In lieu of an abstract, here is a brief excerpt of the content:

133 N o t e s o f M i d d l e A m e r i c a n A r c h a e o l o g y a n d E t h n o l o g y Carnegie Institution of Washington Division of Historical Research No. 38 September 1944 Jottings on Inscriptions at Copan J. Eric S. Thompson pherment has been confirmed by the form of the Initial Series introductory glyph. The Initial Series on the east side of Steles 3 was read by Morley as 9.11.0.0.0 12Ahau 8 Ceh. However, Beyer’s subsequent study on the Initial Series introductory glyph invalidates this reading. The central element of that glyph is nest the so-called new fire symbol required by Ceh, but a youthful face, such as serves as the head of the patron of the month Kayab (Fig. 38.1a). Furthermore, the Lunar Series fails to agree with a reading of the Initial Series as 9.11.0.0.0 12 Ahau 8 Ceh. The cycle and katun coefficients are missing. The tun coefficient is a youthful face with what are almost certainly dots around a very clear jawbone. Accordingly, the best reading of the head is 19. The uinal coefficient is gone; that of the kin has a hand clasping the lower haw, the symbol for zero. There follows a Lunar Series which reads 10 ?D (the jawbone and the circle before the forehead are very clear), 3C, tasseled variant of Glyph X, Glyph B, 10 A. The next glyph is 12 Ahau, but the month sign which should fallow is suppressed. Instead there are carved two outstretched hands, a glyph of unknown meaning, 13 uinals, the two outstretched hands repeated, 8 Ceh, 11 katuns. The best interpretation of these data is: I.S. 9.10.19.5.0 12 Ahau (13 kayab) S.S. 13.0 add P.E. 9.11.0.0.0 12 Ahau 8 Ceh 11 katuns The purposes of this paper are to propose alternative readings of some dates at Copan, and to suggest that for a short while at Copan lunar data were recorded in some system which increased the recorded moon ages of dates by two or three days from what might have been expected. At 9.11.0.0.0 12 Ahau 8 Ceh the priest-astronomers of Copan were extremely active, to fudge by the number of stelae erected there at that time. No less than seven monuments (Stelae 2, 3, 10, 12, 13, 19, and 23) commemorate that katun-ending or record dates immediately anterior thereto. Certain stylistic peculiarities make it virtually certain that all seven monuments were erected within a few years of one another. The decipherment of the Initial Series on several of them presents serious difficulties. A quarter of a century has passed since Morley tackled these involved texts. In that interval progress in the field of Maya epigraphy has provided various aids and arithmetical checks to decipherments not then available. Nevertheless, several of Morley’s readings , expertly made without these aids, are undoubtedly correct. His decipherments of the Initial Series of Stelae 10, 19, and 13 as respectively 9;10.19.13.0 3Ahau 8 Yaxkin, 8.10.19.15.0 4 Ahau 8 Chen, and 9.11.0.0.0 12 Ahau 8 Ceh have been amply confirmed by data since brought to light. Similarly there can be no challenge to his readings of the date 9.11.0.0.0 12 Ahau 8 Ceh recorded as a Period Ending on Stelae 2, 12, and 23. Some obscurities that baffled him still remain. The Initial Series of Steles 23 was correctly read by Teeple as 9.10.19.12.8 8 Lamat 1 Yaxkin. This deci- J. eric S. tHoMpSon 134 The concluding glyphs form an abbreviated equation, 12 Ahau serving for both dates. As we shall see, the moon age, if correctly interpreted as 10D, is in agreement with the proposed reading of the Initial Series. The Initial Series on the west or inclusion side of Stele 3 (Fig. 38.1b) was read by Morley as 9.4.0.0.0 8 Ahau 13 Ceh. This decipherment must also be disallowed , and for the same reason that led to the rejection of the Initial Series on the east side. The central element of the initial Series introductory glyph is a somewhat reptilian head, not the new fire symbol of Ceh...

Share