Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1893-06-28
THE AZTEC CALENDAR STONE

One of the most curious relics OF au
cient Mexico, and an incontrovertible
proof of the intellectual attainments of
its people is the beautifully carved
stone, known as the AZTEC Calendar
Stone" which still rests where it was
placed centuries ago in the heart Of
the city OF Mexi o, In the Plaza Magyar,
which is one of the fiuest public squares
in the western world. Here, under
Aztec, or perhaps even under To!tec
rule stood the great Teoc4lli, or tenn
Pile; and here built over and partly of
its ruins now r SIS the spaclo IS and
imposing cathe raj erected by the
conquering Srauiards.
In front of this cathedral now reposes
AS once it reposed before the heather
temple of human sacrifice-the besuti-
fuI .sKs'lcpda" or calendar stone, COW
erei With the hieroglyphics which show
to what an advanced stage of astronom-
ical knowledge the early Me1icans had
arrived.
In the measurement of time the Az
tees adjusted their civil year by the
solar. They divided it into eighteen
months of twenty days each. Both
months and days were expressed by
peculiar Observation-Disclosures of the
former often intimating the season OF
the year, like the French months ut
the period of the Revolution. Five
complementary days. as In Egypt,
were sdded to make the full number
of 36j. They belonged to no month
and were II garded as peculiarly un-
lucky. A month was divided into four
weeks, of five dnvs each, on the last of
which was tho ub'ic fair or market
day. This arrangement, different
from that of the nations OF the old
continent. whether OF Europe or Asia,
has the advantage of giving an equal
number of days to each month and
of comprehending entire weeks, with
out fraction, both in the months and
in the year. AS the year is composed
of nearly six hours more than 365 days,
there still renamed an excess which, like
other nations who have framed cal
endar they provided for by intercal-
alton; not indeed every fourth year
year as the Europeans, but at longer
intervals like some Of the Asiatics.
They waited till the expiration OF
ffty-two vague years, when they inter
posed thirteen days, or rather twelve
and a half. this being the number
which had fallen in arrear. Had they
inserted thirteen it would have been
too much, since the annual excess over
so is about eleven minutes less than
SIX hours. But as their calendar at the
time of the conquest was found 70 cor
respond with the. European, making
allowance for the subsequent Gregoriar
reform, they wouli seem to have
adopted the shorter period of twelve
days and half, which brought then
within an almost inappreciable frac
ton. to the exact length of the trop
icai year. as established by the mosl
accurate of observations. Indeed, tht
INTERPOLATION of twenty. five days il
every l0i years, shows a nicer adjust
ment of civil to solar time than is pre-
seuted by any European calendar
since more than five centuries mus
elapse before the loss of an entire
day.
Such was the astonishing precision
displayed bv the Aztecs, or perhap:
by their polished Toltec predecessors
logical system was reckoned cores
Christian era. 1t was the period o
their migration from Azatlan. They
threw tie years, as already noticed,
into great cycles of fifty-two each
which they called "shsafs," or
bundles, and represented by quan,
tity of reeds, bound together by a string.
As often as this hieroglyphic occurs in
their maps, it shows the number OF
half centuries.
To enable them to specify any par.
ticular year, they divided the great
cycle into four smaller cycles or indio,
tlons of thirteen years each. They
then adopted two periodical series oi
signs, one consisting of their numer'
ical dots up to thirteen; the other
of four hieroglyphics of the years.
These hieroSly phics were a rabbi t. g
reed. fliut, house. They were
taken as symbolIcaI of the four eie.
ments-air, water. fire, earth, accord
ing to VeytIa. 1t is not easy to see
the connection between the terms rab-
bit and air, which lead the respective
series. The four hieroglyphics they
repeated in regular succession, setting
against each one q number of the Cor.
responding series of dots, continued
also in regular succession up to thir
teen.
The same system was pursued through
the four indictions, which thus, il
will he observed, began always with
different hIeroglyphic of the year
from the preceding; and in tn s way
each of the hieroglyphics was made to
combine successfully with each of the
numerical signs, but never twice with
the same; since four and thirteen, the
factors of fifty-two-the number oi
years in a circle-must admit of Just
as many combinations as are equal to
their product. thus every year had
its appropriate symbol by which it was
at once recognized. And this symbol
preceded by the proper number OF
bundles" indicating the half centu-
rIes. showed the precise time which
had elapsed since the national epoch
of 1901. The Igenious contrlvance of
n periodical series, in place of the cum
brous system of hieroglyphical no.
tation, is not peculiar to the AZtecs
and is to be found among various people
on the A.iatic cOntinent-the same in
principle, though varying materially in
arrangement.
In addition to the solar calendar, as
above described, the Aztec priests had
mother called q lunar reckoning"
though in nowise accommods ed to the
revolutions OF the moon. 1t was
formed also of two periodical series.
Hy means of this Gale dar, the priests
kept their own records, regulated the
festivals and seasons of sacrifice and
made all calculations The astrological
scheme of of the Asiecs was founded
less on the planetary influences than
on those Of the arbitrary signs they
had adopted for the months and days.
We know of no astronomical inStru-
ments used by them except the dial.
The calendar stone as it is called)
shows they had the means of setting
the hours of the day with precision, the
periods of the solstices and the equi-
noxes, and that of the transit of the sun
across the zenith of Mexico.