Spot the scribe’s mistake

Burning the midnight oil, an Aztec ‘tlacuilo’ (scribe) made a mistake when setting out this sequence of days in the 260-day ritual calendar. Can you spot it? (Written/compiled by Ian Mursell/Mexicolore)

(Pic 1) The beginning of a 13-day sequence from the ritual calendar, Codex Magliabecchiano (Click on image to enlarge)

In the main picture are four days, beginning with 9-Death. The 260-day ritual calendar was composed of an imaginary ‘wheel’ of 20 day signs and another of 13 numbers. To work out the next day’s name, you simply move forward a number and move forward a day sign.

(Pic 2) The sequence continues... (Click on image to enlarge)

This particular 13-day sequence begins (pic 1) with 1-Flint and ends (pic 3) with 13-Dog.

(Pic 3) The last day in the sequence of 13 (Click on image to enlarge)

Notice how the day sign glyphs look very different to those found in the Aztec Sunstone (see these on our 20-day-sign resource sheet, link below). You can tell straight away that a different scribe is at work!

Mexicolore’s 20 day-sign resource sheet