Aids to the study of the Maya codices / by Cyrus Thomas.

  • Cyrus Thomas
Date:
1888
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Aids to the study of the Maya codices / by Cyrus Thomas. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    23/132 (page 269)
    “ Or, if we enumerate the numbers on the back from right to left, so that the back of each leaf stands beneath its front: 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17 125, 26, 27, 28, 0, 0, 0. 40, 39, 38, 37, 36, 35, 34, 33, 32, 31, 30, 29 | 24, 23, 22, 21. 20, 19, 18. “ (2) The enlarged Codex B (20 leaves): Front: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60. Back: 0, 61, 62, 63, 64. 65, 66. 67. 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45. “ Or, reversing, as in the preceding case, the numbers on the back: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5(46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60. 45, 44, 43, 42, 41 174, 73, 72, 71, 70, 69, 68, 67, 66. 65, 64. 63, 62, 61, 0.” One of the most difficult things to account for in regard to this codex is the immense number of numeral characters it contains, many of which appear to have no reference to day or other time symbols. Although it is not claimed that the key which will fully unlock this mystery has been found, it is believed that the discoveries made will throw considerable light on this difficult subject and limit the field of investigation relating to the signification of the Maya codices. Before proceeding with the discussion of the subject proposed, it will not be amiss to state, for the benefit of those readers not familiar with these ancient American manuscripts, that the Maya method of designating numbers was by means of dots and lines, thus : . (one dot) signifying one; . . (two dots) two, and so on up to four; five was indicated by a single short straight line, thus, — ; ten, by two similar lines, =,; and fifteen, by three such lines: According to this system, a straight line and a dot, thus, —, would denote 6; two straight lines and two dots,~, 12; and three straight lines and four dots, j£ss> lib But these symbols do not appear to have been used for any greater number than nineteen. They are found of two colors in all the Maya codices, one class black, the other red, though the latter (except in a few instances, where the reason for the variation from the rule is not apparent) are never used to denote a greater number than thirteen, and refer chiefly to the num- bers of the days of the Maya week and the numbers of the years of the “Indication” or “week of years.” On the other hand, the black numerals appear to be used in all other cases where numbers not exceeding nineteen are introduced. As will appear in the course of this discussion, there are satisfactory reasons for believing that other symbols, quite different from these dots and lines, are used for certain other numbers, at least for 20 and for 0. In order that the reader may understand what follows, it is necessary to explain the methods of counting the days, months, and years in the order in which they succeed one another. Much relating to this will be found in a previous work,1 but a particular point needs further explanation. ’A Study of the Manuscript Troano, by Cyrus Thomas, pp. 7-15.