S14 THE INSCRIPTIONS AT COPAN. 
Taking into consideration all the evidence, archzological as well as historical, 
the following general conclusion appears justifiable: 
The shift in the positions of the days in the months did not take place until the close of 
the New Empire. Even in the west, at Uxmal, where it first appears, no trace of it is found 
before the fall of Chichen Itza in Katun 8 Ahau (1182-1201 a. D.), when the Nahua influence 
seems to have been introduced into Yucatan for the first time. In the east at Chichen Itza, 
Tuluum, Silan, etc., it does not appear at all. After the conquest, however, in the Books of 
Chilan Balam it entirely replaced the Old Empire system, and the latter seems to have 
been forgotten. 
But the writer believes the date of this change may be determined even more 
exactly, at Uxmal at least, than as having occurred some time after 1182-1201. 
The fall of Chichen Itza took place between 1182 and 1201 A. D., that is, some time 
during that Katun 8 Ahau (see page 499). Now, the lintel in the outer chamber 
of the East Range of the Monjas Quadrangle at Uxmal we have already seen dates 
from 11.12.17.11.1 5 Imix 18 Kankin, 7.¢., 1219 A. D., the month-coefficient conform- 
ing to the New Empire system. ‘Therefore, some time between 1182, the beginning 
of Katun 8 Ahau, and 1219, when this lintel was dated, the shift in the month- 
‘coefficients was introduced at Uxmal; indeed, 58 years later, when the Ball Court 
was erected there, occasion was taken to record the date of its dedication in both 
Systems. 
Let us examine this construction next, the inscriptions on the rings of which 
are given in figure 75, a and b. The Ball Court was a purely Nahuan institution, 
and on archeological grounds alone, buildings of this type can hardly have been 
erected in Yucatan before 1200. In fact, only two ball courts are known in the 
whole Maya area, the large one at Chichen Itza and the small one here at Uxmal. 

a 
Fic. 75.—Parts of inscription on rings of Ball Court at Uxmal: a, northern side of eastern ring; 
b, northern side of western ring. 
The inscriptions on the rings of the latter appear to record the same date in 
terms of both the Old and New Empire systems. That on the north side of the 
east ring (figure 75, a) begins with a day Ix (the coefficient, a head-variant, is 
unfortunately destroyed). This is followed by the month 16 Pop, the month- 
coefhcient (7. ¢., 16) on this ring thus conforming to the New Empire usage after the 
