Chapter I. The Maya

Habitat

History

Manners and customs

II. The Maya hieroglyphic writing

III. How the Maya reckoned time

The tonalamatl, or 260-day period

The haab, or year of 365 days

The Calendar Round, or 18,980-day period

The Long Count

Initial Series

The introducing glyph

The cycle glyph

The katun glyph

The tun glyph

The uinal glyph

The kin glyph

Secondary Series

Calendar-round dates

Period-ending dates

U kahlay katunob

IV. Maya arithmetic

Bar and dot numerals

Head-variant numerals

First method of numeration

Number of cycles in a great cycle

Second method of numeration

First step in solving Maya numbers

Second step in solving Maya numbers

Third step in solving Maya numbers

Fourth step in solving Maya numbers

Fifth step in solving Maya numbers

V. The inscriptions

Texts recording Initial Series

Texts recording Initial Series and Secondary Series

Texts recording Period Endings

Texts recording Initial Series, Secondary Series, and Period Endings

Errors in the originals

VI. The codices

Texts recording tonalamatls

Texts recording Initial Series

Texts recording Serpent Numbers

Texts recording Ascending Series

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

ILLUSTRATIONS

Page

Plate . The Maya territory, showing locations of principal cities (map) 1

. Diagram showing periods of occupancy of principal southern cities 15

. Page 74 of the Dresden Codex, showing the end of the world (according to Förstemann) 32

. Diagram showing occurrence of dates recorded in Cycle 9 35

. Tonalamatl wheel, showing sequence of the 260 differently named days 43

. Glyphs representing Initial Series, showing use of bar and dot numerals and normal-form period glyphs 157

. Glyphs representing Initial Series, showing use of bar and dot numerals and head-variant period glyphs 167

. Glyphs representing Initial Series, showing use of bar and dot numerals and head-variant period glyphs 170

. Glyphs representing Initial Series, showing use of bar and dot numerals and head-variant period glyphs 176

. Glyphs representing Initial Series, showing use of bar and dot numerals and head-variant period glyphs—Stela 3, Tikal 178

. Glyphs representing Initial Series, showing use of bar and dot numerals and head-variant period glyphs—Stela A (east side), Quirigua 179

. Glyphs representing Initial Series, showing use of head-variant numerals and period glyphs 180

. Oldest Initial Series at Copan—Stela 15 187

. Initial Series on Stela D, Copan, showing full-figure numeral glyphs and period glyphs 188

. Initial Series on Stela J, Copan 191

. Initial Series and Secondary Series on Lintel 21, Yaxchilan 207

. Initial Series and Secondary Series on Stela 1, Piedras Negras 210

. Initial Series and Secondary Series on Stela K, Quirigua 213

. Initial Series and Secondary Series on Stela F (west side), Quirigua 218

. Initial Series on Stela F (east side), Quirigua 220

. Examples of Period-ending dates in Cycle 9 223

. Examples of Period-ending dates in cycles other than Cycle 9 227

. Initial Series, Secondary Series, and Period-ending dates on Stela 3, Piedras Negras 233

. Initial Series, Secondary Series, and Period-ending dates on Stela E (west side), Quirigua 235

. Calendar-round dates on Altar 5, Tikal 240

. Initial Series on Stela N, Copan, showing error in month coefficient 248

. Page 12 of the Dresden Codex, showing tonalamatls in all three divisions 254

. Page 15 of the Dresden Codex, showing tonalamatls in all three divisions 260

. Middle divisions of pages 10 and 11 of the Codex Tro-Cortesiano, showing one tonalamatl extending across the two pages 262

. Page 102 of the Codex Tro-Cortesiano, showing tonalamatls in the lower three divisions 263

. Page 24 of the Dresden Codex, showing Initial Series 266

. Page 62 of the Dresden Codex, showing the Serpent Numbers 273

Figure . Itzamna, chief deity of the Maya Pantheon 16

. Kukulcan, God of Learning 17

. Ahpuch, God of Death 17

. The God of War 17

. Ek Ahau, the Black Captain, war deity 18

. Yum Kaax, Lord of the Harvest 18

. Xaman Ek, the North Star God 19

. Conflict between the Gods of Life and Death (Kukulcan and Ahpuch) 19

. Outlines of the glyphs 22

. Examples of glyph elision, showing elimination of all parts except essential element 23

. Normal-form and head-variant glyphs, showing retention of essential element in each 24

. Normal-form and head-variant glyphs, showing absence of common essential element 25

. Glyphs built up on a phonetic basis 28

. A rebus. Aztec, and probably Maya, personal and place names were written in a corresponding manner 29

. Aztec place names 30

. The day signs in the inscriptions 38

. The day signs in the codices 39

. Sign for the tonalamatl (according to Goodman) 44

. The month signs in the inscriptions 49

. The month signs in the codices 50

. 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

. Signs for the Calendar Round 59

. Diagram showing section of Calendar-round wheel 64

. Initial-series "introducing glyph" 65

. Signs for the cycle 68

. Full-figure variant of cycle sign 69

. Signs for the katun 69

. Full-figure variant of katun sign 70

. Signs for the tun 70

. Full-figure variant of tun sign 70

. Signs for the uinal 71

. Full-figure variant of uinal sign on Zoömorph B, Quirigua 71

. Full-figure variant of uinal sign on Stela D, Copan 71

. Signs for the kin 72

. Full-figure variant of kin sign 73

. Period glyphs, from widely separated sites and of different epochs, showing persistence of essential elements 74

. Ending signs and elements 78

. "Snake" or "knot" element as used with day sign Ahau, possibly indicating presence of the u kahlay katunob in the inscriptions 83

. Normal forms of numerals 1 to 19, inclusive, in the codices 88

. Normal forms of numerals 1 to 19, inclusive, in the inscriptions 89

. Examples of bar and dot numeral 5, showing the ornamentation which the bar underwent without affecting its numerical value 89

. 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

. 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

. Normal forms of numerals 1 to 13, inclusive, in the Books of Chilan Balam 91

. Sign for 20 in the codices 92

. Sign for 0 in the codices 92

. Sign for 0 in the inscriptions 93

. Figure showing possible derivation of the sign for 0 in the inscriptions 93

. Special sign for 0 used exclusively as a month coefficient 94

. Examples of the use of bar and dot numerals with period, day, or month signs 95

. Head-variant numerals 1 to 7, inclusive 97

. Head-variant numerals 8 to 13, inclusive 98

. Head-variant numerals 14 to 19, inclusive, and 0 99

. A sign for 0, used also to express the idea "ending" or "end of" in Period-ending dates 102

. Examples of the use of head-variant numerals with period, day,or month signs 104

. Examples of the first method of numeration, used almost exclusively in the inscriptions 105

. Signs for the cycle showing coefficients above 13 110

. Part of the inscription on Stela N, Copan, showing a number composed of six periods 115

. Part of the inscription in the Temple of the Inscriptions, Palenque, showing a number composed of seven periods 115

. Part of the inscription on Stela 10, Tikal (probably an Initial Series), showing a number composed of eight periods 115

. Signs for the great cycle and the great-great cycle 118

. Glyphs showing misplacement of the kin coefficient or elimination of a period glyph 128

. Examples of the second method of numeration, used exclusively in the codices 131

. Figure showing the use of the "minus" or "backward" sign in the codices 137

. Sign for the "month indicator" 153

. Diagram showing the method of designating particular glyphs in a text 156

. Signs representing the hotun, or 5-tun, period 166

. Initial Series showing bar and dot numerals and head-variant period glyphs 174

. Initial Series showing head-variant numerals and period glyphs 183

. Initial Series showing head-variant numerals and period glyphs 186

. Initial Series on Stela H, Quirigua 193

. The tun, uinal, and kin coefficients on Stela H, Quirigua 194

. The Initial Series on the Tuxtla Statuette, the oldest Initial Series known (in the early part of Cycle 8) 195

. The introducing glyph (?) of the Initial Series on the Tuxtla Statuette 196

. Drawings of the Initial Series: A, On the Leyden Plate; B, on a lintel from the Temple of the Initial Series, Chichen Itza 197

. The Cycle-10 Initial Series from Quen Santo 200

. Initial Series which proceed from a date prior to 4 Ahau8 Cumhu, the starting point of Maya chronology 204

. The Initial Series on Stela J, Quirigua 215

. The Secondary Series on Stela J, Quirigua 216

. 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

. The Initial Series, Secondary Series, and Period-ending date on Altar S, Copan 232

. The Initial Series on Stela E (east side), Quirigua 236

. Calendar-round dates 241

. Texts showing actual errors in the originals 245

. Example of first method of numeration in the codices (part of page 69 of the Dresden Codex) 275

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Aguilar, Sanchez de. 1639. Informe contra idolorum cultores del Obispado de Yucatan. Madrid. (Reprint in Anales Mus. Nac. de Mexico, VI, pp. 17-122, Mexico, 1900.)

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.

—— 1909. Dates and numbers in the Dresden Codex. Putnam Anniversary Volume, pp. 268-298, New York.

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

Brasseur de Bourbourg, C. E. 1869-70. Manuscrit Troano. Études sur le système graphique et la langue des Mayas. 2 vols. Paris.

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.]

—— 1905. Maya dates. Amer. Anthr., n. s., VII, pp. 642-647, Lancaster, Pa.

Hewett, Edgar L. 1911. Two seasons' work in Guatemala. Bull. Archæol. Inst. of America, II, pp. 117-134, Norwood, Mass.

Holmes, W. H. 1907. On a nephrite statuette from San Andrés Tuxtla, Vera Cruz, Mexico. Amer. Anthr., n. s., IX, No. 4, pp. 691-701, Lancaster, Pa.

Landa, Diego de. 1864. Relacion de las cosas de Yucatan. Paris.

Le Plongeon, A. 1885. The Maya alphabet. Supplement to Scientific American, vol. XIX, Jan. 31, pp. 7572-73, New York.

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.

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.

—— 1911. Explorations in the Department of Peten, Guatemala. Tikal. Ibid., V, No. 1, pp. 3-91, pls. 1-26.

Maudslay, A. P. 1889-1902. Biologia Centrali-Americana, or contributions to the knowledge of the flora and fauna of Mexico and Central America. Archæology. 4 vols. of text and plates. London.

Morley, S. G. 1910 b. Correlation of Maya and Christian chronology. Amer. Journ. Archeol., 2d ser., XIV, pp. 193-204, Norwood, Mass.

—— 1911. The historical value of the Books of Chilan Balam. Ibid., XV, pp. 195-214.

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.

Rosny, Leon de. 1876. Essai sur le déchiffrement de l'écriture hiératique de l'Amérique Centrale. Paris.

Sapper, Carl. See Bulletin 28.

Schellhas, Paul. See Bulletin 28.

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

—— 1902-1908. Gesammelte Abhandlungen zur amerikanischen Sprach- und Alterthumskunde. 3 vols. Berlin. See also Bulletin 28.

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

Stephens, J. L. 1841. Incidents of travel in Central America, Chiapas, and Yucatan. 2 vols. New York.

—— 1843. Incidents of travel in Yucatan. 2 vols. New York.

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.

BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGYBULLETIN 57 PLATE 1

AN INTRODUCTION TO THE STUDY OF THE MAYA HIEROGLYPHS

By SYLVANUS GRISWOLD MORLEY