CHAPTER I. The Maya 1

Habitat 1 History 2 Manners and customs 7

II. The Maya hieroglyphic writing 22

III. How the Maya reckoned time 37 The tonalamatl, or 260-day period 41 The haab, or year of 365 days 44 The Calendar Round, or 18,980-day period 51 The Long Count 60 Initial Series 63 The introducing glyph 64 The cycle glyph 68 The katun glyph 68 The tun glyph 70 The uinal glyph 70 The kin glyph 72 Secondary Series 74 Calendar-round dates 76 Period-ending dates 77 U kahlay katunob 79

IV. Maya arithmetic 87 Bar and dot numerals 87 Head-variant numerals 96 First method of numeration 105 Number of cycles in a great cycle 107 Second method of numeration 129 First step in solving Maya numbers 134 Second step in solving Maya numbers 135 Third step in solving Maya numbers 136 Fourth step in solving Maya numbers 138 Fifth step in solving Maya numbers 151

V. The inscriptions 156 Texts recording Initial Series 157 Texts recording Initial Series and Secondary Series 207 Texts recording Period Endings 222 Texts recording Initial Series, Secondary Series, and Period Endings 233 Errors in the originals 245

VI. The codices 251 Texts recording tonalamatls 251 Texts recording Initial Series 266 Texts recording Serpent Numbers 273 Texts recording Ascending Series 276

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List of Tables

Page TABLE I. The twenty Maya day names 37 II. Sequence of Maya days 42 III. The divisions of the Maya year 45 IV. Positions of days at the end of a year 48 V. Relative positions of days beginning Maya years 53 VI. Positions of days in divisions of Maya year 55 VII. Positions of days in divisions of Maya year according to Maya notation 55 VIII. The Maya time-periods 62 IX. Sequence of katuns in u kahlay katunob 80 X. Characteristics of head-variant numerals 0-19, inclusive 103 XI. Sequence of twenty consecutive dates in the month Pop 111 XII. Comparison of the two methods of numeration 133 XIII. Values of higher periods in terms of lowest, in inscriptions 135 XIV. Values of higher periods in terms of lowest, in codices 135 XV. The 365 positions in the Maya year 141 XVI. 80 Calendar Rounds expressed in Arabic and Maya notation 143 XVII. Interrelationship of dates on Stelæ E, F, and J and Zoömorph G, Quirigua 239

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ILLUSTRATIONS

Page PLATE 1. The Maya territory, showing locations of principal cities (map) 1 2. Diagram showing periods of occupancy of principal southern cities 15 3. Page 74 of the Dresden Codex, showing the end of the world (according to Förstemann) 32 4. Diagram showing occurrence of dates recorded in Cycle 9 35 5. Tonalamatl wheel, showing sequence of the 260 differently named days 43 6. Glyphs representing Initial Series, showing use of bar and dot numerals and normal-form period glyphs 157 7. Glyphs representing Initial Series, showing use of bar and dot numerals and head-variant period glyphs 167 8. Glyphs representing Initial Series, showing use of bar and dot numerals and head-variant period glyphs 170 9. Glyphs representing Initial Series, showing use of bar and dot numerals and head-variant period glyphs 176 10. Glyphs representing Initial Series, showing use of bar and dot numerals and head-variant period glyphs--Stela 3, Tikal 178 11. Glyphs representing Initial Series, showing use of bar and dot numerals and head-variant period glyphs--Stela A (east side), Quirigua 179 12. Glyphs representing Initial Series, showing use of head-variant numerals and period glyphs 180 13. Oldest Initial Series at Copan--Stela 15 187 14. Initial Series on Stela D, Copan, showing full-figure numeral glyphs and period glyphs 188 15. Initial Series on Stela J, Copan 191 16. Initial Series and Secondary Series on Lintel 21, Yaxchilan 207 17. Initial Series and Secondary Series on Stela 1, Piedras Negras 210 18. Initial Series and Secondary Series on Stela K, Quirigua 213 19. Initial Series and Secondary Series on Stela F (west side), Quirigua 218 20. Initial Series on Stela F (east side), Quirigua 220 21. Examples of Period-ending dates in Cycle 9 223 22. Examples of Period-ending dates in cycles other than Cycle 9 227 23. Initial Series, Secondary Series, and Period-ending dates on Stela 3, Piedras Negras 233 24. Initial Series, Secondary Series, and Period-ending dates on Stela E (west side), Quirigua 235 25. Calendar-round dates on Altar 5, Tikal 240 26. Initial Series on Stela N, Copan, showing error in month coefficient 248 27. Page 12 of the Dresden Codex, showing tonalamatls in all three divisions 254 28. Page 15 of the Dresden Codex, showing tonalamatls in all three divisions 260 29. Middle divisions of pages 10 and 11 of the Tro-Cortesiano, showing one tonalamatl extending across the two pages 262 30. Page 102 of the Codex Tro-Cortesiano, showing tonalamatls in the lower three divisions 263 {xii} 31. Page 24 of the Dresden Codex, showing Initial Series 266 32. Page 62 of the Dresden Codex, showing the Serpent Numbers 273

FIGURE 1. Itzamna, chief deity of the Maya Pantheon 16 2. Kukulcan, God of Learning 17 3. Ahpuch, God of Death 17 4. The God of War 17 5. Ek Ahau, the Black Captain, war deity 18 6. Yum Kaax, Lord of the Harvest 18 7. Xaman Ek, the North Star God 19 8. Conflict between the Gods of Life and Death (Kukulcan and Ahpuch) 19 9. Outlines of the glyphs 22 10. Examples of glyph elision, showing elimination of all parts except essential element 23 11. Normal-form and head-variant glyphs, showing retention of essential element in each 24 12. Normal-form and head-variant glyphs, showing absence of common essential element 25 13. Glyphs built up on a phonetic basis 28 14. A rebus. Aztec, and probably Maya, personal and place names were written in a corresponding manner 29 15. Aztec place names 30 16. The day signs in the inscriptions 38 17. The day signs in the codices 39 18. Sign for the tonalamatl (according to Goodman) 44 19. The month signs in the inscriptions 49 20. The month signs in the codices 50 21. Diagram showing engagement of tonalamatl wheel of 260 days and haab wheel of 365 positions; the combination of the two giving the Calendar Round, or 52-year period 57 22. Signs for the Calendar Round 59 23. Diagram showing section of Calendar-round wheel 64 24. Initial-series "introducing glyph" 65 25. Signs for the cycle 68 26. Full-figure variant of cycle sign 69 27. Signs for the katun 69 28. Full-figure variant of katun sign 70 29. Signs for the tun 70 30. Full-figure variant of tun sign 70 31. Signs for the uinal 71 32. Full-figure variant of uinal sign on Zoömorph B, Quirigua 71 33. Full-figure variant of uinal sign on Stela D, Copan 71 34. Signs for the kin 72 35. Full-figure variant of kin sign 73 36. Period glyphs, from widely separated sites and of different epochs, showing persistence of essential elements 74 37. Ending signs and elements 78 38. "Snake" or "knot" element as used with day sign Ahau, possibly indicating presence of the u kahlay katunob in the inscriptions 83 39. Normal forms of numerals 1 to 19, inclusive, in the codices 88 40. Normal forms of numerals 1 to 19, inclusive, in the inscriptions 89 41. Examples of bar and dot numeral 5, showing the ornamentation which the bar underwent without affecting its numerical value 89 {xiii} 42. Examples showing the way in which numerals 1, 2, 6, 7, 11, 12, 16, and 17 are _not_ used with period, day, or month signs 90 43. Examples showing the way in which numerals 1, 2, 6, 7, 11, 12, 16, and 17 _are_ used with period, day, or month signs 90 44. Normal forms of numerals 1 to 13, inclusive, in the Books of Chilan Balam 91 45. Sign for 20 in the codices 92 46. Sign for 0 in the codices 92 47. Sign for 0 in the inscriptions 93 48. Figure showing possible derivation of the sign for 0 in the inscriptions 93 49. Special sign for 0 used exclusively as a month coefficient 94 50. Examples of the use of bar and dot numerals with period, day, or month signs 95 51. Head-variant numerals 1 to 7, inclusive 97 52. Head-variant numerals 8 to 13, inclusive 98 53. Head-variant numerals 14 to 19, inclusive, and 0 99 54. A sign for 0, used also to express the idea "ending" or "end of" in Period-ending dates 102 55. Examples of the use of head-variant numerals with period, day, or month signs 104 56. Examples of the first method of numeration, used almost exclusively in the inscriptions 105 57. Signs for the cycle showing coefficients above 13 110 58. Part of the inscription on Stela N, Copan, showing a number composed of six periods 115 59. Part of the inscription in the Temple of the Inscriptions, Palenque, showing a number composed of seven periods 115 60. Part of the inscription on Stela 10, Tikal (probably an Initial Series), showing a number composed of eight periods 115 61. Signs for the great cycle and the great-great cycle 118 62. Glyphs showing misplacement of the kin coefficient or elimination of a period glyph 128 63. Examples of the second method of numeration, used exclusively in the codices 131 64. Figure showing the use of the "minus" or "backward" sign in the codices 137 65. Sign for the "month indicator" 153 66. Diagram showing the method of designating particular glyphs in a text 156 67. Signs representing the hotun, or 5-tun, period 166 68. Initial Series showing bar and dot numerals and head-variant period glyphs 174 69. Initial Series showing head-variant numerals and period glyphs 183 70. Initial Series showing head-variant numerals and period glyphs 186 71. Initial Series on Stela H, Quirigua 193 72. The tun, uinal, and kin coefficients on Stela H, Quirigua 194 73. The Initial Series on the Tuxtla Statuette, the oldest Initial Series known (in the early part of Cycle 8) 195 74. The introducing glyph (?) of the Initial Series on the Tuxtla Statuette 196 75. Drawings of the Initial Series: _A_, On the Leyden Plate; _B_, on a lintel from the Temple of the Initial Series, Chichen Itza 197 {xiv} 76. The Cycle-10 Initial Series from Quen Santo 200 77. Initial Series which proceed from a date prior to 4 Ahau 8 Cumhu, the starting point of Maya chronology 204 78. The Initial Series on Stela J, Quirigua 215 79. The Secondary Series on Stela J, Quirigua 216 80. Glyphs which may disclose the nature of the events that happened at Quirigua on the dates: _a_, 9. 14. 13. 4. 17 12 Caban 5 Kayab; _b_, 9. 15. 6. 14. 6 6 Cimi 4 Tzec 221 81. The Initial Series, Secondary Series, and Period-ending date on Altar S, Copan 232 82. The Initial Series on Stela E (east side), Quirigua 236 83. Calendar-round dates 241 84. Texts showing actual errors in the originals 245 85. Example of first method of numeration in the codices (part of page 69 of the Dresden Codex) 275

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BIBLIOGRAPHY

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BOWDITCH, CHARLES P. 1901 a. Memoranda on the Maya calendars used in the Books of Chilan Balam. _Amer. Anthr._, n. s., III, No. 1, pp. 129-138, New York.

---- 1906. The Temples of the Cross, of the Foliated Cross, and of the Sun at Palenque. Cambridge, Mass.

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---- 1910. The numeration, calendar systems, and astronomical knowledge of the Mayas. Cambridge, Mass.

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BRINTON, DANIEL G. 1882 b. The Maya chronicles. Philadelphia. (No. 1 of _Brinton's Library of Aboriginal American Literature_.)

---- 1894 b. A primer of Mayan hieroglyphics. _Pubs. Univ. of Pa._, Ser. in Philol., Lit., and Archeol., III, No. 2.

BULLETIN 28 of the Bureau of American Ethnology, 1904: Mexican and Central American antiquities, calendar systems, and history. Twenty-four papers by Eduard Seler, E. Förstemann, Paul Schellhas, Carl Sapper, and E. P. Dieseldorff. Translated from the German under the supervision of Charles P. Bowditch.

COGOLLUDO, D. L. 1688. Historia de Yucathan. Madrid.

CRESSON, H. T. 1892. The antennæ and sting of Yikilcab as components in the Maya day-signs. _Science_, XX, pp. 77-79, New York.

DIESELDORFF, E. P. See BULLETIN 28.

FÖRSTEMANN, E. 1906. Commentary on the Maya manuscript in the Royal Public Library of Dresden. _Papers Peabody Mus._, IV, No. 2, pp. 48-266, Cambridge. _See also_ BULLETIN 28.

GATES, W. E. 1910. Commentary upon the Maya-Tzental Perez Codex, with a concluding note upon the linguistic problem of the Maya glyphs. _Papers Peabody Mus._, VI, No. 1, pp. 5-64, Cambridge.

GOODMAN, J. T. 1897. The archaic Maya inscriptions. (Biologia Centrali-Americana, Archæology, Part XVIII. London.) [_See_ Maudslay, 1889-1902.]

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MALER, TEOBERT. 1901. Researches in the central portion of the Usumatsintla valley. _Memoirs Peabody Mus._, II, No. 1, pp. 9-75, Cambridge.

---- 1903. Researches in the central portion of the Usumatsintla valley. [Continued.] Ibid., No. 2, pp. 83-208.

---- 1908 a. Explorations of the upper Usumatsintla and adjacent region. Ibid., IV, No. 1, pp. 1-51. {xvi}

MALER, TEOBERT. 1908 b. Explorations in the Department of Peten, Guatemala, and adjacent region. Ibid., No. 2, pp. 55-127.

---- 1910. Explorations in the Department of Peten, Guatemala, and adjacent region. [Continued.] Ibid., No. 3, pp. 131-170.

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PONCE, FRAY ALONZO. 1872. Relacion breve y verdadera de algunas cosas de las muchas que sucedieron al Padre Fray Alonzo Ponce, Comisario General en las provincias de Nueva España. _Colección de documentos ineditos para la historia de España_, LVII, LVIII. Madrid.

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SCHELLHAS, PAUL. _See_ BULLETIN 28.

SELER, EDUARD. 1901 c. Die alten Ansiedelungen von Chaculá im Distrikte Nenton des Departements Huehuetenango der Republik Guatemala. Berlin.

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SPINDEN, H. J. 1913. A study of Maya art, its subject-matter and historical development. _Memoirs Peabody Mus._, VI, pp. 1-285, Cambridge.

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THOMAS, CYRUS. 1893. Are the Maya hieroglyphs phonetic? _Amer. Anthr._, VI, No. 3, pp. 241-270, Washington.

VILLAGUTIERRE, SOTOMAYOR J. 1701. Historia de la conquista de la provinzia de el Itza, reduccion, y progressos de la de el Lacandon y otras naciones de el reyno de Guatimala, a las provincias de Yucatan, en la America septentrional. Madrid.

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AN INTRODUCTION TO THE STUDY OF THE MAYA HIEROGLYPHS

BY SYLVANUS GRISWOLD MORLEY

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