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THE HIEROGLYPHIC INSCRIPTIONS.
259
According to Mr. Goodman the Mayas, although understanding and using the year of 365 days, based their calendar on the Ahau of 360 days, and made all their computations in Ahaus, Katuns, &c., according to the following table:—
| 20 days | 1 Chuen. |
| 18 Chuens | 1 Ahau[1] (360 days). |
| 20 Ahaus | 1 Katun. |
| 20 Katuns | 1 Cycle. |
| 13 Cycles | 1 Great Cycle. |
| 72 Great Cycles | 1 Grand Era. |
The following signs are employed in the inscriptions to denote these periods of time:—
- ↑ It is unfortunate that the ahau, or period of 360 days, bears the same name as one of the twenty days of the Maya month, and that the chuen, or twenty-day period, bears the name of another day of the month.
