The numbers 7,200 to 143,999 were expressed by multiplying the kin, uinal,
tun, and katun signs by the numerals 0 to 19, inclusive, and adding
together the resulting products. For example, figure 56, _j_, shows the
number 7,204. We have seen in Table VIII that 1 katun = 20 tuns, and we
have seen that 20 tuns = 7,200 kins (20 × 360); therefore 1 katun = 7,200
kins. This number falls short of the number recorded by exactly 4 kins, or
in other words, no tuns or uinals are involved in its composition, a fact
shown by the 0 tuns and 0 uinals between the 1 katun and the 4 kins. The
sum of these four products = 7,204 (7,200 + 0 + 0 + 4). The number 75,550
is shown in figure 56, _k_. The 10 katuns = 72,000; the 9 tuns, 3,240; the
15 uinals, 300; and the 10 kins, 10. The sum of these four products =
75,550 (72,000 + 3,240 + 300 + 10). Again, the number 143,567 is shown in
figure 56, _l_. The 19 katuns = 136,800; the 18 tuns, 6,480; the 14 uinals,
280; and the 7 kins, 7. The sum of these four products = 143,567 (136,800 +
6,480 + 280 + 7).
The numbers 144,000 to 1,872,000 (the highest number, according to some
authorities, which has been found[74] in the inscriptions) were expressed
by multiplying the kin, uinal, tun, katun, and cycle signs by the numerals
0 to 19, inclusive, and adding together the resulting products. For
example, the number 987,322 is shown in figure 56, _m_. We have seen in
Table VIII that 1 cycle = 20 katuns, but 20 katuns = 144,000 kins;
therefore 6 cycles = 864,000 kins; and 17 katuns = 122,400 kins; and 2
tuns, 720 kins; and 10 uinals, 200 kins; and the 2 kins, 2 kins. The sum of
these five products equals the number recorded, 987,322 (864,000 + 122,400
+ 720 + 200 + 2). The highest number in the inscriptions upon which all are
agreed is 1,872,000, as shown in figure 56, _n_. It equals 13 cycles (13 ×
144,000), and consequently all the periods below--the katun, tun, uinal,
and kin--are indicated as being used 0 times.
NUMBER OF CYCLES IN A GREAT CYCLE
This brings us to the consideration of an extremely important point
concerning which Maya students entertain two widely different opinions; and
although its presentation will entail a somewhat lengthy digression from
the subject under consideration it is so pertinent to the general question
of the higher numbers and their formation, that the writer has thought best
to discuss it at this point.
In a vigesimal system of numeration the unit of increase is 20, and so far
as the codices are concerned, as we shall presently see, this {108} number
was in fact the only unit of progression used, except in the 2d order, in
which 18 instead of 20 units were required to make 1 unit of the 3d order.
In other words, in the codices the Maya carried out their vigesimal system
to _six places_ without a break other than the one in the 2d place, just
noted. See Table VIII.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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