A412 THE INSCRIPTIONS AT COPAN. 
rite or jadeite) was the most precious of all materials to the ancient Maya, it 
will be seen that the precise locality where such a small object was found is of 
little value in determining its place of origin. It was so small of bulk, so 
light of weight, so precious of material, and so cherished because of its 
hoary antiquity even as early as the Middle Period of the Old Empire, that 
it would have been, and possibly was, carried far from its place of manu- 
facture. 
This same objection, however, can not be raised against the next inscrip- 
tion, that on Stela 9 at Uaxactun (see fig. 66), which is less than 8 years later 
than the Leyden Plate, and is the oldest monument, 
i. ¢., large, monolithic remain, yet found in the 
Maya area, or indeed recorded in the Maya hiero- 
lyphic writing. This site was discovered by the YW) 
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Carnegie Institution Central American Expedition . 
of 1916, in the Department of Peten, Guatemala, 
north of Lake Peten Itza, some 25 to 30 kilometers 
northwest of Tikal and 600 kilometers south of east 
from San Andres Tuxtla (see plate 1 and fig. 64).! 
This monument is a large shaft of limestone, LD) GF J 
° Yytt}-4 Lise 
2.9 meters high (above the ground), 1.22 meters WZ We 
wide at the base, 76 cm. wide at the top, and 60 56 OH Lee Bert : 
cm. thick, and weighs several tons, much too heavy at Uaxactun. 
an object, in fact, ever to have been moved far from its place of manu- 
facture. It is still standing, although leaning far out of the perpendicular, 
with its front forward, in which position the back or surface having the 
single glyph-panel has suffered more from weathering than the front. Even 
if there were not other very early monuments at Uaxactun in addition to 
Stela 9,2 we are justified, on the evidence afforded by this monument alone, 
in assuming that we have here a stela im situ, recording a contemporaneous 
Cycle 8 date; in other words, that on the basis of the dated remains in situ 
Uaxactun is the oldest Maya site yet discovered. 
Omitting Stela 20 at Copan, although the writer believes its date is 
9.1.10.0.0 as suggested, the next earliest monument is Stela 24 at Copan, 
which is 160 years later than Stela 9g at Uaxactun; and then during the next 
80 years follow Stelz 3 and 10 at Tikal, Stela 3 at Uaxactun, Stela 15 at 
Copan, Stela 17 at Tikal, and Stela 9 at Copan. 
Analyzing next the dates of these nine monuments, it will be found 
that Stela 9 at Uaxactun is 166 years later than the Tuxtla Statuette; in 
other words, that during the interval between 8.6.2.4.17, the date of the 
latter, and 8.14.10.13.15, the date of the former, the Maya had continued 
their migration southeastward and had occupied the northern part of the 
. Wy 
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1See Morley, 1916a, pp. 339-341. This site was named Uaxactun because of the discovery of the Cycle 8 
Initial Series on Stela 9 here, waxac being Maya for 8, and tun Maya for stone, 1. ¢., ‘8 stone.” 
2 Other early monuments at Uaxactun are: Stela 5, 8.15.10.3.12(?); Stela 3, 9.3.13.0.0; and Stela 6, 9.6, 7, 
or 8.2.2.3. 
