Page:A Study of the Manuscript Troano.djvu/87

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thomas]
METHOD OF NUMBERING THE AHAUES.
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Señor Perez's theory, the only other possible one, so far as I am. able to see, illustrating it also by tables (XVIII and XIX).

According to the statement in the Perez manuscript already quoted, Chief Ajpula died in the 13th Ahau in the year 4 Kan, and there were six years wanting to complete this Ahau. As it appears more than probable, judging by the contents of the manuscript itself, that it was written soon after the Spaniards came into possession of the peninsula, we may, I think, rely upon this date as correctly given, although the manuscript is evidently confused and, in some respects, inaccurate and even contradictory.

If the grand cycle was divided into Ahaues of twenty-four years each, as heretofore suggested, and as shown in the annexed table (XVII), it follows that the one in which this event occurred must necessarily have been that which I have numbered XIII, as there is no other one in the entire grand cycle that has six years remaining after the year 4 Kan.

Each of the tables (XVII, XVIII, XIX) includes one entire grand cycle, also one cycle of the preceding and one of the following grand cycles. The commencement and ending of the grand cycles are marked thus: ——:0:——; the divisions between the Ahaues are marked by solid black transverse lines, each group of the usually counted years is surrounded by a single dotted line; the period embraced by Plates XX-XXIII (our Plates I-IV) is surrounded by a single waved line; the Ahaues are numbered with Roman numerals.

Table XVII begins with a Cauac year, and is made in accordance with the theory I have advanced. Tables XVIII and XIX commence with a Kan year, and are made in accordance with the theory advanced by Perez; XIX, upon the assumption that the first Ahau commenced with the fourth year of the grand cycle; XVIII, upon the theory that it began with the last year of the preceding grand cycle, as one of these two plans must be adopted to carry out his theory.