Counting Time
Divisions
of the Mayan tun (long count) calendar
Starting
place values of long count
|
Multiply
by 13 to get subdivisions of period endings of Mayan Era
|
Multiply
by 73 to get calendar rounds
(365:5
= 73)
|
Divide
by venus cycle plus haab'
(584
+365 = 949) to get starting values
|
1
k'in
(day)
|
x13
|
13
trecena
|
x73
|
949
|
/
949
|
1
k'in
|
20
winal
|
x13
|
260
tzolk'in
|
x73
|
18,980
calendar
round
|
/
949
|
20
k'ins
|
360
tun
|
x13
|
4,680
18
tzolk'in
|
x73
|
341,640
18
rounds
|
/
949
|
360
18
winals
|
7,200
k'atun
|
x13
|
93,600
260
tuns
|
x73
|
6,832,800
360
rounds
|
/
949
|
7,200
20
tuns
|
144,000
b'ak'tun
|
x13
|
1,872,000
260
k'atuns
Mayan
Epoch
|
x73
|
136,656,000
7,200
rounds
|
/
949
|
144,000
20
k'atuns
|
720,000
5
b'ak'tuns
|
x13
|
9,360,000
65
b'ak'tuns
precession
cycle
|
x73
|
683,280
36,000
rounds
|
/
949
|
720
5
b'ak'tuns
|
Adapted
from Powell (1997:10)
The tzolk'in almanac period of 260 days was counted by
repeatedly matching thirteen numerals with twenty day
names.
The haab' cycle started with zero and numbered each day
of a named twenty-day month. A nineteen month of five days
completed the count of 365 days
Each
count was started at the same day with paired tzolk'in and haab' designations that would not repeat until
52 years had passed. A celebration of renewal marked the
completion of the 18,980-day calendar round cycle.
|