Cave Archaeology

Rock art has been poorly investigated in Croatia and in the southeast of Europe. The CRORA (CROatian Rock Art) project was launched in 2009 and aims to systematically catalogue, valorize, and present rock art in Croatia. This project has identified 122 parietal art sites (rock art engravings and paintings) in Croatia, dated from the Palaeolithic to the Modern age, were recorded,  demonstrating that this region, with its abundance of karst phenomena, has great potential region for the further systematic survey and study of rock art.
A dozen rock art paintings sites were identified in the frame of this investigative effort - most located in small rock shelters facing river valleys - that exhibit numerous similarities with the schematic rock art found in parts od Italy, France, Portugal and Spain dated to the period from the Neolithic to the dawn of the Bronze Age. Similar sites have also been identified in Slovenia and Bosnia-Herzegovina. These new discoveries in Croatia and in the adjacent regions of the eastern Adriatic coast broaden our knowledge of the phenomenon of schematic rock art and open an completely new area for its study.

Riassunto (il progetto CROatian Rock Art e la scoperta di arte rupestre schematica in Croazia)
L'arte rupestre è stata poco studiata in Croazia e nel sud-est dell'Europa. Il progetto CRORA (CROatian Rock Art) è stato lanciato nel 2009 e mira a catalogare, valorizzare e presentare sistematicamente l'arte rupestre in Croazia. Questo progetto ha permesso di documentare un totale di 122 siti, con incisioni e pitture, databili dal Paleolitico all'Età Moderna, dimostrando come questa zona, nonostante i suoi numerosi fenomeni carsici, abbia un grande potenziale per ulteriori indagini sistematiche e studi sull'arte rupestre.
Nell'ambito di questo sforzo investigativo sono stati identificati una dozzina di siti con pitture rupestri, per lo più in piccoli ripari rocciosi lungo i solchi fluviali, che mostrano numerose somiglianze con l'arte rupestre schematica di Italia, Francia, Portogallo e Spagna, databili dal Neolitico agli albori dell'età del Bronzo. Siti simili sono stati individuati anche in Slovenia e Bosnia-Erzegovina. Queste nuove scoperte in Croazia e nelle regioni adiacenti della costa adriatica orientale ampliano la nostra conoscenza del fenomeno dell'arte rupestre schematica e aprono un'area completamente nuova per il suo studio di questo fenomeno.

Claassen, Cheryl, and Mary Elizabeth Compton. "Rock Features of Western North Carolina". The Archaeology of North Carolina: Three Archaeological Symposia, ch. 14. N.p.: North Carolina Archaeological Council, 2011, 14-3.

Caves and rock shelters are typically treated as habitation spaces. In this paper we survey the potential for both to have been used in several ritualized ways. One use appears to have been for menstrual and birthing retreats, which were abandoned when a death occurred. Another use is the burial cave. Fauna, burial position, and rock art are some of the clues to ritual use. We will highlight several other landscape features that may have been revered as well. An inventory of recorded caves and shelters is provided.

This project concerns itself with the theoretical framework and application of ethnoarchaeological research methods in the Maya region. Following an in-depth discussion of ethnoarchaeology and its theoretical locus within archaeology as well as the transformations it has seen in recent year, the current work focuses on the following source- and subject-side cultural groups and phenomena: cave use at La Ventana and La Ventana Campana by Maya peoples from the Suchitepéquez and Sololá Department of Guatemala in comparison with Problematical Deposit 21 at Tikal, Petén, Guatemala. The purpose of this work is not only to investigate the case study mentioned above but also to take stock of ethnoarchaeological, ethnographic, and archaeological work in the region and critically assess the potential of ethnoarchaeology in the Maya region.

Huizachtepetl fue uno de los cerros rituales más significativos del México antiguo. Su importancia radicaba en su ubicación, manejo del paisaje y a la gran can- tidad de cuevas consagradas. Así lo demuestran al menos los códices, y las evidencias arqueológicas.

This study is dedicated to the general presentation of the content, the dating and the significations of the known hoard from LBA II discovered in the " Cioclovina cu Apă " Cave / " Wet Cioclovina " Cave (Hunedoara county), discovery that constitutes one of the most remarkable monuments from the Romanian prehistory (over 7500 artifacts, most of them made of exotic materials). The association of at least four fundamental natural elements inside the archaeological monument under research here (mountain, forest, cave, and water) sets the initial starting points of the transformation of the monument into a cult place/sanctuary. There must have also been some revelation, some sign etc. The sanctuary inside the " Cioclovina cu Apă " Cave has attracted very rich and varied offerings (bronze items, exotic objects, pot‑ tery, antler cheek‑pieces, and meat offerings) that were deposited in three consecrated spots in the Great Hall, places under the mark of the «spring of divinity». Starting from the fact that almost all of the offerings are jewelry items worn by women or elements that decorate horse harness, I have considered the idea that a Nymph or a Nymph associated with another deity was venerated here, in both cases in association with horses, as being the closest to the truth. I pleaded in favor of the possible presence of oracular components. Also, from the presented perspectives I considered that the exceptional ritual practices that took place in this cave place it in the sphere of inter‑regional collective/institutional cult manifestations, in which the elites, including the female, played a dominant role. Keywords: Late Bronze Age; the " Cioclovina cu Apă " Cave / " Wet Cioclovina " Cave; sanctuary; exotic votive depositions; female divinity; nymph; oracle. Rezumat: Acest studiu este dedicat prezentării generale a conţinutului, a datării și a semnificaţiilor cunoscutului tezaur aparţinând celei de a doua etape a perioadei târzii a epocii bronzului aflat în peștera Cioclovina cu Apă (judeţul Hunedoara), descoperire ce se constituie în una dintre cele mai remarcabile din preistoria României (peste 7500 de artefacte, majo‑ ritatea obiecte exotice). Dată fiind asocierea în cadrul monumentului arheologic studiat a cel puţin patru elemente naturale fundamentale (munte, pădure, peșteră și apă), credem că acestea au fost punctele de plecare pentru transformarea acestui spaţiu într‑un loc de cult/ sanctuar; tuturor acestora trebuie să li se fi adăugat o revelaţie, un semn etc. Sanctuarul a atras ofrande foarte bogate și variate (bronzuri, produse exotice, ceramică, psalii de corn și ofrande de carne), care au fost depuse în trei locuri consacrate din Sala Mare, locuri subsumate « izvo‑ rului divinităţii ». Pornind de la caracteristicile naturale ale peșterii și de la faptul că votivele sunt aproape toate podoabe purtate de femei sau care împodobesc harnașamentul cailor, am propus luarea în considerare a ideii venerării unei nimfe, ori a unei nimfe în conjuncţie cu o altă zeitate feminină, în ambele cazuri în asociere cu cai. De asemenea, am pledat pentru posi‑ bila prezenţă a unor componente oraculare. Tot din perspectivele enunţate, am considerat că practicile rituale excepţionale din peșteră ne plasează în sfera manifestărilor cultice colective/ instituţionale inter‑regionale, în care rolul elitelor, inclusiv a celor feminine, a fost dominant. Cuvinte cheie: Perioada târzie a epocii bronzului; peştera Cioclovina cu Apă; sanctuar; votive exotice; zeitate feminină; nimfe; oracol.

Abstract: Several caves in North Wales have yielded archaeological and palaeontological material of
undoubted interest. Most notably, two caves in Denbighshire are the only archaeological sites in Western
Europe to lie north of the Last Glacial Maximum limits and yet still contain archaeological material pre-dating
it, offering a rare glimpse of what has been lost elsewhere. Although many North Welsh caves are documented
in the scientific and caving literature the record of sites is dispersed and incomplete. Comments are offered
here on the archaeological contents of these caves, and more generally about the current record of caves in the
region. A selected inventory of sites that may be of potential interest to archaeologists is presented.

Recent excavations in northern Palawan, Philippines provide zooarchaeological and macrobotanical evidence documenting human occupation and changes in faunal composition and subsistence strategies. Here we present the archaeobiological record of Pasimbahan-Magsanib site dating from c. 10,500 yr. BP to the subrecent. The terrestrial vertebrate record provides for a more robust Palawan biostratigraphy and chronicles Late Quaternary changes in mammalian composition and human responses to the changing abundance of large mammal communities. Well-stratified shell layers and middens contain a wide variety of taxa derived from freshwater, estuarine and marine environments that also provide insights on varying subsistence strategies and the local ecology. Macrobotanical evidence provides further evidence for both foraging and possible plant management strategies in the Holocene.

Gods, deities, symbolism, deposition, cosmology and intentionality are all features of the study of early ritual and cult. Archaeology has great difficulties in providing satisfactory interpretation or recognition of these elusive but important parts of ancient society, and methodologies are often poorly equipped to explore the evidence. This collection of papers explores a wide range of prehistoric and early historic archaeological contexts from Britain, Europe and beyond, where monuments, architectural structures, megaliths, art, caves, ritual activity and symbolic remains offer exciting glimpses into ancient belief systems and cult behaviour. Different theoretical and practical approaches are demonstrated, offering both new directions and considered conclusions to the many problems of studying the archaeology of cult and ritual. Central to the volume is an exploration of early Malta and its intriguing Temple Culture, set in a broad perspective by the discussion and theoretical approaches presented in different geographical and chronological contexts.

The fourth known pre-Columbian Maya codex, the only one discovered in the twentieth century, was found by looters in the mid-1960s. First exhibited in New York in 1971, what has come to be known as the  Grolier Codex is half of a 20-page, 104-year divinatory hybrid-style Mesoamerican Venus Almanac, probably the physically oldest surviving pre-Columbian book, and with new radiocarbon dates that place it in the thirteenth century CE. It is likely to be the oldest surviving book on paper from the Americas as well as the only ancient Maya codex now residing in Mexico. Although most Mayanists have accepted it as authentic, based in part on the author’s 40 years of research, it remains an unacknowledged Mexican national treasure, as it has never been officially recognized. Mesoamerican Venus Almanacs were widely used in pre-Columbian Mesoamerica to regulate practices of sacred warfare, the goal of which was to obtain captives for sacrifice, their blood shed to invoke the personified forces of rain and fertility. The  Codex offers unique images of 10 of the 20 manifestations of Venus, greatly enriching our knowledge of these traditions. The present study offers a brief history of accounts of the discovery of the Codex and allegedly associated artifacts; presents a documented photographic history; outlines the author’s comprehensive program of research, including several new scientific discoveries; and offers a new Latinized name that recognizes that the Codex Mayano-Mexicanus is an authentic ancient book deriving from the Maya culture and now properly residing in Mexico.


*****
This article has been posted on Academia.edu as part of the Grolier Codex Project of the Center for Archaeoastronomy under the directorship of John B. Carlson, Ph.D.  The Grolier Codex Project seeks to further advance the study of the Maya Grolier Codex.

El mundo subterráneo es un misterio en sus abismos y sombras. Es el reducto idóneo de las divinidades ancestrales y de las leyendas que nos asombran por su originalidad. Es también el escenario de exploraciones asomhrosas por parte de los espeleólogos. Debido a la estrecha relación que existe entre las montañas y las cavernas el tema es de interés central para el Proyecto Eje de Investigación, Estudio, Conservación y Restauración del Patrimonio Cultural y Ecológico en los Volcanes, adscrito a la Escuela Nacional de Antropologia e Historia. Esta obra es de especial atención por la escasa bibliografia que existe sobre el tema y porque en ella el doctor Ismael Arturo Montero García, investigador invitado y honorario del programa de investigación global de dicho proyecto nos presenta un excelente y exhaustivo recorrido por la historia de las cavernas de México y nos da cuenta de la particular cultura que existe en torno a ellas.

Naka Cave, Thailand : The Truth Behind the Legends of Snake Rock

It all happened long, long ago, in the mystical Kingdom of Rappata Nakhon, on the shores of the Khong Long Lake.

Prince Fahoong was tall, strong and handsome. Every man in the kingdom was proud to call him friend, and the girls all loved his dazzling smile and the twinkle in his deep blue eyes. But, like most princes in these stories, Fahoong was lonely. He had all the riches in the world – everything money could buy – but he couldn’t find his true love. What good were riches, when he had no-one to share them with?

One day, as the Prince was walking aimlessly through the woods along the shores of the Khong Long Lake, he heard a girl singing way off in the distance. He’d never heard the song before, but her voice was so sweet – and the words were so sad and melancholy – that he instantly fell in love with her. He ran in the direction of the voice and looked high and low, but the singing had stopped and the girl was nowhere to be seen.

He was about to turn around and go back home when he heard the sound of a girl softly crying. He knew, deep in his heart, that it had to be the same girl who was singing so beautifully, just moments before. Suddenly, he saw a flash of a red and green cape, just behind a great tree, and ran towards it.  Once more the girl was gone, but at his feet he saw that a snake had shed its skin. He picked the skin up and turned it around in his hands. He’d seen snakeskin before, but never with this strange pattern: for one half was coloured a brilliant red, while the other half was as green as the leaves on the great tree…

Naka Cave (or Nāga Cave) is located in Phu Langka National Park which is in the Bueng Khong Long District of Bueng Kan Province, Thailand. Naka means ‘snake’ in the Thai language, and the cave took its name from the texture of some stones in the area, which resembles the scaled skin of a snake.

In recent months, videos and images have appeared which were taken from the surrounding area. One is supposedly a picture of the head of a mummified giant snake, but in actual fact this is a picture of a totally different rock formation found in Laos, in a wilderness area 10km from Ratchaburi.

Here’s one of the many photos of that snakehead which we’ve downloaded from a ‘fake news’ website, and under that are  the ‘keywords’ that they’ve included with the video, in an attempt to boost the number of hits they get to their page. As you can see, there’s no mention of the word ‘Laos’. 

List of keywords: Giant snake, Giant snake turn into stone, Snake mountain in Thailand, Giant snake at Naka Caves, Naka Cave, Naka caves, Viral giant snake, Snakes, Snake mountain, Thailand tourism, Thailand tourism spot, Thailad discovery, Giant snake scale discovery, Giant snake discovered, Mysterious giant snake at naka cave in Thailand, naka cave story, naka cave snake head and snake scale stone, bueng kan province, cursed snake, the biggest snake in the world, the biggest snake stone
In Buddhist lore, nāgas are half-human, half-serpent beings that live in the netherworld and occasionally take human form. They are considered to be guardians of the water, and often live in damp caves by the water’s edge.

According to a popular legend, the Mekong River in northeastern Thailand and Laos was said to be created by two nāga kings slithering through the area, thus creating the Mekong and the nearby Nan River.  Today, this area is part of the Phu Langka National Park.

The Phu Langka National Park
The National Park includes layers of three mountains, spread along the Mekong River. A popular tourist trail leads to the top of Pha Ngoi, a favourite lookout point which gives stunning views of the Bhan Phaeng district and the Mekong River.

Naka Cave is actually two kilometers under this lookout point. Visitors to the site – including locals – rarely ventured below the hill, and so the cave was a hidden gem, only ever visited by a handful of people.

How to get to Naka Cave
To access the cave, you start at the Chai Mong Kon temple. From the grounds of the temple, you must first ascend a stone staircase, protected by gaudily decorated nakas on either side. The top of the staircase gives way to some rudimentary steel steps and eventually a dirt path, which takes you to the cave entrance.

The trek to the cave entrance is over one kilometre, all uphill, and not for the faint-hearted.  So let’s rest for a while, and catch up with our friend Prince Fahoong…..

The Prince looked again at the snakeskin in his hand. What could it mean?  Confused, he walked back to the palace. He would ask his grandfather, King Ue-Lue, about the strange girl that he’s only half-seen, and about her beautiful singing voice. He was a wise man – some say he was the wisest man that had ever lived. Surely he would know.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the great Khong Long Lake, a beautiful girl sat crying. Her name was Nakkarintrani, and she was crying because she was so sad about her life – it was so unfair. She had just been walking in the woods and  had seen the most handsome man, with such a dazzling smile and the deepest of deep blue eyes. She was totally in love with him, but she was sad because she knew they could never be together.

Because Nakkarintrani had a secret. She was a nāgi – a serpent that could take human form. Her family came from the enchanted underworld of Patala Loka, a place filled with gold and silver and rubies that were bigger than a man’s hand. Her father was Lord of the Naka, and the gods had tasked him with looking after all these riches, left behind by the souls of men who had died too early in battle.

Over many centuries, the Naka people had built a splendid city above the ground, and they lived in palaces and houses just like humans. But they all knew the law – a Naka must never marry a human, or the gods would grow angry and take away all the gold and jewellery. Without these riches, the city would quickly become poor and the Naka people would starve and fade away to nothingness.

But Nakkarintrani had a plan. She would go to the woods and find this boy again. She would reveal her secret and tell him she was in love with him. If he felt the same about her, then they would run away to a distant kingdom where nobody knew who she was – where nobody would care that she was a nāgi. ‘Yes’, she thought to herself, ‘this is a good plan’. She rushed back to her room to pack up her possessions, a look of determination on her beautiful face…

ABSTRACT
This paper, dedicated to the memory of Adalbert Markovits (1897-1941), is a survey
of known caves of certain or potential archaeological value on the island of Salamis
in the Saronic Gulf. The archaeological and other evidence for their function, from
prehistoric to modern times, is summarized and assessed within the topographical
and archaeological context of these caves. Their geomorphological features are also
briefly presented in this article.
Emphasis is placed on the discussion of cave-use in the south part of Salamis, with
particular reference to caves excavated or surveyed by the Archaeology Unit of the
University of Ioannina over the past 25 years, in the areas of Kanakia and Peristeria,
best known from the discoveries made in the Cave of Euripides and its surroundings
in 1994-2000.
The documentation of ancient and later cave-use in northern Salamis relies on
the existing surface or other evidence from four (4) caves and their vicinity, on the
mountain ridges of Restis, Phaneromeni (ancient Boudoron), Batsi and Arapis. It is
hoped that their treatment in the context of this paper may perhaps offer some useful
directions towards future systematic research in these northern fields of Salamis.

Bulgaria encompasses most of the Balkan migratory corridor (part of the so-called Danubian corridor) which facilitated the dispersal of mammals and Homo populations into and out of Europe. In spite of the scarcity of human fossil remains, the rich evidence of more than 20 Palaeolithic sites in Bulgaria suggests long-term human presence and various activities.
Northwestern Bulgaria is known for the massive karstic formations in the area around the present-day town of Belogradchik. Three important Palaeolithic settlements have been excavated there, namely the caves of Kozarnika, Magura and Mishin Kamik. This paper presents the results of five short but intensive excavation campaigns in Mishin Kamik Cave.
No human fossil remains or lithic artefacts have been recovered. However, the excavations produced several bone artefacts and a number of intriguing features, including an apparently intentional arrangement of bear skulls, which suggest the cave was visited by humans at the end of the Middle Pleistocene.

The Midnight Terror Cave faunal assemblage is unusual in that fish make up 21% of the vertebrate fauna, including four individual parrotfish (Sparisoma viride). This analysis examines why this species was selected and explores a performative interpretation that contextualizes these remains within ancient Maya ritual drama. In addition to being part of the “cult of the sea”, the parrotfish was selected because of its blue or green color which symbolizes water, rain, and abundance. The fish’s color fades quickly after death so it is clear that the fish had to be transported alive from the sea coast to the cave. The requirements for the trip are outlined. The analysis lays out the expenditures made for elite ritual and provides a glimpse into the drama of such sacrifices.

The cave of Koudounotrypa is situated on the hill of Peranthi, on whose northern foothills the modern-day city of Arta is built. This is the same region where the Corinthians chose to found Ambracia in 625 BC. The cave lies 4.5 km. south of the city. It was used as a sacred cave for the cult of the Nymphs and other accompanying deities. The sanctuary was founded at approximately the same time as the colony, and it continued in use until Late Hellenistic period. The purpose of this study is to contribute to research on the cult of the Nymphs in the city of Ambracia. Its main object of study is the group of terracotta votive relief plaques. This group is unpublished, with the exception of specific typical examples which have been included
mostly in articles of special interest. We will examine the terracotta votive relief plaques, which are also one of the largest groups of finds from the cave of Koudounotrypa, Arta. Morphology, iconographic subjects, and the construction technique used for the plaques are all examined, with the ultimate goal of investigating more general research issues, including production workshop, dissemination of terracotta plaques, and issues related to the cult of the Νymphs and Pan in Ambracia. Most of the material survives in a fragmentary state, and much of it has not
yet been conserved, in particular material from the previous research. A selection yielded a total of 336 pieces belonging to an equal number of relief plaques. Of these, commentary is provided for 278 as regards their form and iconography.

Το σπήλαιο «Κουδουνότρυπα» εντοπίζεται στη λοφοσειρά της Περάνθης, στους βόρειους πρόποδες της οποίας είναι χτισμένη η σύγχρονη πόλη της Άρτας. Την ίδια περιοχή επέλεξαν οι Κορίνθιοι το 625πΧ. για να ιδρύσουν την Αμβρακία. Το σπήλαιο απέχει 4,5 χλμ. νότια της πόλης. Χρησιμοποιήθηκε ως ιερό άντρο των Νυμφών. Η χρονολόγησή του ανάγεται περίπου ταυτόχρονα με την ίδρυση της αποικίας ως και την ύστερη ελληνιστική περίοδο. Από το σύνολο των ευρημάτων του άντρου εξετάζονται οι πήλινοι αναθηματικοί ανάγλυφοι πίνακες. Αναλύονται θέματα όπως η τεχνική κατασκευής, η προέλευση, η διάδοση, η τυπολογία της μορφής αλλά και τα εικονογραφικά θέματα που επιλέγονται, με σκοπό να διερευνηθούν στοιχεία της λατρείας των Νυμφών αλλά και η αναγνώριση του εργαστηρίου παραγωγής τους.

Τhe cave-sanctuary of the Nymphs at Nea Herakleitsa, Kavala, is known since 1938 due to the excavation report of G. Bakalakis. In 2006 the Ephorate of Paleoanthropology-Speleology of Northern Greece conducted a short-time excavation in the cave. The present study discusses the ceramic finds of the excavation, as well as the zooarchaeological remains. The stratigraphy of the cave is extremely disturbed and thus nearly all the finds cannot be assigned to any stratigraphic sequence. The earliest human presence in the cave dates to the Late Neolithic II period. According to the pottery finds, the sanctuary of the Nymphs was established at the late 7th century BC. We observe a significant reduction of the material remains inside the cave around the Middle/Late Hellenistic period, while a brief, slight increase of their quantity occurs later, during the Imperial period. The study of the zooarchaeological remains reveals practices of preparing and consuming food of animal origin inside the cave. The immense reduction of activity in the cave during the Hellenistic period and the recorded renewed interest in its use later, is a phenomenon noticed in many cult-caves. The article examines the possible association of this phenomenon with the suggested, according to some data, overall decline in human activity in the countryside of northern Greece during the Middle/Late Hellenistic period.

The paper approaches the embodied and material dimensions of human subjectivity through exploring the human encounters with caves through concepts of affect, emotion, body, materiality, performance and practice.  This approach explores how through pre-personal relations between material bodies, things and places combine to form affective fields.  These visceral engagements constitute a background within which the cave is apprehended. But there is always an excess.  This affective atmosphere in the cave can be described as “haunting”. Haunting is something attached to a place, it speaks of the sense of uneasiness. This unease can be described in different ways, using interrelated concepts of uncanny, sublime or abject. All revolve around the theme of boundary-blurring, destabilisation breakdown and destruction of boundaries and concepts, make the world intelligible and meaningful.

The subject, constructed in a process of creating the meaning of the world, through representations, is constantly faced by abjection.  Abject refers to the the raw vitality of material, to the powers of the earth, the meaningless chaotic nature, sublime non-human powers, the meaningless otherness which haunts caves and threatens the symbolic order and culture. Performances and representations emerge as ways of approaching the experience of ultimate alterity, erosion of certainty. Notions of sacred, numinous are ways of approaching the uncanny, sublime or abject. The subject is born out of a traumatic event of an encounter with the haunted, that makes it yearn for a return to someplace before entering into the symbolic order.  Human subjectivity is something that emerges as the effect of the symbolic order, constituting a break from the immediate encounter with the ultimate other.   

In the end, can archaeology contribute to the questions of subjectivity?  How can be located within the current landscape dominated by neuroscience on one hand and psychoanalysis on the other?

The 1983 manuscript published in "Calendars in Mesoamerica and Peru: Native American computations of time". Aveni, Anthony F. & Brotherston, Gordon, eds., BAR International Series 174, Oxford from the 1982 manuscript presented both at the 44th International Congress of Americanists, Manchester, England in 1982 and the American Astronomical Society in Boston, January 1983.  This research article is the only scholarly study that provides an independent proof that the Grolier Codex must be a genuine pre-Columbian codex – because it contains key iconographic and other data that could not have been known to a potential fabricator in the mid-1960s when the Codex was found.  One of four known ancient Maya books, the Grolier Codex depicts different manifestations of the planet Venus; the column of glyphs on the left of each panel records days in a 104-year Venus almanac. These plaster-coated bark-paper pages, carbon-dated to the 13th century, represent only half of the 20-page original. The author also demonstrates his discovery that the previously labeled pages 10 and 11 of the Codex are actually two parts of the same page "10".

This 1983 version of the manuscript has publisher introduced typographical errors. Please see the original 1982 manuscript (click "LINK" on this paper listing) for the complete version or follow the link below: 

http://www.academia.edu/7908428/The_Grolier_Codex_A_Preliminary_Report_on_the_Content_and_Authenticity_of_a_Thirteenth-Century_Maya_Venus_Almanac_1982_

This article has been posted on Academia.edu as part of the Grolier Codex Project of the Center for Archaeoastronomy under the directorship of John B. Carlson, Ph.D.  The Grolier Codex Project seeks to further advance the study of the Grolier Codex.