SlideShare uma empresa Scribd logo
1 de 35
Baixar para ler offline
Mayan Writing & the
       Long Count
               Stelae, Codices and Books
                   Calendric Calculations
                Deciphering Hieroglyphs
               Maya Long Count Exercise
Stelae, Books and Codices: Mayan
 writing is depicted in several ways.

• Stelae
   – carved, vertical glyphs on stone shafts or
     altars.
   – also horizontally on steps, benches
   – sometimes seen on bone, shell or stones.
Stelae



         Copan: Stelae 18 Rabbit, a Copan
         Ruler, as is usual in full-figure stelae,
         carries a ceremonial bar with dragon
         heads at either end.
         From the dragon heads emerge divine
         heads.
         http://www.misericordia.edu/users/davies/maya/texta.h
         tm
Copan, Stela 4




    Stela 4's version of "18 Rabbit." The "18"
    numeral, is three lines plus three dots, with
    each line equal to 5.
    The "ubah" sign is included in the Kawil head
    through the circle/cross and the "rabbit" head
    facing upwards.
Erected July 22, 736 A.D.
 (9.15.5.0.0)
Stela D is located at the farthest
southern point of the "Grand
Courtyard" of Copan.


Like Stela A, it was erected by
the ruler "18 Rabbit."
18 Rabbit's face is hidden behind
a God-mask.
http://www.misericordia.edu/user
s/davies/maya/stelad.htm
Books: Popul Vuh
 • Books of the Chilam Balam (Mayan prophet)
    – “Book of the Community” is a collection of Quiche and Cakchiquel
      people.
    – Thought to have been written by Diego Reynos, a converted Indian in
      the mid 16th century.
 • The manuscript was lost and re-discovered by Father Francisco
   Ximenez in 1857.
    – Father Ximenez found the book in his parish, the El Calvario Church, at
      Chichicastenango, Guatemala.
    – The manuscript contains compiled oral histories of Maya culture.
    – Original manuscript was written in Quiche language using the Latin alphabet.
 • Father Ximenez translated the book into Latin and that work is
   located in the Newberry Library in Chicago, the original is lost.
Popul Vuh con’d
• This work is considered by many to be a bible of the Maya-
  Quiche outlining the origin of the civilization and their
  cultural traditions and mythology.
• The history of the Quiches down to 1550 is presented.
  Further contained is a collection of legends concerning
  Kukulcan, or Quetzalcoatl.
• Contains legends of the Quiche Maya and written in Latin at
  an unknown date.
• Not really a codex but certainly written by a historian soon
  after the conquest.
• The book contains glyphs of some signs and many accounts
  of myths and legends of the early Maya.
Maya codices
• Codices
  – most elaborate of writing medium, must have existed
    in the thousands, but only a few left.
  – made out of bark paper, or deer skin.
  – prepared from the inner bark of trees, fibers soaked
    in lime and then beaten smooth.
  – once dry it was white-washed with a thin coat of
    limestone or gypsum paste.
Classic Codices
• Wright Codex
   –   “Pottery Codex”
   –   rectangular vessel, 10 in. high, Guatemalan.
   –   Each side represents page of a codex.
   –   Dates between A.D. 600 and 900.
Ceren, El Salvador
  • Joya de Ceren, a precolumbian village buried by surges and scoria fallfrom
    the 1658 eruption of Loma Caldera, a small vent along NW trending
    fissures associated to San Salvador volcano.
  • In their haste to escape, the villagers left behind utensils, textiles, food,
    ceramics, furniture and all of the other accouterments of daily life.
  • The village lay hidden until 1976 when it was discovered by Payson Sheets,
    an anthropology professor at the University of Colorado in Boulder.
    Sheets almost immediately began excavating the site, a process that has
    continued ever since.
  • Codex from Ceren, San Salvador
      – preserved under volcanic ash when Laguna Caldera volcano erupted in
         A.D. 600.
      – located on a bench in a communal building.
      – no text recovered, but painted with kaolin, cinnabar and iron
         pigments.



    http://www.theculturedtraveler.com/Heritage/Archives/Joya_Ceren.htm
Ceren
Ceren
Sauna Bath, Ceren
The Dresden Codex
• Best of the codices preserved, is at the Royal Library, Dresden, also
  known as the Dresdensis.
• Was brought in 1739 to the King of Saxony's library in Dresden, where
  an unknown person sold it to the director of the library, Johann
  Christian Goetze.
• Existence of the codex was made known to the world in 1774 when the
  director published his book: Peculiarities of the Library of Dresden,
  First Collection.
• Publicly displayed for the first time in 1834. Contains 39 pages of
  prophecies, ceremonies for the new year, and astronomical data. New
  year's ceremonies are depicted as well as a sort of agricultural almanac is
  contained in this codex.
• The codex was almost destroyed during WWII but today is on display at
  the Dresden Museum.
• The codex was vigorously studied by a librarian, Ernest Forstemann,
  1822-1906, who after years of work began to break the numerical signs
  and code.
Dresden Codex
           •During the first world war,
           Martin Meinshausen deciphered
           the famous Calendar of Eclipses.
           Pages 57 and 58 of this codex
           provide a perpetual lunar
           calendar of 11,960 days
           consisting of 405 months,
           divided into 69 groups of 177,
           178, or 148 days.
           •An accurate lunar calendar,
           with accurate predictions of
           solar eclipses. 11,960 divided by
           405 gave the Maya a 29.5308
           lunar cycle. Modern astronomers
           compute a lunar calendar at
           29.5309 days.
           •Dates from A.D. 1250-1345.
Codex Tro-Cortesiano
– Incomplete, now in Madrid
– Drawn on amate paper and is 56 pages long.
– Sold to the Museum by Pilar Bermudez de Castro.
– For a considerable time it was thought to be two different codices. The
  first part "Tro", was brought to the attention of the abbe Brasseur de
  Bourbourg, who discovered it in the private library of Juan Tro y
  Ortelano, a Professor of Paleography and a descendant of Hernan
  Cortes.
– According to some sources the second half of the name "Cortesian",
  refers to the professor's Spanish ancestry, some however, believe it
  derives from the codex being found in Extremadura, where it may have
  been taken by Cortes.
Tro-Cortesiano Codex
Other Post Classic Codices
   • Codex Peresiano
      – prophesies and ceremonies, possibly of east coast origin.
      – dates from the period of Mayapans rule in Yucatan, A.D. 1200.
      – Leon de Rosny, a botanist and Japanese language expert, found this
        codex in a wastebasket at the National Library of Paris in 1859, it's
        papers blackened by chimney smoke.
      – A small codex of only eleven pages measuring 1.45 meters long by 22
        centimeters wide. Thought to have been made in the twelfth or
        thirteenth century.
      – The codex contains information of prophecy and history and almanacs
        dealing with divinity.
      – One complete side of the manuscript details eleven successive katuns,
        or twenty year periods of time. It is not known how it came to Paris or
        how long it was there.
   • Grolier Codex
      – found in a dry cave by looters, northern part of Chiapas
      – almanac based on planet Venus
      – originally about 20 pages, A.D. 1230
http://www.mayavase.com/grol/gro




Codex de Paris
http://classes.bnf.fr/dossiecr/gc63-1.htm
Calendric Calculations
• Maya Calendar
• Calendar Round
  – Basic unit was a day, not broken down
    further.
  – two recurring cycles of time 260-day and 365-
    day ran simultaneously making up a period of
    52 years.
Mayan Calendar Round: Sacred Cycle




      http://www.hanksville.org/yucatan/mayacal.html
Sacred Almanac (Tzokin)
• 260-day cycle
• Maya:Tzokin, Aztec:Tonalpohualli
   – primarily religious and divinatory
   – guidance of daily affairs
   – 20 named days, combined with numbers 1-13, in
     which the exact combination of name and number
     would recur every 260 days.
   – not based on natural phenomenon.
What is the Tzolkin?
•   The Tzolkin date is a combination of two "week" lengths.
•   While our calendar uses a single week of seven days, the Mayan calendar used two
    different lengths of week:
     – a numbered week of 13 days, in which the days were numbered from 1 to 13
     – a named week of 20 days, in which the names of the days were:
•   As the named week is 20 days and the smallest Long Count digit is 20 days, there is
    synchrony between the two;
     – if, for example, the last digit of today's Long Count is 0, today must be Ahau; if it is 6, it
       must be Cimi.
     – Since the numbered and the named week were both "weeks," each of their name/number
       change daily; therefore, the day after 3 Cimi is not 4 Cimi, but 4 Manik, and the day after
       that, 5 Lamat.
     – The next time Cimi rolls around, 20 days later, it will be 10 Cimi instead of 3 Cimi. The
       next 3 Cimi will not occur until 260 (or 13 x 20) days have passed.
     – This 260-day cycle also had good-luck or bad-luck associations connected with each day,
       and for this reason, it became known as the "divinatory year."
•   The "years" of the Tzolkin calendar are not counted.
•   When did the Tzolkin Start?
     – Long Count 13.0.0.0.0 corresponds to 4 Ahau. The authorities agree on this.
Tzolkin




    0. Ahau 1. Imix 2. Ik3. Akbal 4. Kan 5. Chicchan
    6. Cimi 7. Manik 8. Lamat 9. Muluc 10. Oc
    11. Chuen 12. Eb 13. Ben 14. Ix 15. Men
    16. Cib 17. Caban 18. Etznab 19. Caunac
Astronomical Year
• 365-day cycle
• Maya:Haab, Aztec:Xihuitl)
  – 18 named months of 20 days each, plus 5
    additional days of apprehension and bad luck
    at the end of the year.
  – Days numbered from 0-19, and to return to
    any given date, 52 years would have to pass.
The Haab
 • In contrast to the Tzolkin dates, the Haab month names changed every
   20 days instead of daily; so the day after 4 Zotz would be 5 Zotz,
   followed by 6 Zotz ... up to 19 Zotz, which is followed by 0 Tzec.
 • The days of the month were numbered from 0 to 19. This use of a 0th
   day of the month in a civil calendar is unique to the Maya system; it is
   believed that the Mayas discovered the number zero, and the uses to
   which it could be put, centuries before it was discovered in Europe or
   Asia.
 • The Uayeb days acquired a very derogatory reputation for bad luck;
   known as "days without names" or "days without souls," and were
   observed as days of prayer and mourning. Fires were extinguished and
   the population refrained from eating hot food. Anyone born on those
   days was "doomed to a miserable life."
 • The names of the month: 1.Pop 2.Uo 3.Zip 4.Zotz 5.Tzec 6.Xul
   7.Yaxkin 8.Mol 9.Chen 10.Yax 11.Zac 12.Ceh 13.Mac 14.Kankin
   15.Muan 16.Pax 17.Kayab 18.Cumku
 • When did the Haab Start?
     – Long Count 13.0.0.0.0 corresponds to 8 Cumku. The authorities agree on
       this.
Did the Mayas Think a Year Was 365
    Days?
•    Although there were only 365 days in the Haab year, the Mayas were aware that
     a year is slightly longer than 365 days, and in fact, many of the month-names are
     associated with the seasons; Yaxkin, for example, means "new or strong sun"
     and, at the beginning of the Long Count, 1 Yaxkin was the day after the winter
     solstice, when the sun starts to shine for a longer period of time and higher in
     the sky.
•    When the Long Count was put into motion, it was started at 7.13.0.0.0, and
     0 Yaxkin corresponded with Midwinter Day, as it did at 13.0.0.0.0 back in
     3114 B.C.E. The available evidence indicates that the Mayas estimated that a
     365-day year precessed through all the seasons twice in 7.13.0.0.0 or 1,101,600
     days.
•    We can therefore derive a value for the Mayan estimate of the year by dividing
     1,101,600 by 365, subtracting 2, and taking that number and dividing 1,101,600
     by the result, which gives us an answer of 365.242036 days, which is slightly
     more accurate than the 365.2425 days of the Gregorian calendar.
•    (This apparent accuracy could, however, be a simple coincidence. The Mayas
     estimated that a 365-day year precessed through all the seasons twice in 7.13.0.0.0
     days. These numbers are only accurate to 2-3 digits. Suppose the 7.13.0.0.0 days
     had corresponded to 2.001 cycles rather than 2 cycles of the 365-day year, would
     the Mayas have noticed?)
Zero and the Long Count
• Numbers represented with a one as a dot
  and a five as a bar.
  – value is determined by its position.
• No idea when zero invented
  – needed for calculating dates in the past.
  – invented in the Old World-India and
    Babylonia ca. 500 B.C.
Long Count
• A starting point in the past as August 13, 3114 B.C.,
  significance may be mythological such as the creation of
  the three Maya worlds.
• Time in groups of 20 days:
   –   kin=one day
   –   uinal=20 days
   –   tun=360 days
   –   katun=7200 days
   –   baktun=144,000 days
• We translate them as 9.14.8.0.0 which is 9 baktuns, 14
  katuns, 8 tuns, 0 uinals, and 0 kins.
When did the Long Count Start?
    • Logically, the first date in the Long Count should be
      0.0.0.0.0, but as the baktun (the first component) are
      numbered from 1 to 13 rather than 0 to 12, this first date is
      actually written 13.0.0.0.0.
    • The authorities disagree on what 13.0.0.0.0 corresponds to
      in our calendar. I have come across three possible
      equivalences:
    • 13.0.0.0.0 = 8 Sep 3114 BC (Julian) = 13 Aug 3114 BC
      (Gregorian)
      13.0.0.0.0 = 6 Sep 3114 BC (Julian) = 11 Aug 3114 BC
      (Gregorian)
      13.0.0.0.0 = 11 Nov 3374 BC (Julian) = 15 Oct 3374 BC
      (Gregorian)
    • Assuming one of the first two equivalences, the Long Count
      will again reach 13.0.0.0.0 on 21 or 23 December AD 2012 -
      a not too distant future.
Gregorian vs. Julian Calendar
• The Gregorian Calendar is a revision of the Julian Calendar
  which was instituted in a papal bull by Pope Gregory XIII in
  1582. The reason for the calendar change was to correct for
  drift in the dates of signifigant religious observations
  (primarily Easter) and to prevent further drift in the dates.
• The important effects of the change were:
   – Drop 10 days from October 1582, to realign the Vernal Equinox
     with 21 March
   – Change leap year selection so that not all years ending in "00" are
     leap years.
   – Change the beginning of the year to 1 January from 25 March
Deciphering Maya Hieroglyphics
 • It is the combination of imagery and hieroglyphs
   wich gives patterns meaning.
    – no list of signs with meaning for each.
    – no real alphabet.
 • Maya inscriptions thought to relate only to
   calendrics and astronomy because they were the
   first to be deciphered.
Mayan Epigraphers
• Today epigraphers recognize the writing as a political or
  dynastic theme.
    – Researchers such as Yuri Knorosov, Tatiana Proskouriakoff,
      and Heinrich Berlin.
        • Knorosov-combining signs (consonant plus vowel) words were
          formed phonetically.
        • Berlin-emblem glyphs stood for centers, regions, or dynasties.
        • Proskouriakoff-dates corresponded to historical events of rulers
          and their families at Pedras Negras.
•   Linda Schele “Breaking the Maya Code”
    – dates on stelae and in codices are associated with events in
      rulers lives. assumption to the throne is dated then bloodletting
      or other rituals and their corresponding dates.
• Still about 1/3 cannot be deciphered.
Maya Long Count Exercise
1. Calculate the year that the New World was
   discovered in Mayan long count.
2. What year did WWI begin in Mayan long
   count?
3. Write the year of your birth in Mayan long
   count.
4. In what year did you graduate high school
   as calculated by the Mayan long count?
Conversion
• Gregorian to Mayan
  – http://www.pauahtun.org/cgi-bin/gregmaya.py
• Long Count to Gregorian
  – http://www.pauahtun.org/cgi-bin/mayagreg.py

Mais conteúdo relacionado

Destaque

Chapter 5 more about interest edulink
Chapter 5 more about interest edulinkChapter 5 more about interest edulink
Chapter 5 more about interest edulinkME MALULEKE
 
03 Simple ideograms
03  Simple ideograms03  Simple ideograms
03 Simple ideogramsHaibiao Miao
 
Guatemala Presentation
Guatemala PresentationGuatemala Presentation
Guatemala Presentationandramlowe
 
Political risk, ESG and market performance - March 2014
Political risk, ESG and market performance - March 2014Political risk, ESG and market performance - March 2014
Political risk, ESG and market performance - March 2014Damian Karmelich
 
Mesoamerican civilizations lined
Mesoamerican civilizations linedMesoamerican civilizations lined
Mesoamerican civilizations linedcharm5sos
 
First Civilazation
First CivilazationFirst Civilazation
First Civilazationhonda213
 
Aztec Sun Stone
Aztec Sun StoneAztec Sun Stone
Aztec Sun Stonetbohl12
 
Mesoamerican civilizations hg
Mesoamerican civilizations hgMesoamerican civilizations hg
Mesoamerican civilizations hgAnna Yang
 
Carvings, sculptures & more
Carvings, sculptures & moreCarvings, sculptures & more
Carvings, sculptures & moreMarcia Rodriguez
 
Belize Economy and Financial System
Belize Economy and Financial SystemBelize Economy and Financial System
Belize Economy and Financial SystemChris McGann
 
Mayan Calendar
Mayan CalendarMayan Calendar
Mayan Calendariambuddy
 
Period 1: 1491-1607
Period 1: 1491-1607Period 1: 1491-1607
Period 1: 1491-1607kbeacom
 
Mayan Civilization
Mayan CivilizationMayan Civilization
Mayan CivilizationMr. Finnie
 
Analyzing Primary Sources
Analyzing Primary SourcesAnalyzing Primary Sources
Analyzing Primary Sourcesstjohnsguam
 

Destaque (20)

Chapter 5 more about interest edulink
Chapter 5 more about interest edulinkChapter 5 more about interest edulink
Chapter 5 more about interest edulink
 
03 Simple ideograms
03  Simple ideograms03  Simple ideograms
03 Simple ideograms
 
Guatemala Presentation
Guatemala PresentationGuatemala Presentation
Guatemala Presentation
 
Carvings & Sculptures
Carvings & SculpturesCarvings & Sculptures
Carvings & Sculptures
 
Political risk, ESG and market performance - March 2014
Political risk, ESG and market performance - March 2014Political risk, ESG and market performance - March 2014
Political risk, ESG and market performance - March 2014
 
Mesoamerican civilizations lined
Mesoamerican civilizations linedMesoamerican civilizations lined
Mesoamerican civilizations lined
 
First Civilazation
First CivilazationFirst Civilazation
First Civilazation
 
Jonkanoo
JonkanooJonkanoo
Jonkanoo
 
Aztec Sun Stone
Aztec Sun StoneAztec Sun Stone
Aztec Sun Stone
 
Mesoamerican civilizations hg
Mesoamerican civilizations hgMesoamerican civilizations hg
Mesoamerican civilizations hg
 
Machu pichu
Machu pichuMachu pichu
Machu pichu
 
Carvings, sculptures & more
Carvings, sculptures & moreCarvings, sculptures & more
Carvings, sculptures & more
 
Belize Economy and Financial System
Belize Economy and Financial SystemBelize Economy and Financial System
Belize Economy and Financial System
 
Colonialism in Belize
Colonialism in BelizeColonialism in Belize
Colonialism in Belize
 
AP Maya
AP MayaAP Maya
AP Maya
 
Mayan empire
Mayan empireMayan empire
Mayan empire
 
Mayan Calendar
Mayan CalendarMayan Calendar
Mayan Calendar
 
Period 1: 1491-1607
Period 1: 1491-1607Period 1: 1491-1607
Period 1: 1491-1607
 
Mayan Civilization
Mayan CivilizationMayan Civilization
Mayan Civilization
 
Analyzing Primary Sources
Analyzing Primary SourcesAnalyzing Primary Sources
Analyzing Primary Sources
 

Semelhante a Mayan Writing & the Long Count

Maya, aztec & inca civilizations (Mayan and other calendars)
Maya, aztec & inca civilizations (Mayan and other calendars)Maya, aztec & inca civilizations (Mayan and other calendars)
Maya, aztec & inca civilizations (Mayan and other calendars)Dokka Srinivasu
 
American Art Post 1300s
American Art Post 1300sAmerican Art Post 1300s
American Art Post 1300sguestca699da
 
Hum2220 1330 art of the stone age
Hum2220 1330 art of the stone ageHum2220 1330 art of the stone age
Hum2220 1330 art of the stone ageProfWillAdams
 
Book Of Kells08post
Book Of Kells08postBook Of Kells08post
Book Of Kells08postbassmanb
 
Freemasonry 152 pillars
Freemasonry 152 pillarsFreemasonry 152 pillars
Freemasonry 152 pillarsColinJxxx
 
American Art Post 1300s
American Art Post 1300sAmerican Art Post 1300s
American Art Post 1300sguestca699da
 
American Art Post 1300s
American Art Post 1300sAmerican Art Post 1300s
American Art Post 1300sguestca699da
 
American Art Post 1300s
American Art Post 1300sAmerican Art Post 1300s
American Art Post 1300sguestca699da
 
American Art Post 1300s
American Art Post 1300sAmerican Art Post 1300s
American Art Post 1300sguestca699da
 
ART1204 Connecting with the Cosmos: Art of the Stone Age
ART1204 Connecting with the Cosmos: Art of the Stone AgeART1204 Connecting with the Cosmos: Art of the Stone Age
ART1204 Connecting with the Cosmos: Art of the Stone AgeProfWillAdams
 
Field project book kells_em_25072016
Field project book kells_em_25072016Field project book kells_em_25072016
Field project book kells_em_25072016Murat Özkan
 
Aztec Art, Sculpture And Architecture Finished
Aztec Art, Sculpture And Architecture  FinishedAztec Art, Sculpture And Architecture  Finished
Aztec Art, Sculpture And Architecture Finishedguest398d1f
 
Hum2220 art of the stone age
Hum2220 art of the stone ageHum2220 art of the stone age
Hum2220 art of the stone ageProfWillAdams
 
Arh2050 art of the stone age
Arh2050 art of the stone ageArh2050 art of the stone age
Arh2050 art of the stone ageProfWillAdams
 

Semelhante a Mayan Writing & the Long Count (20)

Maya, aztec & inca civilizations (Mayan and other calendars)
Maya, aztec & inca civilizations (Mayan and other calendars)Maya, aztec & inca civilizations (Mayan and other calendars)
Maya, aztec & inca civilizations (Mayan and other calendars)
 
American Art Post 1300s
American Art Post 1300sAmerican Art Post 1300s
American Art Post 1300s
 
Hum2220 1330 art of the stone age
Hum2220 1330 art of the stone ageHum2220 1330 art of the stone age
Hum2220 1330 art of the stone age
 
Book Of Kells08post
Book Of Kells08postBook Of Kells08post
Book Of Kells08post
 
Freemasonry 152 pillars
Freemasonry 152 pillarsFreemasonry 152 pillars
Freemasonry 152 pillars
 
American Art Post 1300s
American Art Post 1300sAmerican Art Post 1300s
American Art Post 1300s
 
American Art Post 1300s
American Art Post 1300sAmerican Art Post 1300s
American Art Post 1300s
 
American Art Post 1300s
American Art Post 1300sAmerican Art Post 1300s
American Art Post 1300s
 
American Art Post 1300s
American Art Post 1300sAmerican Art Post 1300s
American Art Post 1300s
 
Celtic mythology yay
Celtic mythology yayCeltic mythology yay
Celtic mythology yay
 
ART1204 Connecting with the Cosmos: Art of the Stone Age
ART1204 Connecting with the Cosmos: Art of the Stone AgeART1204 Connecting with the Cosmos: Art of the Stone Age
ART1204 Connecting with the Cosmos: Art of the Stone Age
 
Unit 4
Unit 4Unit 4
Unit 4
 
Diadelosmuertos 2016
Diadelosmuertos 2016Diadelosmuertos 2016
Diadelosmuertos 2016
 
Field project book kells_em_25072016
Field project book kells_em_25072016Field project book kells_em_25072016
Field project book kells_em_25072016
 
Ancient Maya Essay
Ancient Maya EssayAncient Maya Essay
Ancient Maya Essay
 
Aztec Art, Sculpture And Architecture Finished
Aztec Art, Sculpture And Architecture  FinishedAztec Art, Sculpture And Architecture  Finished
Aztec Art, Sculpture And Architecture Finished
 
Hum2220 art of the stone age
Hum2220 art of the stone ageHum2220 art of the stone age
Hum2220 art of the stone age
 
Arh2050 art of the stone age
Arh2050 art of the stone ageArh2050 art of the stone age
Arh2050 art of the stone age
 
Prehistoric art
Prehistoric artPrehistoric art
Prehistoric art
 
Medieval Art
Medieval ArtMedieval Art
Medieval Art
 

Mais de Dokka Srinivasu

Baby ganesha sitting on the lap of lord shiva and mother parvathi vintage baz...
Baby ganesha sitting on the lap of lord shiva and mother parvathi vintage baz...Baby ganesha sitting on the lap of lord shiva and mother parvathi vintage baz...
Baby ganesha sitting on the lap of lord shiva and mother parvathi vintage baz...Dokka Srinivasu
 
18 principles for successful life
18 principles for successful life18 principles for successful life
18 principles for successful lifeDokka Srinivasu
 
My first seminar on indian heritage and culture
My first seminar on indian heritage and cultureMy first seminar on indian heritage and culture
My first seminar on indian heritage and cultureDokka Srinivasu
 
Ayurveda science of healing
Ayurveda science of healingAyurveda science of healing
Ayurveda science of healingDokka Srinivasu
 
Maithreem Bhajatha song by smt. m.s. subbulakshmi at united nations
Maithreem Bhajatha song by smt. m.s. subbulakshmi at united nationsMaithreem Bhajatha song by smt. m.s. subbulakshmi at united nations
Maithreem Bhajatha song by smt. m.s. subbulakshmi at united nationsDokka Srinivasu
 
Lord shiva with young ganesh mythological post card
Lord shiva with young ganesh mythological post cardLord shiva with young ganesh mythological post card
Lord shiva with young ganesh mythological post cardDokka Srinivasu
 
India's Sanathana Dharma
India's Sanathana DharmaIndia's Sanathana Dharma
India's Sanathana DharmaDokka Srinivasu
 
Why to Follow Vedic Path?
Why to Follow Vedic Path?Why to Follow Vedic Path?
Why to Follow Vedic Path?Dokka Srinivasu
 
Vision and Approaches of Upanishads
Vision and Approaches of UpanishadsVision and Approaches of Upanishads
Vision and Approaches of UpanishadsDokka Srinivasu
 
The role of Hindu Dharma & Our role in Hindu Dharma
The role of Hindu Dharma & Our role in Hindu Dharma The role of Hindu Dharma & Our role in Hindu Dharma
The role of Hindu Dharma & Our role in Hindu Dharma Dokka Srinivasu
 
Vintage cigarette cards of maharajas of india
Vintage cigarette cards of maharajas of indiaVintage cigarette cards of maharajas of india
Vintage cigarette cards of maharajas of indiaDokka Srinivasu
 

Mais de Dokka Srinivasu (20)

Baby ganesha sitting on the lap of lord shiva and mother parvathi vintage baz...
Baby ganesha sitting on the lap of lord shiva and mother parvathi vintage baz...Baby ganesha sitting on the lap of lord shiva and mother parvathi vintage baz...
Baby ganesha sitting on the lap of lord shiva and mother parvathi vintage baz...
 
18 principles for successful life
18 principles for successful life18 principles for successful life
18 principles for successful life
 
My first seminar on indian heritage and culture
My first seminar on indian heritage and cultureMy first seminar on indian heritage and culture
My first seminar on indian heritage and culture
 
Recipe of joyous life
Recipe of joyous lifeRecipe of joyous life
Recipe of joyous life
 
Ayurveda science of healing
Ayurveda science of healingAyurveda science of healing
Ayurveda science of healing
 
Chakras
ChakrasChakras
Chakras
 
Maithreem Bhajatha song by smt. m.s. subbulakshmi at united nations
Maithreem Bhajatha song by smt. m.s. subbulakshmi at united nationsMaithreem Bhajatha song by smt. m.s. subbulakshmi at united nations
Maithreem Bhajatha song by smt. m.s. subbulakshmi at united nations
 
Louis Braille
Louis BrailleLouis Braille
Louis Braille
 
Lord shiva with young ganesh mythological post card
Lord shiva with young ganesh mythological post cardLord shiva with young ganesh mythological post card
Lord shiva with young ganesh mythological post card
 
Taj mahal post card
Taj mahal post cardTaj mahal post card
Taj mahal post card
 
Srirama navami festival
Srirama navami festivalSrirama navami festival
Srirama navami festival
 
Foundations of Hinduism
Foundations of HinduismFoundations of Hinduism
Foundations of Hinduism
 
India's Sanathana Dharma
India's Sanathana DharmaIndia's Sanathana Dharma
India's Sanathana Dharma
 
sanathana dharma
sanathana dharmasanathana dharma
sanathana dharma
 
Why to Follow Vedic Path?
Why to Follow Vedic Path?Why to Follow Vedic Path?
Why to Follow Vedic Path?
 
Vision and Approaches of Upanishads
Vision and Approaches of UpanishadsVision and Approaches of Upanishads
Vision and Approaches of Upanishads
 
Hindu Scriptures
Hindu Scriptures Hindu Scriptures
Hindu Scriptures
 
The role of Hindu Dharma & Our role in Hindu Dharma
The role of Hindu Dharma & Our role in Hindu Dharma The role of Hindu Dharma & Our role in Hindu Dharma
The role of Hindu Dharma & Our role in Hindu Dharma
 
Mahatma Gandhi
Mahatma GandhiMahatma Gandhi
Mahatma Gandhi
 
Vintage cigarette cards of maharajas of india
Vintage cigarette cards of maharajas of indiaVintage cigarette cards of maharajas of india
Vintage cigarette cards of maharajas of india
 

Último

AI Fame Rush Review – Virtual Influencer Creation In Just Minutes
AI Fame Rush Review – Virtual Influencer Creation In Just MinutesAI Fame Rush Review – Virtual Influencer Creation In Just Minutes
AI Fame Rush Review – Virtual Influencer Creation In Just MinutesMd Hossain Ali
 
Crea il tuo assistente AI con lo Stregatto (open source python framework)
Crea il tuo assistente AI con lo Stregatto (open source python framework)Crea il tuo assistente AI con lo Stregatto (open source python framework)
Crea il tuo assistente AI con lo Stregatto (open source python framework)Commit University
 
COMPUTER 10: Lesson 7 - File Storage and Online Collaboration
COMPUTER 10: Lesson 7 - File Storage and Online CollaborationCOMPUTER 10: Lesson 7 - File Storage and Online Collaboration
COMPUTER 10: Lesson 7 - File Storage and Online Collaborationbruanjhuli
 
Linked Data in Production: Moving Beyond Ontologies
Linked Data in Production: Moving Beyond OntologiesLinked Data in Production: Moving Beyond Ontologies
Linked Data in Production: Moving Beyond OntologiesDavid Newbury
 
UiPath Solutions Management Preview - Northern CA Chapter - March 22.pdf
UiPath Solutions Management Preview - Northern CA Chapter - March 22.pdfUiPath Solutions Management Preview - Northern CA Chapter - March 22.pdf
UiPath Solutions Management Preview - Northern CA Chapter - March 22.pdfDianaGray10
 
Apres-Cyber - The Data Dilemma: Bridging Offensive Operations and Machine Lea...
Apres-Cyber - The Data Dilemma: Bridging Offensive Operations and Machine Lea...Apres-Cyber - The Data Dilemma: Bridging Offensive Operations and Machine Lea...
Apres-Cyber - The Data Dilemma: Bridging Offensive Operations and Machine Lea...Will Schroeder
 
IaC & GitOps in a Nutshell - a FridayInANuthshell Episode.pdf
IaC & GitOps in a Nutshell - a FridayInANuthshell Episode.pdfIaC & GitOps in a Nutshell - a FridayInANuthshell Episode.pdf
IaC & GitOps in a Nutshell - a FridayInANuthshell Episode.pdfDaniel Santiago Silva Capera
 
Designing A Time bound resource download URL
Designing A Time bound resource download URLDesigning A Time bound resource download URL
Designing A Time bound resource download URLRuncy Oommen
 
Computer 10: Lesson 10 - Online Crimes and Hazards
Computer 10: Lesson 10 - Online Crimes and HazardsComputer 10: Lesson 10 - Online Crimes and Hazards
Computer 10: Lesson 10 - Online Crimes and HazardsSeth Reyes
 
Bird eye's view on Camunda open source ecosystem
Bird eye's view on Camunda open source ecosystemBird eye's view on Camunda open source ecosystem
Bird eye's view on Camunda open source ecosystemAsko Soukka
 
UiPath Studio Web workshop series - Day 8
UiPath Studio Web workshop series - Day 8UiPath Studio Web workshop series - Day 8
UiPath Studio Web workshop series - Day 8DianaGray10
 
Nanopower In Semiconductor Industry.pdf
Nanopower  In Semiconductor Industry.pdfNanopower  In Semiconductor Industry.pdf
Nanopower In Semiconductor Industry.pdfPedro Manuel
 
Basic Building Blocks of Internet of Things.
Basic Building Blocks of Internet of Things.Basic Building Blocks of Internet of Things.
Basic Building Blocks of Internet of Things.YounusS2
 
UiPath Studio Web workshop series - Day 6
UiPath Studio Web workshop series - Day 6UiPath Studio Web workshop series - Day 6
UiPath Studio Web workshop series - Day 6DianaGray10
 
Igniting Next Level Productivity with AI-Infused Data Integration Workflows
Igniting Next Level Productivity with AI-Infused Data Integration WorkflowsIgniting Next Level Productivity with AI-Infused Data Integration Workflows
Igniting Next Level Productivity with AI-Infused Data Integration WorkflowsSafe Software
 
The Data Metaverse: Unpacking the Roles, Use Cases, and Tech Trends in Data a...
The Data Metaverse: Unpacking the Roles, Use Cases, and Tech Trends in Data a...The Data Metaverse: Unpacking the Roles, Use Cases, and Tech Trends in Data a...
The Data Metaverse: Unpacking the Roles, Use Cases, and Tech Trends in Data a...Aggregage
 
Artificial Intelligence & SEO Trends for 2024
Artificial Intelligence & SEO Trends for 2024Artificial Intelligence & SEO Trends for 2024
Artificial Intelligence & SEO Trends for 2024D Cloud Solutions
 

Último (20)

AI Fame Rush Review – Virtual Influencer Creation In Just Minutes
AI Fame Rush Review – Virtual Influencer Creation In Just MinutesAI Fame Rush Review – Virtual Influencer Creation In Just Minutes
AI Fame Rush Review – Virtual Influencer Creation In Just Minutes
 
20150722 - AGV
20150722 - AGV20150722 - AGV
20150722 - AGV
 
Crea il tuo assistente AI con lo Stregatto (open source python framework)
Crea il tuo assistente AI con lo Stregatto (open source python framework)Crea il tuo assistente AI con lo Stregatto (open source python framework)
Crea il tuo assistente AI con lo Stregatto (open source python framework)
 
COMPUTER 10: Lesson 7 - File Storage and Online Collaboration
COMPUTER 10: Lesson 7 - File Storage and Online CollaborationCOMPUTER 10: Lesson 7 - File Storage and Online Collaboration
COMPUTER 10: Lesson 7 - File Storage and Online Collaboration
 
Linked Data in Production: Moving Beyond Ontologies
Linked Data in Production: Moving Beyond OntologiesLinked Data in Production: Moving Beyond Ontologies
Linked Data in Production: Moving Beyond Ontologies
 
UiPath Solutions Management Preview - Northern CA Chapter - March 22.pdf
UiPath Solutions Management Preview - Northern CA Chapter - March 22.pdfUiPath Solutions Management Preview - Northern CA Chapter - March 22.pdf
UiPath Solutions Management Preview - Northern CA Chapter - March 22.pdf
 
Apres-Cyber - The Data Dilemma: Bridging Offensive Operations and Machine Lea...
Apres-Cyber - The Data Dilemma: Bridging Offensive Operations and Machine Lea...Apres-Cyber - The Data Dilemma: Bridging Offensive Operations and Machine Lea...
Apres-Cyber - The Data Dilemma: Bridging Offensive Operations and Machine Lea...
 
IaC & GitOps in a Nutshell - a FridayInANuthshell Episode.pdf
IaC & GitOps in a Nutshell - a FridayInANuthshell Episode.pdfIaC & GitOps in a Nutshell - a FridayInANuthshell Episode.pdf
IaC & GitOps in a Nutshell - a FridayInANuthshell Episode.pdf
 
20230104 - machine vision
20230104 - machine vision20230104 - machine vision
20230104 - machine vision
 
Designing A Time bound resource download URL
Designing A Time bound resource download URLDesigning A Time bound resource download URL
Designing A Time bound resource download URL
 
Computer 10: Lesson 10 - Online Crimes and Hazards
Computer 10: Lesson 10 - Online Crimes and HazardsComputer 10: Lesson 10 - Online Crimes and Hazards
Computer 10: Lesson 10 - Online Crimes and Hazards
 
Bird eye's view on Camunda open source ecosystem
Bird eye's view on Camunda open source ecosystemBird eye's view on Camunda open source ecosystem
Bird eye's view on Camunda open source ecosystem
 
UiPath Studio Web workshop series - Day 8
UiPath Studio Web workshop series - Day 8UiPath Studio Web workshop series - Day 8
UiPath Studio Web workshop series - Day 8
 
201610817 - edge part1
201610817 - edge part1201610817 - edge part1
201610817 - edge part1
 
Nanopower In Semiconductor Industry.pdf
Nanopower  In Semiconductor Industry.pdfNanopower  In Semiconductor Industry.pdf
Nanopower In Semiconductor Industry.pdf
 
Basic Building Blocks of Internet of Things.
Basic Building Blocks of Internet of Things.Basic Building Blocks of Internet of Things.
Basic Building Blocks of Internet of Things.
 
UiPath Studio Web workshop series - Day 6
UiPath Studio Web workshop series - Day 6UiPath Studio Web workshop series - Day 6
UiPath Studio Web workshop series - Day 6
 
Igniting Next Level Productivity with AI-Infused Data Integration Workflows
Igniting Next Level Productivity with AI-Infused Data Integration WorkflowsIgniting Next Level Productivity with AI-Infused Data Integration Workflows
Igniting Next Level Productivity with AI-Infused Data Integration Workflows
 
The Data Metaverse: Unpacking the Roles, Use Cases, and Tech Trends in Data a...
The Data Metaverse: Unpacking the Roles, Use Cases, and Tech Trends in Data a...The Data Metaverse: Unpacking the Roles, Use Cases, and Tech Trends in Data a...
The Data Metaverse: Unpacking the Roles, Use Cases, and Tech Trends in Data a...
 
Artificial Intelligence & SEO Trends for 2024
Artificial Intelligence & SEO Trends for 2024Artificial Intelligence & SEO Trends for 2024
Artificial Intelligence & SEO Trends for 2024
 

Mayan Writing & the Long Count

  • 1. Mayan Writing & the Long Count Stelae, Codices and Books Calendric Calculations Deciphering Hieroglyphs Maya Long Count Exercise
  • 2. Stelae, Books and Codices: Mayan writing is depicted in several ways. • Stelae – carved, vertical glyphs on stone shafts or altars. – also horizontally on steps, benches – sometimes seen on bone, shell or stones.
  • 3. Stelae Copan: Stelae 18 Rabbit, a Copan Ruler, as is usual in full-figure stelae, carries a ceremonial bar with dragon heads at either end. From the dragon heads emerge divine heads. http://www.misericordia.edu/users/davies/maya/texta.h tm
  • 4. Copan, Stela 4 Stela 4's version of "18 Rabbit." The "18" numeral, is three lines plus three dots, with each line equal to 5. The "ubah" sign is included in the Kawil head through the circle/cross and the "rabbit" head facing upwards.
  • 5. Erected July 22, 736 A.D.  (9.15.5.0.0) Stela D is located at the farthest southern point of the "Grand Courtyard" of Copan. Like Stela A, it was erected by the ruler "18 Rabbit." 18 Rabbit's face is hidden behind a God-mask. http://www.misericordia.edu/user s/davies/maya/stelad.htm
  • 6. Books: Popul Vuh • Books of the Chilam Balam (Mayan prophet) – “Book of the Community” is a collection of Quiche and Cakchiquel people. – Thought to have been written by Diego Reynos, a converted Indian in the mid 16th century. • The manuscript was lost and re-discovered by Father Francisco Ximenez in 1857. – Father Ximenez found the book in his parish, the El Calvario Church, at Chichicastenango, Guatemala. – The manuscript contains compiled oral histories of Maya culture. – Original manuscript was written in Quiche language using the Latin alphabet. • Father Ximenez translated the book into Latin and that work is located in the Newberry Library in Chicago, the original is lost.
  • 7. Popul Vuh con’d • This work is considered by many to be a bible of the Maya- Quiche outlining the origin of the civilization and their cultural traditions and mythology. • The history of the Quiches down to 1550 is presented. Further contained is a collection of legends concerning Kukulcan, or Quetzalcoatl. • Contains legends of the Quiche Maya and written in Latin at an unknown date. • Not really a codex but certainly written by a historian soon after the conquest. • The book contains glyphs of some signs and many accounts of myths and legends of the early Maya.
  • 8. Maya codices • Codices – most elaborate of writing medium, must have existed in the thousands, but only a few left. – made out of bark paper, or deer skin. – prepared from the inner bark of trees, fibers soaked in lime and then beaten smooth. – once dry it was white-washed with a thin coat of limestone or gypsum paste.
  • 9. Classic Codices • Wright Codex – “Pottery Codex” – rectangular vessel, 10 in. high, Guatemalan. – Each side represents page of a codex. – Dates between A.D. 600 and 900.
  • 10. Ceren, El Salvador • Joya de Ceren, a precolumbian village buried by surges and scoria fallfrom the 1658 eruption of Loma Caldera, a small vent along NW trending fissures associated to San Salvador volcano. • In their haste to escape, the villagers left behind utensils, textiles, food, ceramics, furniture and all of the other accouterments of daily life. • The village lay hidden until 1976 when it was discovered by Payson Sheets, an anthropology professor at the University of Colorado in Boulder. Sheets almost immediately began excavating the site, a process that has continued ever since. • Codex from Ceren, San Salvador – preserved under volcanic ash when Laguna Caldera volcano erupted in A.D. 600. – located on a bench in a communal building. – no text recovered, but painted with kaolin, cinnabar and iron pigments. http://www.theculturedtraveler.com/Heritage/Archives/Joya_Ceren.htm
  • 11. Ceren
  • 12. Ceren
  • 14. The Dresden Codex • Best of the codices preserved, is at the Royal Library, Dresden, also known as the Dresdensis. • Was brought in 1739 to the King of Saxony's library in Dresden, where an unknown person sold it to the director of the library, Johann Christian Goetze. • Existence of the codex was made known to the world in 1774 when the director published his book: Peculiarities of the Library of Dresden, First Collection. • Publicly displayed for the first time in 1834. Contains 39 pages of prophecies, ceremonies for the new year, and astronomical data. New year's ceremonies are depicted as well as a sort of agricultural almanac is contained in this codex. • The codex was almost destroyed during WWII but today is on display at the Dresden Museum. • The codex was vigorously studied by a librarian, Ernest Forstemann, 1822-1906, who after years of work began to break the numerical signs and code.
  • 15. Dresden Codex •During the first world war, Martin Meinshausen deciphered the famous Calendar of Eclipses. Pages 57 and 58 of this codex provide a perpetual lunar calendar of 11,960 days consisting of 405 months, divided into 69 groups of 177, 178, or 148 days. •An accurate lunar calendar, with accurate predictions of solar eclipses. 11,960 divided by 405 gave the Maya a 29.5308 lunar cycle. Modern astronomers compute a lunar calendar at 29.5309 days. •Dates from A.D. 1250-1345.
  • 16. Codex Tro-Cortesiano – Incomplete, now in Madrid – Drawn on amate paper and is 56 pages long. – Sold to the Museum by Pilar Bermudez de Castro. – For a considerable time it was thought to be two different codices. The first part "Tro", was brought to the attention of the abbe Brasseur de Bourbourg, who discovered it in the private library of Juan Tro y Ortelano, a Professor of Paleography and a descendant of Hernan Cortes. – According to some sources the second half of the name "Cortesian", refers to the professor's Spanish ancestry, some however, believe it derives from the codex being found in Extremadura, where it may have been taken by Cortes.
  • 18. Other Post Classic Codices • Codex Peresiano – prophesies and ceremonies, possibly of east coast origin. – dates from the period of Mayapans rule in Yucatan, A.D. 1200. – Leon de Rosny, a botanist and Japanese language expert, found this codex in a wastebasket at the National Library of Paris in 1859, it's papers blackened by chimney smoke. – A small codex of only eleven pages measuring 1.45 meters long by 22 centimeters wide. Thought to have been made in the twelfth or thirteenth century. – The codex contains information of prophecy and history and almanacs dealing with divinity. – One complete side of the manuscript details eleven successive katuns, or twenty year periods of time. It is not known how it came to Paris or how long it was there. • Grolier Codex – found in a dry cave by looters, northern part of Chiapas – almanac based on planet Venus – originally about 20 pages, A.D. 1230
  • 20. Calendric Calculations • Maya Calendar • Calendar Round – Basic unit was a day, not broken down further. – two recurring cycles of time 260-day and 365- day ran simultaneously making up a period of 52 years.
  • 21. Mayan Calendar Round: Sacred Cycle http://www.hanksville.org/yucatan/mayacal.html
  • 22. Sacred Almanac (Tzokin) • 260-day cycle • Maya:Tzokin, Aztec:Tonalpohualli – primarily religious and divinatory – guidance of daily affairs – 20 named days, combined with numbers 1-13, in which the exact combination of name and number would recur every 260 days. – not based on natural phenomenon.
  • 23. What is the Tzolkin? • The Tzolkin date is a combination of two "week" lengths. • While our calendar uses a single week of seven days, the Mayan calendar used two different lengths of week: – a numbered week of 13 days, in which the days were numbered from 1 to 13 – a named week of 20 days, in which the names of the days were: • As the named week is 20 days and the smallest Long Count digit is 20 days, there is synchrony between the two; – if, for example, the last digit of today's Long Count is 0, today must be Ahau; if it is 6, it must be Cimi. – Since the numbered and the named week were both "weeks," each of their name/number change daily; therefore, the day after 3 Cimi is not 4 Cimi, but 4 Manik, and the day after that, 5 Lamat. – The next time Cimi rolls around, 20 days later, it will be 10 Cimi instead of 3 Cimi. The next 3 Cimi will not occur until 260 (or 13 x 20) days have passed. – This 260-day cycle also had good-luck or bad-luck associations connected with each day, and for this reason, it became known as the "divinatory year." • The "years" of the Tzolkin calendar are not counted. • When did the Tzolkin Start? – Long Count 13.0.0.0.0 corresponds to 4 Ahau. The authorities agree on this.
  • 24. Tzolkin 0. Ahau 1. Imix 2. Ik3. Akbal 4. Kan 5. Chicchan 6. Cimi 7. Manik 8. Lamat 9. Muluc 10. Oc 11. Chuen 12. Eb 13. Ben 14. Ix 15. Men 16. Cib 17. Caban 18. Etznab 19. Caunac
  • 25. Astronomical Year • 365-day cycle • Maya:Haab, Aztec:Xihuitl) – 18 named months of 20 days each, plus 5 additional days of apprehension and bad luck at the end of the year. – Days numbered from 0-19, and to return to any given date, 52 years would have to pass.
  • 26. The Haab • In contrast to the Tzolkin dates, the Haab month names changed every 20 days instead of daily; so the day after 4 Zotz would be 5 Zotz, followed by 6 Zotz ... up to 19 Zotz, which is followed by 0 Tzec. • The days of the month were numbered from 0 to 19. This use of a 0th day of the month in a civil calendar is unique to the Maya system; it is believed that the Mayas discovered the number zero, and the uses to which it could be put, centuries before it was discovered in Europe or Asia. • The Uayeb days acquired a very derogatory reputation for bad luck; known as "days without names" or "days without souls," and were observed as days of prayer and mourning. Fires were extinguished and the population refrained from eating hot food. Anyone born on those days was "doomed to a miserable life." • The names of the month: 1.Pop 2.Uo 3.Zip 4.Zotz 5.Tzec 6.Xul 7.Yaxkin 8.Mol 9.Chen 10.Yax 11.Zac 12.Ceh 13.Mac 14.Kankin 15.Muan 16.Pax 17.Kayab 18.Cumku • When did the Haab Start? – Long Count 13.0.0.0.0 corresponds to 8 Cumku. The authorities agree on this.
  • 27. Did the Mayas Think a Year Was 365 Days? • Although there were only 365 days in the Haab year, the Mayas were aware that a year is slightly longer than 365 days, and in fact, many of the month-names are associated with the seasons; Yaxkin, for example, means "new or strong sun" and, at the beginning of the Long Count, 1 Yaxkin was the day after the winter solstice, when the sun starts to shine for a longer period of time and higher in the sky. • When the Long Count was put into motion, it was started at 7.13.0.0.0, and 0 Yaxkin corresponded with Midwinter Day, as it did at 13.0.0.0.0 back in 3114 B.C.E. The available evidence indicates that the Mayas estimated that a 365-day year precessed through all the seasons twice in 7.13.0.0.0 or 1,101,600 days. • We can therefore derive a value for the Mayan estimate of the year by dividing 1,101,600 by 365, subtracting 2, and taking that number and dividing 1,101,600 by the result, which gives us an answer of 365.242036 days, which is slightly more accurate than the 365.2425 days of the Gregorian calendar. • (This apparent accuracy could, however, be a simple coincidence. The Mayas estimated that a 365-day year precessed through all the seasons twice in 7.13.0.0.0 days. These numbers are only accurate to 2-3 digits. Suppose the 7.13.0.0.0 days had corresponded to 2.001 cycles rather than 2 cycles of the 365-day year, would the Mayas have noticed?)
  • 28. Zero and the Long Count • Numbers represented with a one as a dot and a five as a bar. – value is determined by its position. • No idea when zero invented – needed for calculating dates in the past. – invented in the Old World-India and Babylonia ca. 500 B.C.
  • 29. Long Count • A starting point in the past as August 13, 3114 B.C., significance may be mythological such as the creation of the three Maya worlds. • Time in groups of 20 days: – kin=one day – uinal=20 days – tun=360 days – katun=7200 days – baktun=144,000 days • We translate them as 9.14.8.0.0 which is 9 baktuns, 14 katuns, 8 tuns, 0 uinals, and 0 kins.
  • 30. When did the Long Count Start? • Logically, the first date in the Long Count should be 0.0.0.0.0, but as the baktun (the first component) are numbered from 1 to 13 rather than 0 to 12, this first date is actually written 13.0.0.0.0. • The authorities disagree on what 13.0.0.0.0 corresponds to in our calendar. I have come across three possible equivalences: • 13.0.0.0.0 = 8 Sep 3114 BC (Julian) = 13 Aug 3114 BC (Gregorian) 13.0.0.0.0 = 6 Sep 3114 BC (Julian) = 11 Aug 3114 BC (Gregorian) 13.0.0.0.0 = 11 Nov 3374 BC (Julian) = 15 Oct 3374 BC (Gregorian) • Assuming one of the first two equivalences, the Long Count will again reach 13.0.0.0.0 on 21 or 23 December AD 2012 - a not too distant future.
  • 31. Gregorian vs. Julian Calendar • The Gregorian Calendar is a revision of the Julian Calendar which was instituted in a papal bull by Pope Gregory XIII in 1582. The reason for the calendar change was to correct for drift in the dates of signifigant religious observations (primarily Easter) and to prevent further drift in the dates. • The important effects of the change were: – Drop 10 days from October 1582, to realign the Vernal Equinox with 21 March – Change leap year selection so that not all years ending in "00" are leap years. – Change the beginning of the year to 1 January from 25 March
  • 32. Deciphering Maya Hieroglyphics • It is the combination of imagery and hieroglyphs wich gives patterns meaning. – no list of signs with meaning for each. – no real alphabet. • Maya inscriptions thought to relate only to calendrics and astronomy because they were the first to be deciphered.
  • 33. Mayan Epigraphers • Today epigraphers recognize the writing as a political or dynastic theme. – Researchers such as Yuri Knorosov, Tatiana Proskouriakoff, and Heinrich Berlin. • Knorosov-combining signs (consonant plus vowel) words were formed phonetically. • Berlin-emblem glyphs stood for centers, regions, or dynasties. • Proskouriakoff-dates corresponded to historical events of rulers and their families at Pedras Negras. • Linda Schele “Breaking the Maya Code” – dates on stelae and in codices are associated with events in rulers lives. assumption to the throne is dated then bloodletting or other rituals and their corresponding dates. • Still about 1/3 cannot be deciphered.
  • 34. Maya Long Count Exercise 1. Calculate the year that the New World was discovered in Mayan long count. 2. What year did WWI begin in Mayan long count? 3. Write the year of your birth in Mayan long count. 4. In what year did you graduate high school as calculated by the Mayan long count?
  • 35. Conversion • Gregorian to Mayan – http://www.pauahtun.org/cgi-bin/gregmaya.py • Long Count to Gregorian – http://www.pauahtun.org/cgi-bin/mayagreg.py