm and torch- 
like object have disappeared, but it is evident that both were bilaterally 
symmetrical with reference to a vertical axis through the ornament in the 
center of the stand. Owing to the mosaic feature of their construction, they 
were peculiarly prone to destruction,.and it is remarkable that so much has 
survived the ravages of time. 


1 For other monuments recording this same hotun-ending, see Appendix VIII. 
