Dates in a New Maya Hieroglyphic text as Katun-Baktun Aniversaries

Abstract

This is an attempt to infer much more than is actually stated in one of a collection of texts incised on bone artifacts. These were recently discovered in a tomb at Tikal by Aubrey S. Trik, Field Director of the Tikal Project of the University of Pennsylvania Museum. Before proceeding to specifics I shall try lo set the problem in perspective, within the frame of reference of the ancient Maya calendar system and the hieroglyphs which reveal it in Classic Maya times. General familiarity with that system is presumed.