The MayasThe Mayas

The International Astronomical Union

has honored the Mayas: Crater on Mercury

The International Astronomical Union

has honored the Mayas: Crater on Mercury

Hun Kal Crater

Hun Kal is a small crater on Mercury that serves as the reference point for the planet's system of longitude. The longitude of Hun Kal's center is defined as being 20° W, thus establishing the planet's prime meridian. ...

Maya land, meso AmericaMaya land, meso America

Slave society, so a calendar was required to organize activities during the rainy and dry seasons.

Slave society, so a calendar was required to organize activities during the rainy and dry seasons.

Sites served ritual, commerce and time keeping purposes, a well know example is Chichen-Itza

Sites served ritual, commerce and time keeping purposes, a well know example is Chichen-Itza

Descent of KukulkánDescent of Kukulkán

ModelsModels

Predict star alignments, shadows, eclipses. Predict star alignments, shadows, eclipses.

No animal transportation nor metal toolsNo animal transportation nor metal tools

Ekbalam, YucatànEdzná, Campeche

No animal transportation nor metal toolsNo animal transportation nor metal tools

Tulum, Quintana RooMayapan, Yucatán

Great craftsmen – Active MerchantsGreat craftsmen – Active Merchants

A trade system existed through which salt, obsidian, jade, cacao, animal pelts, tropical bird feathers, luxury ceramics and other goods flowed.

One of the five written languages of antiquity: Dresden CodexOne of the five written languages of antiquity: Dresden Codex

The Dresden Codex contains astronomical tables of great accuracy. It is most famous for its Lunar Series and Venus table. The lunar series

has intervals correlating with eclipses. The Venus Table correlates with the apparent movements of the planet. The codex also

contains almanacs, astronomical and astrological tables, and ritual schedules.

The specific numen references have to do with a 260-day ritual cycle divided up in several ways. The Dresden Codex also includes instructions concerning new-year ceremonies as well as

descriptions of the Rain God's (Chac) locations.

Sculpture has been preservedSculpture has been preserved

CalendarCalendar

The Haab cycle is 365 days, and approximates the solar year. The Haab is a nineteen month calendar. The Haab is composed of 18 months made of 20 days, and one month, made of 5 days. This 5-day month is called "Wayeb." Thus, 18 x 20 + 5 = 365 days. This image shows the hieroglyphs corresponding to the nineteen months of the Haab calendar. The Maya represented some of these months using more than one glyph. These glyphs are referred to as "variants." Variants of the same glyph are framed in a turquoise background.

CalendarCalendar

The Maya sacred calendar is called Tzolk’in in Yucatec Mayan and Chol Q’ij in K’iche’ Mayan. This calendar is not divided into months. Instead, it is made from a succession of 20 day glyphs in combination with the numbers 1 to 13, and produces 260 unique days. Multiplying 20 x 13 equals 260 days. This image illustrates how the numbers 1 to 13, cycle through the 20 glyphs to form dates in the Tzolk’in calendar. Any such combination, such as 1 Imix’, repeats only after 260 days have passed. The length of the Tzolk’in matches nine cycles of the Moon and the gestational period of humans. The Tzolk’in is also related to the movements of the zenith Sun and the growing cycle of corn.

Same calendar across Meso -AmericaSame calendar across Meso -America

Alignments with constructions, flat landAlignments with constructions, flat land

Sky/Káana’ Venus/Chak Ek’

Spring solsticeSpring solstice

Zenith passZenith pass

Once or twice each year, people who live at lower latitudes (within 23.5 degrees of the equator) can see the sun reach the zenith, an imaginary point directly overhead. (If you poked a pencil straight into the ground when the sun was at its zenith, it would make no shadow at all.) The path the sun takes on these days—from sunrise through zenith, to sunset—is called the zenith passage. Right at the equator, the zenith passage coincides with the equinoxes.

At Chichén Itzá, the zenith passage is experienced on May 26 and July 20, give or take a day. These zenith events apparently played a key role in the development of the Mayan calendar.

Ball game: social, religious, political, mythological and time keeping purposes

Ball game: social, religious, political, mythological and time keeping purposes

Ball game: social, religious, political, mythological and time keeping purposes

Ball game: social, religious, political, mythological and time keeping purposes

Ball game: social, religious, political, mythological and time keeping purposes

Ball game: social, religious, political, mythological and time keeping purposes

Builtobservatorie

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Builtobservatorie

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Snail: curving corridor with observation windows

Snail: curving corridor with observation windows

BonampakBonampak

Murals at BonampakMurals at Bonampak

Pacal…King or Ancient Astronaut?Pacal…King or Ancient Astronaut?

Milky WayMilky Way

as much venerated by the Maya. They called it the World Tree, which was represented by a tall and majestic flowering tree, the Ceiba. The Milky Way was called the Wakah Chan (Left Glyph). Wak means "Six" or "Erect". Chan or K'an means "Four", "Serpent" or "Sky". The World Tree was erect when Sagittarius was well over the horizon. At this time the Milky Way rose up from the horizon and climbed overhead into the North. The star clouds that form the Milky Way were seen as the tree of life where all life came from.

Venus observationsVenus observations

Venus’ platform at Chichen-Itza Venus’ platform at Chichen-Itza

Venus transit was registered at MayapanVenus transit was registered at Mayapan

Seen from the earth, Venus moves in a tricky fashion, appearing, disappearing, then reappearing, first as a morning “star,” then as an evening "star." (Venus is a planet, of course, but observers in the past—persisting in some cases to the present—mistook it for an unusually bright star.) So complicated is Venus’s disappearing act that the ancient Greeks misconstrued it as two different stars. The Mayans knew better, and they recognized Venus in both the morning and evening skies as one and the same.

Next Venus transit at the rising sunNext Venus transit at the rising sun

This rise and fall of Venus as a morning star takes 263 days. For the next 50 days, Venus disappears and cannot be seen in the sky at all.

Then, Venus reappears in the evening sky, where it remains for another 263-day phase before disappearing below the horizon for 8 days. At the end of these 8 days, Venus reappears as a morning star, and the cycle begins again.

MAYA TECHNOLOGY/INNOVATIONMAYA TECHNOLOGY/INNOVATION

Math based on multiples of 20

Math based on multiples of 20

The Mayans had a number system consisting of shells, dots, and lines.  You could write up to nineteen with just these symbols. The Maya were one of the only ancient civilizations that understood the concept of zero. This allowed them to write very large numbers