His general conclusion is that “the material advanced will prove sufficiently that these numbers are associated in some way with solar and lunar eclipses, and this explanation must remain standing at least until other numbers, corresponding equally remarkably, are found.”[22]
Professor R. W. Willson of the Astronomical Department of Harvard University, working on a similar theory at about the same time, had found, however, that no series of solar eclipses corresponding to the intervals of the pictures in the text was visible in Yucatan between the Christian era and the time of the Spanish conquest.[23] This apparently invalidates Meinshausen’s theory.
Professor Willson believes that the table in the manuscript indicates the days of ecliptic conjunction (that is, New Moon occurring so near the moon’s node that eclipses may occur) and, as Mr. Bowditch has shown, with a high degree of accuracy. Sufficient proof of this, in Professor Willson’s opinion, is the close correspondence of the intervals of the codex with the intervals of Schram’s lunar table.[24]
The similarity between the numbers in the Dresden and Schram’s table is so remarkable that it seems advisable to point out some of the most outstanding features. In addition to giving the days of multiples of the lunar synodic months, this table also gives the time of possible occurrences of both solar and lunar eclipses. Eclipses occur in cycles, the best known of which is the Saros, although there are also smaller cycles which are not so accurate. Table V (p. 17) gives the occurrences of central solar eclipses according to Schram. It should be noticed that they occur in groups of threes and fours, each set being separated from the preceding one by 29 synodical months. The numbers in each group are only six months apart. Table VI (p. 17) is a corresponding series of lunar eclipses, which also occur in a grouping similar to that of the solar eclipses. It should be noticed in passing that the first numbers of these groups, in both the solar and lunar eclipses are separated by 47 and 41 lunations, the latter occurring after every third group in Table V.
Table VII (p. 17) contains the numbers which are in the same columns as the 178-day groups in the Dresden. By comparing Table V and Table VII, it will be found that the numbers in the Dresden are the same as the first numbers in groups 1, 2, 4, 5, 7 and 8 of the solar eclipses. In the last two numbers there is a difference of one day, which is explained by recalling the addition of an extra day in the day series but not in the upper numbers of the Dresden. If 679 days are added to each number in Table VII, which amounts to the same thing as advancing the Dresden table 679 days with respect to Schram’s table, it will be found that these numbers will also agree with the first numbers in groups 2, 3, 5, 6 and 8 and with the second number in group 9 of the lunar eclipses, in Table VI. A similar agreement may be observed for the 148-day groups (see Table III).
This remarkable agreement between the 178-day groups in the Dresden and the occurrences of eclipses may have several meanings. (1) One possibility, and one which should always be kept in mind, is that this agreement is simply another coincidence, of which there are always many in chronological work. (2) It may be that the numbers refer to dates of prophesied eclipses which the Mayas had learned occurred at more or less regular intervals. (3) Since this table has a place in the calendar of the Mayas (for a date probably occurs on page 52a), it may be that these numbers refer to definite historical eclipses. If they do, they will afford a means by which an absolute correlation between the Maya and the Julian calendars may be obtained. Professor Willson is at present working on this problem.
| Group | Eclipse | Month | |
|---|---|---|---|
 | 1034 | 35 | |
| 1 | 1211 | 41 | |
| 1388 | 47 | ||
| 1565 | 53 | ||
| 2422 | 82 | |
| 2 | 2599 | 88 | |
| 2776 | 94 | ||
| 2953 | 100 | ||
| 3632 | 123 | |
| 3 | 3809 | 129 | |
| 3987 | 135 | ||
| 4164 | 141 | ||
| 5020 | 170 | |
| 4 | 5197 | 176 | |
| 5375 | 182 | ||
| 5552 | 188 | ||
 | 6408 | 217 | |
| 5 | 6585 | 223 | |
| 6762 | 229 | ||
| 7619 | 258 | |
| 6 | 7796 | 264 | |
| 7973 | 270 | ||
| 8150 | 276 | ||
| 9007 | 305 | |
| 7 | 9184 | 311 | |
| 9361 | 317 | ||
| 9538 | 323 | ||
| 10395 | 352 | |
| 8 | 10572 | 358 | |
| 10750 | 364 | ||
| 11606 | 393 | |
| 9 | 11783 | 399 | |
| 11960 | 405 |
| Group | Eclipse | Month | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 502 | 17 | |
| 1 | 679 | 23 | |
| 856 | 29 | ||
| 1713 | 58 | |
| 2 | 1890 | 64 | |
| 2067 | 70 | ||
| 2244 | 76 | ||
| 3101 | 105 | |
| 3 | 3278 | 111 | |
| 3455 | 117 | ||
| 4311 | 146 | |
| 4 | 4489 | 152 | |
| 4666 | 158 | ||
| 4843 | 164 | ||
| 5699 | 193 | |
| 5 | 5877 | 199 | |
| 6054 | 205 | ||
| 6231 | 211 | ||
| 7087 | 240 | |
| 6 | 7264 | 246 | |
| 7442 | 252 | ||
| 8298 | 281 | |
| 7 | 8475 | 287 | |
| 8652 | 293 | ||
| 8830 | 299 | ||
| 9686 | 328 | |
| 8 | 9863 | 334 | |
| 10040 | 340 | ||
| 10896 | 369 | |
| 9 | 11074 | 375 | |
| 11251 | 381 | ||
| 11428 | 387 |
| Number | Month |
|---|---|
| 1034 | 35 |
| 2422 | 82 |
| 5020 | 170 |
| 6408 | 217 |
| 9006 | 305 |
| 10394 | 352 |
In order to determine the exact extent to which the eclipse seasons affect these pages in the Dresden Codex it is necessary to work out in as great detail as possible the calendar represented.