The Mayan understanding of mathematics and the cosmos is breathtaking and you would think it was beyond the comprehension of anyone from that era. Their skill is recognized through the accuracy of the calendars over long periods of time. They are complex and intricate, but here's the basics.
The tzolkin has 260 days ( a kin being one day). The belief is, that this relates to the maize growing cycle and/or the length of pregnancy and/or the length of time the sun is directly overhead at Izapa - the place of it's creation. It is used in conjunction with the Haab, the solar calendar of 365 days with which we are familiar. The complete calendar was capable of a 52 year cycle and is still used in some parts of Guatemala today.
The long count calendar, with end date December 21st 2012, uses a long cycle of nearly 26,000 years ! This is split into five great cycles of around 5,125 years. It's start date has been correlated to our calendar as 13th August, 3114 B.C.E.
We are currently in the last days of the last cycle and will be the first humans in living history to witness it ! Cosmologically, this is highly significant, as our planet, the solar system and the sun will be in alignment with the centre of our galaxy. 2000 years ago, the Mayans new this and predicted it exactly ! ( see cosmology )
The 'end of the world' theory is simply the ending of the calendar and the end of the cycle. It was written twenty centuries before it's conclusion, so there would be no need to continue and had they been around today, they may well do what you and I would do when our calendar is nearly finished - get another one ready !
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| The Tzolkin and Haab 'calendar round' Mayan writing, symbols and carvings The Mayans essentially adopted the Olmec writing system in 300 B.C.E and then expanded on it. It is one of the most complex forms of writing in the ancient world and experts are still working on deciphering it. Unfortunately, nearly all written works were destroyed by the Spanish invaders and only a few examples survive - none of them in Central America ! Codices made from strips of bark or 'screen-folded' deer-hide were widely used and contained their scientific knowledge, myths and history. Symbols and carvings are an integral part of Mayan buildings. Some sites, like Uxmal are oozing with symbols of serpents, birds, gods, jaguars and decoration. Intricate stone carvings have left us a world of wonder, not just in their visual beauty, but in the appreciation of the dedication to create them. Many symbols had more than one meaning and used together could mean something different again - just adding to the wonder ! Here is a collection of stone carvings from Chichen Itza and Uxmal.  |
