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Science of measuring time and space in the ancient Americas

 

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.