The first five glyphs on the east side of Stela 10 at Tikal are not
illustrated in figure 60. The sixth glyph is A1 in figure 60, and the
remaining glyphs in this figure carry the text to the bottom of this side
of the monument. The first of these five unfigured glyphs is very clearly
an Initial-series introducing glyph. Of this there can be no doubt. The
second resembles the day 8 Manik, though it is somewhat effaced. The
remaining three are unknown. The next glyph, A1, figure 60, is very clearly
another Initial-series introducing glyph, having all of the five elements
common to that sign. Compare A1 with the forms for the Initial series
introducing glyph in figure 24. This certainly would seem to indicate that
an Initial Series is to follow. Moreover, the fourth glyph of the
eight-term number following in A2-A9, inclusive (that is, A5), records
"Cycle 9," the cycle in which practically all Initial-series dates fall.
Indeed, if A2, A3, and A4 were omitted and A5, A6, A7, A8, and A9 were
recorded immediately after A1, the record would be that of a regular
Initial-series number (9.3.6.2.0). Can this be a matter of chance? If not,
what effect can A2, A3, and A4 have on the Initial-series date in A1,
A5-A9?
The writer believes that the only possible effect they could have would be
to fix Cycle 9 of Maya chronology in a far more comprehensive and elaborate
chronological conception, a conception which {124} indeed staggers the
imagination, dealing as it does with more than five million years.
If these eight terms all belong to one and the same numerical series, a
fact the writer believes he has established in the foregoing pages, it
means that Cycle 9, the first historic period of the Maya civilization, was
Cycle 9 of Great Cycle 19 of Great-great Cycle 11 of Great-great-great
Cycle 1. In other words, the starting point of Maya chronology, which we
have seen was the date 4 Ahau 8 Cumhu, 9 cycles before the close of a Cycle
9, was in reality 1. 11. 19. 0. 0. 0. 0. 0. 4 Ahau 8 Cumhu, or simply a
fixed point in a far vaster chronological conception.
Furthermore, it proves, as contended by the writer on page 113, that a
great cycle came to an end on this date, 4 Ahau 8 Cumhu. This is true
because on the above date (1. 11. 19. 0. 0. 0. 0. 0. 4 Ahau 8 Cumhu) all
the five periods lower than the great cycle are at 0. It proves,
furthermore, as the writer also contended, that the date 4 Ahau 8 Zotz, 13
cycles in advance of the date 4 Ahau 8 Cumhu, did not end a great cycle--
1. 11. 19. 0. 0. 0. 0. 0. 4 Ahau 8 Cumhu
13. 0. 0. 0. 0.
1. 11. 18. 7. 0. 0. 0. 0. 4 Ahau 8 Zotz
but, on the contrary, was a Cycle 7 of Great Cycle 18, the end of which
(19. 0. 0. 0. 0. 0. 4 Ahau 8 Cumhu) was the starting point of Maya
chronology.
It seems to the writer that the above construction is the only one that can
be put on this text if we admit that the eight periods in A2-A9, figure 60,
all belong to one and the same numerical series.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account