Curious Mayan Calendar Facts That You Didn't Know About!

The Mayan calendar is one of the most interesting and misunderstood pieces of history.

The Mayan calendar is a source of fascination for many people. Even today, there are many mysteries surrounding it.

It is a calendar system that was used by the Maya civilization in the past. By 1000 BCE, the Mayan civilization was substantially established and lasted until 1697 CE. It was the foundation for all other ancient Mexican and Central American calendars.

The Mayan calendars were centered on a 260-day ritual cycle and a 365-day calendar year. Following that, a prolonged cycle of 18,980 days, or 52 years of 365 days, was considered. A 'Calendar Round' was the name given to this lengthier cycle.

Meaning Of The Mayan Calendar

The Mayan calendar system is a complex system of hieroglyphs that records time, events, and cycles. It is divided into two parts: The Long Count and the Short Count.

The Long Count calendar measures time in units of 20 years, while the short count measures time in units of 360 days. The ancient Mayan calendar ended during the winter solstice on December 21, 2012, which was inaccurately predicted to be the end of the world.

In reality, this date marks the end of an era known as the Long Count calendar. The Long Count calendar, the Tzolkin calendar (divine calendar), and the Haab calendar or solar calendar are the three calendars that make up the Mayan calendar.

For longer periods of time and the inscription of calendar dates, a new calendar was used. This was the beginning of the Long Count calendar.

The Long Count calendar records all of the days since August 11, 3114 BCE when the Mayans established the calendar. The Long Count calendar is both cyclical and linear, as each time period will begin again. It can take into consideration dates that are distant in the future or far in the past because it is linear.

Long Count dates are stated in five digits. Baktun (20 years), tun (year), katun (20 years), uin (month), and kin (day) are the five digits.

The Tzolkin calendar (Count of Days), divinatory calendar, ritual calendar, or simply the day calendar are all names that have been given to the 260-day cycle. Two small cycles of days numbered 1-13 and an organized series of 20 identified days exist inside the calendar.

The solar calendar, also known as the Haab calendar, is the civil calendar and is divided into 18 months of 20 days each, for a total of 360 days.

The last five days of the year are known as the Wayeb, and they are unlucky and perilous. Despite the fact that the titles for the ritual days varied across Mesoamerica, academics believe the various calendars were synced based on their use in prediction.

History And Origin of the Mayan Calendar

The ancient Maya calendar and other Mesoamerican calendar systems are the most sophisticated and detailed of all ancient calendar systems. The Mayans gave themselves the name Maya in honor of Mayapan, an ancient Yucatan city.

The Archaic Period lasted from 7000-2000 BCE. Ancient civilizations were compelled to adapt their lifestyles due to climatic changes and the overhunting of animals. The Pre-Classic or Formative Period is also known as the Olmec Period. The Olmecs were at their peak during the Pre-Classic period.

The Zapotec Period lasted from 600 BCE-800 CE. The capital of the Zapotec monarchy was located in this area, which is now known as Monte Alban.

Writing, math, and astronomy were all developed by the Zapotecs, who were also responsible for some of the region's most important cultural features. Teotihuacan expanded from a little town to a metropolis of tremendous size and importance during the Teotihuacan Period. Teotihuacan rose to prominence after the rival city of Cuicuilco was devastated by a volcano in 100 CE.

In Mesoamerican and Mayan history, the El Tajin Period was known as the Classic Period. The huge city complex near the Gulf of Mexico is referred to as 'El Tajin.'

The Classic Maya Period lasted from 250-900 CE. The Maya civilization was at its pinnacle during the Classic Maya Period. These individuals and cultures perfected Mayan mathematics, astronomy, architecture, and the visual arts between 250-900 CE. People abandoned the main Maya towns during the Post-Classic Period (950-1524 CE).

Nobody knows for sure why these instances happened. Some speculate that it was due to climate change or overcrowding. The Maya Civilization came to an end after the Battle of Utatlan in 1524 CE.

Reading The Mayan Calendar

Most Mayan dates include both the Tolzkin and Haab calendars days. Any date is calculated using the Mayan calendar's distance from a set start date.

This fixed day in the Mayan calendar denotes the start of a Maya cycle. This date is written as 13.0.0.0.0 by archaeologists.

Each number in the formula 13.0.0.0.0 signifies a position in the Long Calendar's five cycles, in the order baktun, katun, tun, uinal, and kin. The Gregorian calendar, which is widely used in today's world, provides a simple way to keep track of time.

For example Monday, December 29, 2008. Monday refers to one of the seven days that make up a week.

The date denotes a specific location within the month's unit, which can be 28, 29, or 30 days long. According to the Maya calendar, 'Monday, December 29, 2008' would be written as '7 Manik 10 Kankin 12.19.15.17.7'.

The start date of the current Maya creation cycle is 13.0.0.0.0, which corresponds to December 21, 2012, in the Gregorian calendar. When the Mayans carved a date on a stela, they also incorporated the Long Count calendar's five digits.

There are various online tools for converting Gregorian calendar dates to Mayan calendar dates. These tools allow you to quickly and simply reference the Mayan calendar without having to perform intricate calculations or rely on charts.

Importance Of The Mayan Calendar

The 260-day Divine Round, or Tzolkin, and the 365-day Vague Year, or Haab, were their calendar years. The 260-day Sacred Round is made up of two smaller cycles: 20 periods of 13 days each.

Each of the day names is symbolized by a god who marks the passing of night and day by carrying time across the sky. Imix, Kan, Cimi, Ik, Ix, Manik, Akbal, Lamat, Chicchan, Muluc, Oc, Chuen, Eb, Ben, Cib, Caban, Cauac, Eiznab, Men, and Ahau are the names given to the days.

Some of these names are animal gods, such as Chuen which is the dog, and Ahau which is the eagle.

Nobody knows how such a unique calendar came into existence. The 260-day cycle may link various celestial occurrences, such as Mars' configuration, Venus' appearances, and eclipse seasons.

A Calendar Round date is one that has both the Tzolkin and the Haab. After 52 Haab years or 18,980 days, or a Calendar Round, this day will be repeated. The 365-day secular calendar was based on the solar cycle and was primarily concerned with seasons and agriculture.

Tzolkin is the Maya Sacred Round's 260 day, and it is used to predict the dates of religious holidays, harvesting, and ceremonial events like weddings. The unfortunate days are represented by a number in the month followed by the name of the month in the Haab cycle.

The extra quarter-day it takes the Earth to cycle around the sun was not taken into consideration by the Haab. Other calendars have solved this problem by incorporating leap years.

FAQs

What are five facts about the Mayans?

The 260-day Tzolkin religious calendar, the 365-day Haab calendar, and the Long Count calendar are the three types of Maya calendars. It takes approximately 52 years for the Haab and Tzolkin calendars to converge and coordinate again and this cycle is called a Calendar Round.

The Chichen Itza pyramid was utilized as a calendar, with four stairways, each with 91 steps and a platform at the summit, totaling 365, the number of days in a Haab calendar year. A popular misconception about the Maya calendar was that it prophesied the end of the world on December 21, 2012.

This assumption was incorrect.

After the last month, Cumku ended and the Maya added five days to the calendar to make the year 365 days long. Additionally, those five days, known as 'Uayeb' of solar year were regarded as unlucky.

What is the Mayan calendar based on?

The calendar was based on a 260-day ritual cycle and a 365-day year.

When was the Mayan calendar first created?

It is widely accepted that the Maya calendars were first created on August 11, 3114 BCE.

What is the last day on the Mayan calendar?

The Mayan calendar ends on December 21, 2012. It is the last day of an era known as the 'Long Count.'

What did the Mayans accurately predict?

Solar eclipses hundreds of years in the future were precisely predicted by Mayans.

What year are we in on the Mayan calendar?

The Long Count begins at the start of the present creation cycle and ends at the present age. Our current calendar places the creation of this work at either 3114 BCE or 3113 BCE.

How accurate is the Mayan calendar?

It's highly precise and Mayan priests' calculations were so accurate that their calendar correction is 10,000th of a day more precise than the world's conventional calendar.

How many days are in a Mayan month?

They had two calendar years: the 260-day Sacred Round, or Tzolkin calendar, and the 365-day Vague Year, or Haab calendar. They used to have 20-day months.

Can Mayans predict eclipses?

Mayan astronomers were capable of forecasting future lunar and solar eclipses, as well as calculating those that had occurred in the past.