... Ogotemmêli had his own ideas about calculation. The Dogon in fact did use the decimal system, because from the beginning they had counted on their fingers, but the basis of their reckoning had been the number eight and this number recurred in what they called in French la centaine, which for them meant eighty. Eighty was the limit of reckoning, after which a new series began. Nowadays there could be ten such series, so that the European 1,000 corresponded to the Dogon 800. But Ogotemmêli believed that in the beginning men counted by eights - the number of cowries on each hand, that they had used their ten fingers to arrive at eighty, but that the number eight appeared again in order to produce 640 (8 x 10 x 8). 'Six hundred and forty', he said, 'is the end of the reckoning.' According to him, 640 covenant-stones had been thrown up by the seventh Nummo to make the outline in the grave of Lébé.

However, 640 is not a square (although 64 * 10 * 10 is). Instead we can count 2 * 320, where 320 was coinciding, at the time of rongorongo, with the right ascension day for the South Pole star, viz. Dramasa. Here there was a 'hole' (vaha):

... Probably the dream soul hurried home because Spica was due to arrive, which was 4 * 29½ = 118 days before the time line up to the South Pole star (Dramasa, σ Octantis). I.e, from σ Virginis to σ Octantis there were *320 - *200 = *80 right ascension days.

e vaha noho ragi	erua ahi		i te hau tea	Erua hau tea		i te henua i te rima
Vaha. Hollow; opening; space between the fingers (vaha rima); door cracks (vaha papare). Vahavaha, to fight, to wrangle, to argue with abusive words. Vanaga. 1. Space, before T; vaha takitua, perineum. PS Mgv.: vaha, a space, an open place. Mq.: vaha, separated, not joined. Ta.: vaha, an opening. Sa.: vasa, space, interval. To.: vaha, vahaa, id. Fu.: vasa, vāsaà, id. Niuē: vahā. 2. Muscle, tendon; vahavaha, id. Vahahora (vaha 1 - hora 2), spring. Vahatoga (vaha 1 - toga 1), autumn. 3. Ta.: vahavaha, to disdain, to dislike. Ha.: wahawaha, to hate, to dislike. Churchill. Ahi. Fire; he-tutu i te ahi to light a fire. Ahiahi = evening; ahiahi-ata, the last moments of light before nightfall. Vanaga. 1. Candle, stove, fire (vahi); ahi hakapura, match; ahi hakagaiei, firebrand waved as a night signal. P Mgv.: ahi, fire, flame. Mq.: ahi, fire, match, percussion cap. Ta.: ahi, fire, percussion cap, wick, stove. 2. To be night; agatahi ahi atu, day before yesterday. 3. Pau.: ahi, sandalwood. Ta.: ahi, id. Mq.: auahi, a variety of breadfruit. Sa.: asi, sandalwood. Ha.: ili-ahi, id. Ahiahi, afternoon, night; kai ahiahi, supper. P Pau., Mgv., Mq., Ta.: ahiahi, afternoon, evening. Ahipipi (ahi 1 - pipi 2) a spark, to flash. Churchill.

Ca5-32 (137)	Ca5-33	Ca5-34	Ca5-35	Ca6-1	Ca6-2	Ca6-3
CLOSE TO THE SUN:
Febr 4	5	6	7 (403)	8	9 (40)	10
... On February 9 the Chorti Ah K'in, 'diviners', begin the agricultural year. Both the 260-day cycle and the solar year are used in setting dates for religious and agricultural ceremonies, especially when those rituals fall at the same time in both calendars. The ceremony begins when the diviners go to a sacred spring where they choose five stones with the proper shape and color. These stones will mark the five positions of the sacred cosmogram created by the ritual. When the stones are brought back to the ceremonial house, two diviners start the ritual by placing the stones on a table in a careful pattern that reproduces the schematic of the universe. At the same time, helpers under the table replace last year's diagram with the new one. They believe that by placing the cosmic diagram under the base of God at the center of the world they demonstrate that God dominates the universe. The priests place the stones in a very particular order. First the stone that corresponds to the sun in the eastern, sunrise position of summer solstice is set down; then the stone corresponding to the western, sunset position of the same solstice. This is followed by stones representing the western, sunset position of the winter solstice, then its eastern, sunrise position. Together these four stones form a square. They sit at the four corners of the square just as we saw in the Creation story from the Classic period and in the Popol Vuh. Finally, the center stone is placed to form the ancient five-point sign modern researchers called the quincunx ...
DRAMASA = σ Oct., χ Capricorni (320.0), ν Aquarii (320.3), γ Equulei (320.6), ο Pavonis (320.8)	α Oct. (321.5), δ Equulei (321.7), φ Capricorni (321.8)	KITALPHA (Part of a Horse) = α Equulei (322.0), ALDERAMIN (The Right Arm) = α Cephei (322.9)	DAI = ι Capricorni (323.5), β Equulei (323.8)	γ Pavonis (324.1), YAN = ζ Capricorni (324.6)	*Al Sa'd al Su'ud-22 (Luckiest of the Lucky) / Emptiness-11 (Rat)* TSIN = 36 Capricorni (325.2), ALPHIRK (The Flock) = β Cephei (325.7), SADALSUD = β Aquarii, ξ Gruis (325.9)	no star listed (326)
DAY 320	321	322	323	324	325 (→ 3-25)	326
CLOSE TO THE FULL MOON:
Aug 5	6	7	*8 (11 20 → T20)**	9	10	11
9h (137.0) σ¹ Ursa Majoris (137.0), κ Cancri (137.3), τ Cancri (137.4), ALSUHAIL (al Wazn, of the Weight) = λ Velorum (137.5), σ² Ursa Majoris (137.6), τ Ursa Majoris (137.7), ξ Cancri (137.8) 96.0 = 137.4 - *41.4	κ Pyxidis (138.0), ε Pyxidis (138.5)	π Cancri (139.2), MIAPLACIDUS = β Carinae (139.3), TUREIS (Little Shield) = ι Carinae (139.8)	no star listed (140)	θ Pyxidis (141.5), MARKAB VELORUM = κ Velorum (141.5), AL MINHAR AL ASAD (The Nose of the Lion) = κ Leonis (141.6), λ Pyxidis (141.9)	*Star-25 (Horse) / ANA-HEU-HEU-PO-5 (Pillar where debates were held)* ALPHARD (The Horse) = α Hydrae (142.3), ω Leonis (142.6), τ¹ Hydrae (142.7)	*Al Tarf-7 (The End)* ψ Velorum (143.3), ALTERF = λ Leonis, τ² Hydrae(143.4), ξ Leonis (143.5) 102.0 = 143.4 - *41.4
'July 9	10	11	(193 → Castor)	13	14	(196 → Pollux)
DAY 137	138	139	140	141	142	143

Furthermore, right ascension day 64 corresponded to the zero-day hole (gap, vaha) at the beginning of side a on the G tablet:

0h	*MARCH 22 (1)**	23 (82)
no glyph
no glyph	Ga1-1	Ga1-2
HYADUM II = δ¹ Tauri (64.2)	*Net-19 (Crow)* AIN (Eye) = ε Tauri, θ¹ Tauri, θ² Tauri (65.7)	no star listed (66)
May 24	25 (145)	*26 (66)**
°May 20	*21 (61)**	22 (142)
'April 27	28 (118)	*29 (39)**
"April 13	14 (104)	*15 (25)**
DAY 64	DAY 1 = 65 - 64	2
-	*1 Ko Apina Iti* ko Rapa Kura	2 Ko Hanga O Uo a vave renga

NAKSHATRA DATES:
*SEPT 20 (183)**	21 (264)	EQUINOX
*Heart-5 (Fox)* σ Scorpii (247.0), HEJIAN = γ Herculis (247.2), ψ Ophiuchi (247.7)	ρ Ophiuchi (248.1), KAJAM (Club) = ω Herculis (248.3), χ Ophiuchi (248.5), SHE LOW (Market Tower) = υ Ophiuchi, Tr. Austr. (248.7), ζ Tr. Austr. (248.8)	*Al Kalb-16 (The Heart) / Jyeshtha-18 (Eldest) / ANA-MUA-1 (Entrance pillar)* ANTARES = α Scorpii (249.1), MARFIK (Elbow) = λ Ophiuchi, φ Ophiuchi (249.5), ω Ophiuchi (249.8
Nov 23 (327)	24	*25 (249)**
°Nov 19	*20 (244)**	21 (325)
'Oct 27 (300)	28	*29 (222)**
"Oct 13 (286)	14	*15 (208)**

Should we consider the beginning of page E:64 as corresponding to a vaha, we can then use the glyphs towards the end of side b on the G tablet in order to identify right ascension day 64 - 30 (number of yam varietes listed until page E:64), viz. at the π-date "March 14.

FEBR 17	18	19 (50)	*20 (336)**	21 (417)

Gb7-30 (211)	Gb7-31	Gb8-1	Gb8-2 (214)	Gb8-3

*→ 14 29½ (333)**	→ 414	Gb4-15	*Gb4-16 (336 → 24 14)**	Gb4-17 (108)
ξ¹ Ceti (32.1)	γ, δ Trianguli (33.0), χ Persei (33.2), 10 Trianguli (33.5), θ Arietis (33.3), MIRA (Next to the Pleiades) = ο Ceti (33.7)	no star listed (34)	ξ Arietis (35.0), ρ Ceti (35.4), 12 Trianguli (35.8), ξ² Ceti (35.9) 360.0 = 35.4 - *41.4	σ Ceti (36.9)
April 22 (112)	23	*24 (399)**	25 (480)	*26 (36)**
°April 18 (108)	19	20	21	*22 (32)**
'March 26 (85)	27	*28 (372)**	*29 (8)**	30 (454)
"March 12	13	3-14 (73)	15	*16 (360)**
32 he tahe	-	34 he taha	35 he apuka	36 he apuka heu

The hole where we were expecting yam variety number 33 to be would then correspond to heliacal Mira (that wonderful star).

... Although an old constellation, Cetus is by no means of special interest, except as possessing the south pole of the Milky Way and the Wonderful Star, the variable Mira; and from the fact that it is a condensation point of nebulae directly across the sphere from Virgo, also noted in this respect ...

... Mira also known as Omicron Ceti (ο Ceti, ο Cet), is a red giant star estimated 200-400 light years away in the constellation Cetus. Mira is a binary star, consisting of the red giant Mira A along with Mira B. Mira A is also an oscillating variable star and was the first non-supernova variable star discovered, with the possible exception of Algol. Apart from the unusual Eta Carinae, Mira is the brightest periodic variable in the sky that is not visible to the naked eye for part of its cycle ...

In a way Mira therefore can illustrate how life (light) departs, yet returns again after the completion of a cycle.

... In 1638 Johannes Holwarda determined a period of the star's reappearances, eleven months; he is often credited with the discovery of Mira's variability. Johannes Hevelius was observing it at the same time and named it 'Mira' (meaning 'wonderful' or 'astonishing,' in Latin) in 1662's Historiola Mirae Stellae, for it acted like no other known star. Ismail Bouillaud then estimated its period at 333 [= 300 + 33] days, less than one day off the modern value of 332 days, and perfectly forgivable, as Mira is known to vary slightly in period, and may even be slowly changing over time ...