A Possible Solution of the Number Series on Pages 51 to 58 of the Dresden CodexGuthe, Carl E. (Carl Eugen)
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A Possible Solution of the Number Series on Pages 51 to 58 of the Dresden Codex
Guthe, Carl E. (Carl Eugen)
Codex Dresdensis Maya
Tabulating the solution here advanced will form Table XI (p. 25), in
which the 30-and 29-day months in one-third of the manuscript have been
arranged in three columns, the first two of which represent the 47-month
groups and the last one the 41-month group. Before the first column of
months are numbers to facilitate locating any given month in the group.
The two kinds of months occur in direct alternation in each group, with
three exceptions. The 32d month in both of the 47-month groups is one of
30 days instead of 29, because of the addition of the intercalary day.
The 40th month in the 41-month group is given as one of 29 days with a
30 in parentheses before it, representing the fact that every other
third an extra intercalary day should be inserted in this month. To the
right of the month columns are three columns giving the difference
groups as found in the manuscript (see Table II), each column giving
those numbers found in each third of the manuscript, the first third
being the left one of the three. It should be noticed that the misplaced
(?) 148-day group in the last third does not interfere with the sequence
of the months.
Finally it only remains to review the irregularities of the manuscript
in the light of the solution just advanced. Those irregularities which
are corrected immediately afterwards, or are at variance with the rest
of the column in which they occur, are, in all probability, errors on
the part of the writer of the series, such as might have been caused by
careless transcription from another copy of the table, and correction in
the following column to avoid the task of erasure. Eliminating these
irregularities, there remain three to be investigated, namely, (1) the
absence of the 178 numbers in the lower number series, with one
conspicuous exception; (2) the occurrence of 178 in column 7 instead of
6, and of 148 in column 58 instead of 59; and (3) the discrepancies in
the totals of the series.
TABLE XI.—THE ARRANGEMENT OF LUNAR MONTHS IN THE DRESDEN TABLE
No. Days Days Days
of in Dresden groups in Dresden groups in Dresden groups
month month 1 2 3 month 1 2 3 month 1 2 3
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