milli (TR41v)

We have labeled this iconographic example a "milli" (planted field) based on the Spanish gloss, "sembradas" (plantings). In the records of hieroglyphs in this collection, the milli and the tlalli look very much alike (see below). The rows of alternating colors of dark gray and a terracotta color with dots (probably indicating seeds) and U-shapes (perhaps marks from the digging stick) are generally interpreted to be signs of cultivation. This milli has rows of dots and shows, but, in addition, it has tripartite green plants with white bases. The presence of plants in three organized rows clearly underlines the presence of cultivation. Interestingly, the land is shown in a bird's eye view, but the plants are shown in a frontal-elevation view.