Aids to the Study of the Maya Codices | Page 7

may have resembled these copies some
300 years ago.
"In 1836, when the manuscript was being preserved in the manner
indicated, the two unequal parts, which were considered as a whole and
which no one seems to have thought susceptible of being deciphered,
were divided into two approximately equal parts from considerations of
space and for esthetic reasons.
"The first five leaves of Codex A, that is, pp. 1-5, with the backs
containing pp. 41-45, were cut off and prefixed to Codex B in such way
as to have p. 46 and p. 5 adjoining; when I examined the codex more
closely I found that between 5 and 46, and therefore also between 41

and 74, there was no such pellicle as generally connects the other
leaves. By this change one part was made to contain 20 leaves, the
other 19.
"At the same time another change was made. The three blank pages
between pp. 28 and 29 had a marring effect, and they were put at the
end by cutting through between leaves 18 0 and 17 29 and turning the
severed leaves around, so that p. 24 joined on to p. 29 and 17 to 25. The
pellicle loosened on this occasion was fastened again.
"I must expressly state that I have no written or oral account of these
two manipulations, but conclude they have taken place merely from a
comparison of the present arrangement with that which Aglio must
have had before him.
"Thus the arrangement in which I found the manuscript, which it may
be best to preserve until my views are recognized, is the following:
"(1) The diminished Codex A (19 leaves):
Front: 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 25, 26, 27, 28, 0, 0, 0.
Back: 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38,
39, 40.
"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 | 25, 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, 43, 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 | 74, 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, [Illustration: Two horizontal lines, stacked]; and fifteen, by three
such lines: [Illustration: Three horizontal lines, stacked]. According to
this system, a straight line and a dot, thus, [Illustration: Dot above
horizontal line], would denote 6; two straight lines and two dots,
[Illustration: Two dots above two stacked horizontal lines], 12; and
three straight lines and four dots, [Illustration: Four dots in a line above
3 stacked horizontal lines], 19. 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 numbers of the days of the Maya
week and the numbers of the years of the "Indication" or "week of
years." On the