With the above date closes the known part of this text, the remaining
glyphs, G10-G12, being of unknown meaning.
Assembling all the glyphs deciphered above, the known part of this text
reads as follows:
9.12. 2. 0.16 A1-A7, C2 5 Cib 14 Yaxkin
12. 9.15 D2 E2
9.12. 14. 10.11 F1 G1 9 Chuen 9 Kankin
5 F3
9.12. 14. 10.16 G3 G4 1 Cib 14 Kankin
1. 0.[189] 2. 5 G6 G7
9.13. 14. 13. 1 G8 G9 5 Imix 19 Zac
[Illustration: INITIAL SERIES (_A_) AND SECONDARY SERIES (_B_) ON STELA
K, QUIRIGUA]
{213} We have recorded here four different dates, of which the last,
9.13.14.13.1 5 Imix 19 Zac, probably represents the actual date, or very
near thereto, of this monument.[190] The period covered between the first
and last of these dates is about 32 years, within the range of a single
lifetime or, indeed, of the tenure of some important office by a single
individual. The unknown glyphs again probably set forth the nature of the
events which occurred on the dates recorded.
In the two preceding texts the Secondary Series given are regular in every
way. Not only was the count forward each time, but it also started in every
case from the date immediately preceding the number counted. This
regularity, however, is far from universal in Secondary-series texts, and
the following examples comprise some of the more common departures from the
usual practice.
In plate 18 is figured the Initial Series from Stela K at Quirigua.[191]
The text opens on the north side of this monument (see pl. 18, _A_) with
the introducing glyph in A1-B2. This is followed by the Initial-series
number 9.18.15.0.0 in A3-B4, which leads to the terminal date 3 Ahau 3 Yax.
The day part of this date the student will find recorded in its regular
position, A5a. Passing over A5b and B5, the meanings of which are unknown,
we reach in A6 a Secondary-series number composed very clearly of 10 uinals
and 10 kins (10.10), which reduces to the following number of units of the
first order:
A6 = 10 × 20 = 200
A6 = 10 × 1 = 10
---
210
The first assumption is that this number is counted forward from the
terminal date of the Initial Series, 3 Ahau 3 Yax, and performing the
operations indicated in rules 1, 2, and 3 (pp. 139, 140, and 141,
respectively) the terminal date reached will be 5 Oc 8 Uo. Now, although
the day sign in B6b is clearly Oc (see fig. 16, _o-q_), its coefficient is
very clearly 1, not 5, and, moreover, the month in A7a is unmistakably 18
Kayab (see fig. 19, _d'-f'_). Here then instead of finding the date
determined by calculation, 5 Oc 8 Uo, the date recorded is 1 Oc 18 Kayab,
and consequently there is some departure from the practices heretofore
encountered.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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