But this was the Initial Series recorded on the reverse of this monument, consequently the Secondary-series dates, both of which have
preceded the Initial-series date in point of time, bring this count up to the contemporaneous time of this monument, which was 9.16.5.0.0 8 Ahau 8 Zotz. In view of the fact that the Secondary Series on Stela J are both earlier than the Initial Series, the chronological sequence of the several dates is better preserved by regarding the Initial Series as being at the close of the inscription instead of at the beginning, thus:
| 9. | 14. | 13. | 4. | 17] | 12 Caban 5 Kayab | Figure 79, A, | B3-A4 |
| 0. | 11. | 13. | 3] | B1-B2 | |||
| [9. | 15. | 5. | 0. | 0] | 10 Ahau 8 Chen[[196]] | ||
| [1. | 14. | 6] | [[197]] | ||||
| 9. | 15. | 6. | 14. | 6] | 06 Cimi 4 Tzec | Figure 79, B, | B2-A3 |
| 18. | 3. | 14] | B1-A2 | ||||
| 9. | 16. | 5. | 0. | 0] | 08 Ahau 8 Zotz | Figure 78 | A1-B9, B13 |
By the above arrangement all the dates present in the text lead up to 9.16.5.0.0 8 Ahau 8 Zotz as the most important date, because it alone records the particular hotun-ending which Stela J marks. The importance of this date over the others is further emphasized by the fact that it alone appears as an Initial Series.
The text of Stela J illustrates two points in connection with Secondary Series which the student will do well to bear in mind: (1) The starting points of Secondary-series numbers do not always precede the numbers counted from them, and (2) the terminal dates and starting points are not always both recorded.
The former point will be illustrated in the following example:
In plate [19], A, is figured the Initial Series from the west side of Stela F at Quirigua.[[198]] The introducing glyph appears in A1-B2 and is followed by the Initial-series number in A3-A5. This is expressed by head variants and reads as follows: 9.14.13.4.17. The terminal date reached by this number is 12 Caban 5 Kayab, which is recorded in B5-A6. The student will readily identify the numerals as above by comparing them with the forms in figures [51]-[53], and the day and month signs by comparing them with figures [16], a', b', and [19], d'-f', respectively. The Initial Series therefore reads 9.14.13.4.17 12 Caban 5 Kayab.[[199]]
BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGYBULLETIN 57 PLATE 19
