Note 14 — Chapter XXVI · THE HIEROGLYPHIC INSCRIPTIONS.

The principal difference in Mr. Goodman’s Annual Calendar from that given on page 257, is that he commences his Calendar with the day Ik instead of Kan, and consequently the “year bearers” are the days Ik, Manik, Eb, and Caban, instead of Kan, Muluc, Ix, and Cauac. The twenty days of the month are numbered on the margin of the table 20, 1, 2, 3, &c., up to 19. In the extract from the Chronological Calendar it will be seen that the Ahaus are numbered in the same way. If we should nowadays wish to use a similar notation, we should probably number the series 0, 1, 2, &c., 19; but it seems as though the Mayas, having no sign for 0, wrote the sign for 20 or a “full count” of Ahaus in the first place.

The eighteen Chuens are in like manner numbered 18, 1, 2, 3, &c., to 17, the same sign being used for a “full count” of Chuens as is used for a “full count” of Ahaus.