Chapter III: System of Nomenclature

It is impossible without a special and expensive font of type to refer pictorially to each character, and therefore some system of nomenclature must be adopted. The one I employ I could now slightly improve, but it has been used and results have been obtained by it. It is sufficient for the purpose, and I will, therefore, retain it rather than to run the risk of errors by changing it to a more perfect system. I have numbered the plates in STEPHENS'S _Central America_ according to the following scheme:

ENGRAVINGS OF VOLUME I.

Page.
Stone Statue, front view, I have called Plate I _Frontispiece._
Wall of Copan, Plate II 96
Plan of Copan, Plate III 133
Death's Head, Plate III^a 135
Portrait, Plate III^b 136
Stone Idol, Plate IV 138
Portrait, Plate IV^a 139
Stone Idol, Plate V 140
Tablet of Hieroglyphics, Plate V^a 141
No. 1, Sides of Altar, Plate VI 142
No. 2, Sides of Altar, Plate VII 142
Gigantic Head, Plate VIII 143
No. 1, Stone Idol, front view, Plate IX 149
No. 2, Stone Idol, back view, Plate X 150
Idol half buried, Plate XI 151
No. 1, Idol, Plate XII 152
No. 2, Idol, Plate XIII 152
No. 1, Idol, Plate XIV 153
No. 2, Idol, Plate XV 153
Idol and Altar, Plate XVI 154
Fallen Idol, Plate XVII 155
No. 1, Idol, front view, Plate XVIII 156
No. 2, Idol, back view, Plate XIX 156
No. 3, Idol, side view, Plate XX 156
Fallen Idol, Plate XX^a 157
Circular Altar, Plate XX^b 157
No. 1, Stone Idol, front view, Plate XXI 158
No. 2, Stone Idol, back view, Plate XXII 158
No. 3, Stone Idol, side view, Plate XXIII 158
Great Square of Antigua Guatimala, Plate XXIII^a 266
Profile of Nicaragua Canal, Plate XXIII^b 412

ENGRAVINGS OF VOLUME II.
Page.
Stone Tablet, Plate XXIV _Frontispiece._
Idol at Quirigua, Plate XXV 121
Idol at Quirigua, Plate XXVI 122
Santa Cruz del Quiché, Plate XXVII 171
Place of Sacrifice, Plate XXVIII 184
Figures found at Santa Cruz del Quiché, Plate XXIX 185
Plaza of Quezaltenango, Plate XXX 204
Vases found at Gueguetenango, Plate XXXI 231
Ocosingo, Plate XXXII 259
Palace at Palenque, Plate XXXIII 309
Plan of Palace, Plate XXXIV 310
Stucco Figure on Pier, Plate XXXV 311
Front Corridor of Palace, Plate XXXVI 313
No. 1, Court-yard of Palace, Plate XXXVIII 314
No. 2, Colossal Bas-reliefs in Stone, Plate XXXIX 314
East side of Court-yard, Plate XXXVII 314
No. 1, Bas-relief in Stucco, Plate XL 316
No. 2, Bas-relief in Stucco, Plate XLI 316
No. 3, Bas-relief in Stucco, Plate XLII 316
Oval Bas-relief in Stone, Plate XLIII 318
Bas-relief in Stucco, Plate XLIV 319
General Plan of Palenque, Plate XLV 337
Casa No. 1 in Ruins, Plate XLVI 338
Casa No. 1 restored, Plate XLVII 339
No. 1, Bas-relief in Stucco, Plate XLVIII 340
No. 2, Bas-relief in Stucco, Plate XLIX 340
No. 3, Bas-relief in Stucco, Plate L 340
No. 4, Bas-relief in Stucco, Plate LI 340
No. 1, Tablet of Hieroglyphics, Plate LII 342
No. 2, Tablet of Hieroglyphics, Plate LIII 342
Tablet on inner Wall, Plate LIV 343
Casa di Piedras, No. 2, Plate LV 344
Tablet on back Wall of Altar, Casa No. 2, Plate LVI 345
Stone Statue, Plate LVII 349
Casa No. 3, Plate LVIII 350
Front Corridor, Plate LIX 351
No. 1, Bas-reliefs in Front of Altar, Plate LX 353
No. 2, Bas-reliefs in Front of Altar, Plate LXI 353
Adoratorio or Altar, Plate LXII 354
Casa No. 4, Plate LXIII 355
House of the Dwarf, Plate LXIV 420
Casa del Gobernador, Plate LXV 428
Sculptured Front of Casa del Gobernador, Plate LXVI 443
Egyptian Hieroglyphics, Plate LXVIII 441
Top of Altar at Copan, Plate LXVIII=V^a 454
Mexican Hieroglyphical Writing, Plate LXIX 454

In each plate I have numbered the hieroglyphs, giving each one its own number. Thus the hieroglyphs of the Copan altar (vol. i, p. 141) which I have called plate V^a, are numbered from 1 to 36 according to this scheme--

1 2 3 4 5 6
7 8 9 10 11 12
13 14 15 16 17 18
19 20 21 22 23 24
25 26 27 28 29 30
31 32 33 34 35 36

And the right hand side of the Palenque Cross tablet, as given by RAU in his memoir published by the Smithsonian Institution (1880), has the numbers--

2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025
2030 2031 2032 2033 2034 2035
2040 2041 2042 2043 2044 2045
2050 2051 2052 2053 2054 2055
* * * * * *
* * * * * *
3080 3081 3082 3083 3084 3085

These are consecutive with the numbers which I have attached to the left-hand side, as given by STEPHENS. Whenever I have stated any results here, I have also given the means by which any one can number a copy of STEPHENS'S work in the way which I have adopted, and thus the means of testing my conclusions is in the hands of every one who desires to do so.

In cases where only a _part_ of a hieroglyphic is referred to, I have placed its number in a parenthesis, as 1826 _see_ (122), by which I mean that the character 1826 is to be compared with a part of the character 122. The advantages of this system are many: for example; a memorandum can easily be taken that two hieroglyphs are alike, thus 2072=2020 and 2073=2021. Hence the _pair_ 2020--2021, read horizontally, occurs again at the point 2072--2073, etc. _Horizontal pairs_ will be known by their numbers being consecutive, as 2020--2021; _vertical pairs_ will usually be known by their numbers differing by 10. Thus, 2075--2085 are one above the other.

This method of naming the _chiffres_, then, is a quick and safe one, and we shall see that it lends itself to the uses required of it.

I add here the scheme according to which the principal plates at Palenque have been numbered.

PLATE XXIV (left-hand side).

v----------v
{ 37 37 38 39 94 96 98 100 102 104 106
{_See_ _See_ _See_
{ 1800 1800 1806
{
{ 40 40 41 42 95 97 99=127 101 103 105 107

43=1810 43^a=46^a 44 45 108
_See_
91

46=1810 46^a=43^a 47 48

49 50 51

In the middle of the
52 52^a=1820? 53 54 plate at the top.
v----------v
55 56=1840? 57 58 109 115
_See_
1802

59 60 61 62=58? 110 116
_See_
2020

63 64 65[+] 66 111 117
_See_
2025

67 68 69 70 112 118
_See_
1911

71 72=281 73 74 113 119
_See_
2020

75 76=67 77 78 114 120

79 80 81 82

83 84 85 86=56?

86[*] 86[*] 87 88

89 90 91 92

93

[*] Accidental error in numbering here.

[+] Possibly Muluc--a Maya day; the meaning is "reunion."

PLATE XXIV (right-hand side).

v-------------------v
121 122=86?[+] 123=87 124=88
_See_ 74, _See_ 61, 1822
86[*]

125 126[++] 127=99 128
_See_ 1940 _See_ 1940 _See_ (44), 64

129 130 131=147 132
_See_ 50, 58, 62

133 134 135 136=47?

137 138 139 140
_See_ 39, _See_ 1811
91

141 142[§] 143 144
_See_ 54 _See_ 50, 58,
62, 132

145 146 147=131 148
_See_ 71

149 150 151 152
_See_ 56,
1882

153 154 155 156
_See_ 53 _See_ 50,
58, 132

157[*] 158 159 160
_See_ 68 _See_ 38 _See_ 46^a,
49^a, 52^a

v------------------------------------------v
161=50 162 [+]163=1936 164
_See_ 58, _See_ 56, _See_ 57 _See_ 58, 62
62, 132 73, 1882

165 166 167 168
_See_ 81?

169 170 171 172
_See_ 68?

173 174 175 176
_See_ 67, 76, _See_ 57 _See_ 126
90, 1910

177 178 179 180
_See_ 43^a _See_ 50, 58, 62

181 182 183 184
_See_ 57,
163, 1936

185

[*] Possibly Ymix--a Maya day.

[+] Possibly Chuen--a Maya day; meaning "a board," "a tree."

[++] Possibly Ahau--a Maya day; meaning "king."

[§] Possibly Ezanab--a Maya day.

PLATE LII.

200 201 202 203 204 205 206 207 208 209 }
}
210 211 212 214 215 216 217 218 219 } Line 1.
_See_ }
2020 }

220 221 222 223 224=2060 225 226 227 228 229 }
_See_ _See_ _See_ }
2030 2060 1811-2 }
} Line 2.
230 231 232 234 235 236 237 238 239 }
_See_ }
1822 }

240 241 242=2020 243=1951 244 245 246 247 248 249 }
}
250 251 252 254 255 256 257 258 259=1943} Line 3.
_See_ }
214 }

v-----------------v
260 261 262 263 264 265 266 267 268 269 }
_See_ _See_ _See_ }
2020 2021 2022 }
} Line 4.
270 271 274=244 275 276 277 278 279 }
_See_ }
204 }

280 281=72 282 283 284 285 286 287 288 }
_See_ _See_ }
1820 385 } Line 5.
}
290 294 295 296 297 298 299 }

300 301 302 303=360 304 305 306 307 }
_See_ }
203 } Line 6.
}
310 311 314 315 316 317 318 319 }

v-----------v
320 321 322 323 324=1824 325 326 327 328 329 }
_See_ _See_ _See_ _See_ }
203 204 285 305 }
} Line 7.
330 331 332 334 335 336 337 338 339 }
_See_ }
209 }

340 341 342 343 344 345 346 347 348 349 }
_See_ _See_ }
209 322 }
} Line 8.
350 351 352 354 355 356=1822 357 358 359 }
_See_ _See_ }
267, 230 }
298 }

360=303 361 362 363 364 365 366 367 368 369 }
_See_ _See_ }
351 303, } Line 9.
360 }
}
370 371 375 376 377 378 379 }

380 381 382 383 384 385 386 387 388 389 }
_See_ }
286, } Line 10.
1822 }
}
390 391 392 394 395 396 397 398 399 }

400 401 402 403=360 404 405 406 407 408 409 }
_See_ 367 _See_ }
326 360 }
} Line 11.
410 411 412 414 415 416 417 418 419 }
_See_ _See_ }
326 324 }

420 421 422 423 424 425 426 427 }
_See_ }
324 } Line 12.
}
430 432 434 435 436 437 438 439 }

PLATE LIII.

[The upper left-hand square is No. 500, the upper right is 519, the lower left-hand is 720, the lower right is 739. All the squares from 500 to 508, 520 to 528, 530 to 538, etc., up to 720 to 728, are obliterated (and their numbers omitted here) except a few.]

509 510 511 512 513 514 515 516 517 518 519
_See_ _See_ _See_
1967 509 510

529 530 531 532 533 534 535 536 537 538 539
_See_
3012

549 550 551 552 553 554 555 556 557 558 559
_See_
162

570 571 572 573 574 575 576 577 578 579
_See_
1823

589 590 591 592 593 594 595 596 597 598 599

604 605 609 610 611 612 613 614 615 616 617 618 619
_See_
571

628 629 630 631 632 633 634 635 636 637 638 639
_See_
3054

649 650 651 652 653 654 655 656 657 658 659
_See_
150,
1882

669 670 671=324 672=322? 673=323? 674 675 676 677 678 679
_See_ _See_ _See_
2042 77 1802

688 689 690 691 692 693 694 695 696 697 698 699

708 709 710 711 712 713=1802 714 715 716 717 718 719
_See_
439

729 730=1845 731 732 733 734 735 736 737 738 739
_See_
2020

PLATE LIV.

v-----------v
800 801 802 803 804 805 806 807 808 809 810 811 812 813
_See_ _See_ _See_ _See_
1882 26 1940 1941,
3011

900 901 902 903 904 905 906 907=1003 908 909 910 911 912 913
_See_ _See_
2020 1310

1000 1001 1002 1003=907 1004 1005 1006 1007 1008 1009 1010 1011 1012 1013
_See_ _See_ _See_
2021 3054 1811-2

v------------v
1100 1101 1102=717 1103 1104 1105=2020 1106 1107 1108 1109 1110=1209 1113 1114 1115
_See_ _See_ _See_ _See_
1820 2021 1840 1841?

1200 1201 1202=1110 1203 1204=1008 1205 1206 1207 1208 1209=1110 1210 1211 1212 1213
_See_ 3054 _See_
1823

1300 1301 1302 1303=1910 1304 1305 1306 1307 1308 1309 1310 1311 1312 1313
_See_
910

1400=1823 1401 1402 1403 1404 1405 1406 1407 1408 1409 1410 1411 1412 1413

1500 1501 1502=1010 1503 1504=717 1505 1506 1507 1508 1509 1510 1511 1512 1513
1102

v-----------------v
1600 1601 1602 1603 1604 1605 1606 1607 1608 1609=1304 1610=1305 1611=1010 1612 1613

1700 1701 1702=1911 1703 1704 1705 1706 1707 1708 1709 1710 1711=1702 1712=1708 1713
1911

PLATE LVI (left-hand side--Palenque Cross).

{ 1801 1802 1803 1804 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965
{ _See_
{ 163,
1800 { 175
{
{ 1805 1806 1807 1808 1966
{_See_ _See_
{ 155 138

v---------------------v
[*]1810 1811 1812 1813 1814 1815 1816 1967
_See_ _See_ _See_ _See_ _See_
150 139, (1852) 131, 126,
179 146 127,
176

1820 1821 1822 1823 1824 1825 1826 1968
_See_ _See_ _See_
161 124 122,
160

1830=1820 1831 1832 1833 1834 1835 1836 1969
_See_ 161 _See_ _See_ _See_ _See_ _See_
123, 121 163 182 123
124

1840 1841 1842 1843 1844 1845=1822 1846 1970
_See_ _See_ _See_ 124 _See_
1835 124, 179
1836

1850 1851 1852 1853 1854=1806 1855
_See_
122

1860 1861 1862 1863 1864 1865=2021 1866
_See_ _See_ 144 _See_
126, 136?,
127 184?

1870=1820 1871 1872=1842? 1873=1803 1874 1875 1876
_See_ 160, _See_ 182
161

1880 1881 1882 1883 1884=1834 1885
_See_ _See_ _See_ 163, _See_
150, 124 182 132,
162 144

1890 1891 1892 1893 1894=1822 1895
_See_ _See_ _See_ _See_ 124 _See_
130, 131?, 132? 144
158 147?

1900 1901 1902 1903 1904 1905=1803 1971
_See_ _See_ _See_
146 157, 1802
182

1910 1911 1912 1913=1834 1914 1915 1972
_See_ _See_ _See_ 1884
174 174 141

v---------------v
1920 1921 1922 1923 1924 1925 1973
_See_ _See_
123 124

1930 1931 1932=1811-2? 1933 1934 1935=1884 1975 1974
_See_ 182

v-----------------v
1940=1862 1941 1942 1943 1944=1922 1945=1923
_See_ _See_ 123 _See_ 124
126,
127

1950 1951 1952 1953 1954 1955
_See_
164

[*] At and after this place, in vertical columns, 1810-1-2, 1820-1-2, 1830-1-2, 1840-1-2, and 1860-1-2 may be taken as 2 or 3 symbols. I have assumed them to be 3.

PLATE LVI (right-hand side--Palenque Cross).

1980 1981 1982 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025=123
_See_ _See_ _See_
131, 144 163
147,
150

1983 2030 2031 2032 2033 2034 2035
_See_ _See_ _See_ _See_
132 134, 1811, 124
146, 1812
149

v---------v
1984 2040 2041 2042 2043=123 2044 2045
_See_ _See_ _See_
131, 131, 132,
147 147 150

2000 2050 2051 2052 2053 2054 2055

2001 2060 2061 2062 2063 2064 2065
_See_
182

2002=122 2070 2071 2072 2073 2074 2075

2003=2021 2080 2081 2082 2083 2084 2085
_See_ 130

2004 2090 2091 2092 2093 2094 2095

2005 3000 3001 3002 3003 3004 3005

{ 1976 1978 2006 3010 3011 3012 3013 3014 3015
{ _See_
{ 1902,
[*] { 1903
{
{ 1977 1979 2007 3020 3021 3022 3023 3024 3025
{ _See_
{ 182?

2008 3030 3031 3032 3033 3034 3035

2009 3040 3041 3042 3043 3044 3045

2010 3050 3051 3052 3053 3054 3055
_See_
184

2011 3060 3061 3062 3063 3064 3065
_See_
131,
2020

2012 3070 3071 3072 3073 3074 3075

2013 3080 3081 3082 3083 3084 3085

2014

[*] These four each side of the main stem of the cross. 1976=_Ezanab_--a
Maya day[TN-3]