Ancient Mesoamerican Calendrics & Cosmology

Mesoamerica refers to a culture area defined by shared cultural features

Cultural Complexity

A society with the many or all of the following 11 criteria are described as a civilization:

• Permanent formal institutions used to centralize and legitimize power• State religion with public ceremonies and festivals• At least a three-tiered settlement pattern where political, economic, and religious

institutions are centralized in a large administrative center • Social stratification with class distinctions• Marked differential access to key resources between elites and commoners• Complex division of labor with craft specialization• Food surpluses produced by agriculture, intensive cultivation of staple crops, with

the surplus used as tribute• Long-distance trade with other societies• Writing and other achievements such as arithmetic, astronomy, and calendrics• Monumental public architecture• Distinctive and sophisticated art style

Ancient Mesoamerican Cultures

Quincunx

Mesoamerican Calendar

• Tzolk’in– 260 day

• Haab’– 365 day– Wayeb’

• 52 yr round• Long Count

12.18.16.2.6, 3 Cimi, 4 Zotz

12.18.16.2.6 is the Long count– 1 kin = 1 day– 1 uinal = 20 kin = 20 days– 1 tun = 18 uinals = 230 days = ~1 yr– 1 katun = 20 tun = 7200 days = ~20 yrs– 1 baktun = 20 katun = 144,000 days = ~394 yrs

3 Cimi is the Tzolk’in date4 Zotz is the Haab’ date

Mesoamerican Writing

Reading Maya Script

Maya Number System

Mesoamerican Ballgame

• Modern Maya call it Ulama• > 1500 ancient ball courts

December 21, 2012: Doomsday?

The Mayans Never Predicted Doomsday

Only 276 more days until the end of the calendar round

If you don’t believe me…..Just wait and see!

The Ritual Calendar

http://www.michielb.nl/maya/calendar.html (Mayan conversion)

- Convert your birthday!http://www.fourmilab.ch/documents/calendar/ (all calendar conversions)

http://www.famsi.org/research/pitts/MayaGlyphsBook2Sect1.pdf (Information on the Ritual Calendar)