Texts Recording Initial Series
Initial Series in the codices are unusual and indeed have been found, up to the present time, in only one of the three known Maya manuscripts, namely, the Dresden Codex. As represented in this manuscript, they differ considerably from the Initial Series heretofore described, all of which have been drawn from the inscriptions. This difference, however, is confined to unessentials, and the system of counting and measuring time in the Initial Series from the inscriptions is identical with that in the Initial Series from the codices.
The most conspicuous difference between the two is that in the codices the Initial Series are expressed by the second method, given on page [129], that is, numeration by position, while in the inscriptions, as we have seen, the period glyphs are used, that is, the first method, on page [105]. Although this causes the two kinds of texts to appear very dissimilar, the difference is only superficial.
Another difference the student will note is the absence from the codices of the so-called Initial-series "introducing glyph." In a few cases there seems to be a sign occupying the position of the introducing glyph, but its identification as the Initial-series "introducing glyph" is by no means sure, and, moreover, as stated above, it does not occur in all cases in which there are Initial Series.
Another difference is the entire absence from the codices of Supplementary Series; this count seems to be confined exclusively to the monuments. Aside from these points the Initial Series from the two sources differ but little. All proceed from identically the same starting point, the date 4 Ahau 8 Cumhu, and all have their terminal dates or related Secondary-series dates recorded immediately after them.
The first example of an Initial Series from the codices will be found in plate [31] (Dresden 24), in the lower left-hand corner, in the second column to the right. The Initial-series number here recorded is 9.9.16.0.0, of which the zero in the 2d place (uinals) and the zero in the 1st place (kins) are expressed by red numbers. This use of red numbers in the last two places is due to the fact that the zero sign in the codices is always red.
BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGYBULLETIN 57 PLATE 31
PAGE 24 OF THE DRESDEN CODEX, SHOWING INITIAL SERIES