Collage of the Maya I made

What ancient civilization was able to determine astronomical events thousands of years into the future, is believed to be one of the first civilizations in the world to create a fully developed written language, and even invented the number 0? There’s only one: the Maya.

A civilization thriving on knowledge, the Maya were perhaps the greatest civilization of their time.Using their knowledge to do everything from designing pyramids that accurately showed solstices, to creating numerous calendars to date all that they predicted, the Maya accomplished all of this, simply by observation, and experimentation.

Possibly beginning as early as 3000 B.C. and not reaching their collapse until the mid 1500s, this Mesoamerican civilization [Mesoamerica: The term used for the area from Central Mexico to El Salvador. The cultures of the Maya, Aztec, and Olmec are thus called "Mesoamerican."-digonsite.com] flourished longer than almost any civilization on the planet. This is in fact, part of what helped them calculate such precise astronomical dates. By watching the orbits, cycles, and alignments of the universe, the Maya were able to determine when certain events would happen and how. They for example were able to determine that every 25,800 years, the center of the milky way aligns exactly with the sun. The Maya viewed this alignment as a new era, and some theorize that the Maya believed this to be a time when the world was destroyed, and then recreated. The next “rebirth”, the end of their calendar, and actually the next alignment is going to happen on December 21, (some less accepted theories believe the Maya calendar ended on December 22 or 23) 2012. One theory however, recommends that crystal skulls that may or may not have been made by the Maya can save us. In fact, this idea of crystal skulls is what the latest Indiana Jones movie: “Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull”, is based on.

The idea of the Maya predicting the end of their calendar as a rebirth, however, has brought up quite a bit of controversy, and is believed to be a misinterpretation by many mainstream Mayan scholars. Although it is a coincidence that it ended the same day as the alignment, and was probably on purpose, whether the Maya believed it as the end of time, a new age, or niether is what the debate really is about.

What do you think will happen on that magical day of December 21, 2012?

To show their astronomical dates and others, the Maya with the help of other Mesoamerican cultures, created three calendars: the Haab calendar, the Tzolkin calendar, and the Long Count calendar. The Long Count is actually slightly more accurate than our calendar today because of how it represents leap year, and could easily be used instead of our current Gregorian calendar.

 ”Although the Mesoamerican calendar did not originate with the Maya, their subsequent extensions and refinements of it were the most sophisticated”-Wikipedia

Each calendar served a different purpose: The Long Count was used to date historical events, The Tzolkin was used to date religious events, and the Haab was used to date all other events.

The Maya also combined architecture with their ability to make calendars as well. Pyramids with steps were used, each step standing for a day. These “calendars” also have a special secret. At 3 PM on the autumn solstice, a serpent appears to crawl across the pyramid. In addition, these are some of the most well built monuments in the world, and have survived for over a thousand years in very good condition.

The Maya foretold the future on their calendars as well, however many of their fortunes are ridiculed by people. The Maya divided their primary predictions into eras all of which were twenty, and 393 year time periods). These twenty periods, also called katuns, continue until December 21, 2012 (and by some theories December 22, or 23) and talk about a wide variety of predictions. One of their best known katuns began in 1855 and went until 1875, part of which was during the American Civil war. It said it will be a time when people will lose faith in their leaders. Leaders will be harmed, and subjects will separate. Skeptics however, believe this to be too broad of a prediction. (for more information on katuns, see http://mmothra.blogspot.com/2005/04/maya-katun-prophecies.html)

The best known discovery the Maya made, however is their discovery of 0, which was used to help them form their calendar in the first place. They are in fact believed by some scholars to be not only the first in North America, but the first in the world to create it. Although their counting system was very different than ours today, being based on a system of 20, not 10, their use of zero was just the same. Zero was represented by a shell, unlike the rest of their numbers which were a series of dots and lines. In fact, the maya used 1, 5, and 0 to write all their numbers.

Why? When trading, the Maya could easily count things and add numbers together by gathering some sticks, stones, and shells.

(above: Mayan Numbers 1-19.)Because they used a base system of 20, 20 was written like 10, with a 1 above a 0.  21 was written with a 1 above a 1. For more information, see http://www.michielb.nl/maya/math.html I may also be writing an article about this in the future

To record all of their amazing achievements however, the Maya had to make yet another discovery. Writing. The Maya are believed to be one of the first civilizations in the world to create a fully developed written language, and made a smoother, more durable form of paper than the Romans. The Maya used this system of writing to create hundreds or possibly thousands of codices, (Codicies: books of information) in which they wrote about their rituals, customs, and of course, achievements. Sadly, during the Spanish conquest of Mexico, all but three and a not yet proven authentic fourth codex were destroyed. These remaining codices, now named for the city at which their located, are: the Dresden Codex, the Paris Codex, the Madrid Codex, and the not yet proven authentic Grollier Codex.

Unfortunately, most of the Mayan’s discoveries didn’t benefit us, because we didn’t actually translate any of these texts until around fifty years ago, and by then, we had all the Mayan had: A written language, the number 0, ways of building, and ways of predicting astronomical events.]

This is why the Maya aren’t that well known.

We still can however learn from the Maya. Thriving for some 4000 or more years, and making some of the most important discoveries known, the Maya can be considered one of the greatest civilizations ever to be formed. Knowing their achievements and faults can help us as a nation thrive as well. The ultimate downfall of their civilization came from the Spanish conquest of Mexico, most likely because they weren’t prepared for such a sudden attack. Their civilization became such a great one from their constant advancements and observations.

But one must still wonder. What else? Is that the only reason they thrived? Is there more to the Mayan’s success? Perhaps there is another reason: King Pacal.

King Pacal (603-683 A.D.) was a well known Mayan Ajaw (leader) who had an advanced knowledge in mathematics. King Pacal’s mother, Sak K’uk’ happened to be his predecesser. In the Mayan culture, women only took the role of ruler if no men were available. Because of this, when King Pacal reached 12 years of age, he, by Mayan standards, had reached his official maturity. Because of this, at 12 years of age, on July 29, 615 A.D. King Pacal officially became ruler of Palenque.

Across his tombstone, is a long inscription, and on him is a death mask made almost entirely out of jade. Because of this and other historical evidence, it has been concluded that King Pacal and his mother made a significant influence on the Maya.

So the idea is proposed. Perhaps leaders like him were what caused the civilization to thrive. Perhaps that is how the Maya civilization discovered so many things, and gave us all of their discoveries.

Everything they knew, can even today, help us learn more about the world around us.

But there is something more important the Maya gave us, than the jade masks, or the fact their advancements helped them thrive. It’s that all of what they did was possible, even in such a primitive time. It really is hope, and knowing that nothing, no matter how difficult it may seem, is impossible.

Questions About the Maya

In the midst of my research, even after I compiled countless facts, there were many questions unanswered. Here are the primary questions I had, and some of the answers I found:

(A) Why is it that the Maya made such an accurate calendar, that we today can understand, but people can’t agree on the specific date the Maya calendar ended in Gregorian terms: December 21, 22, or 23.

Answer: I’d like to first say the reason this is a curiosity. Besides wondering why the date isn’t clear, the other reason is that many people believe the Maya may predicted a doomsday at the end of their calendar cycle. In fact, this is one of the best known doomsday prophecies. Why? Because of two things:

The Maya’s past predictions have been fairly accurate in what they’ve predicted.

The dates all correspond with several astronomical events that would you’d think be impossible to predict such a long time ago without even telescopes to help them

Astronomical events? Yes, you read correctly. The sun will align exactly with the center of the Milky Way. This happens once every 25,800 years as I mentioned in the speech. This happens next on December 21, 2012, the most accepted date that the Mayan calendar will end.

Another event is the earth completing a wobble around its axis. This event known as precession, happens every 26,000 years, and next happens on December 21, 2012.

Whether there will actually be a doomsday is not certain, but the fact the Maya were able to determine such a date is most likely not a coincidence.

Enough of my blabbing. Continuing on to the answer
The reason a date isn’t certain, even for such an accurate calendar is because of when the calendar started. The Long Count calendar began in 0.0.0.0.0 and ends in 13.0.0.0.0. You can read about where these numbers from from in the long count in this article:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maya_calendar The reason this is ending date is uncertain is because the actual date that 0.0.0.0.0 began is not known for sure. Most websites however, simply say the date they specifically think it will end, is the real date, instead of explaining the different theories.

Here’s what we know:

The calendar began in 3114 B.C. It is not sure if the Maya civilization began in this year, but it’s more commonly believed that the Maya decided this year at a later time when the civilization was formed.

We know the Calendar ends in 13.0.0.0.0, which would be in 2012.

We’re almost positive the calendar started near August 11, meaning that it will end near December 21, 2012

Although the most widely accepted date the calendar started is August 11, 3114 B.C, meaning it will end on the 21st of December, some people believe it started on August 12, or 13, making it end on December 22, or 23.The Wikipedia article I linked to, doesn’t mention that the starting date isn’t proven yet, or that many sources consider it to be a later day.

(B) Why did only the history channel, and one or two other sources (only one of which gave any specifics about it) talk at all about any of the Mayans amazing Katuns (prophecies spanning 20 years) that told of subjects going against their leaders, leaders being harmed, and subjects separating between the years of 1855 and 1875 (part of which was during the civil war), foretold the acts of Martin Luther King, and even the American Revolution?

Answer: One could say that because limited sources talk about it, it’s not real. It is in fact real. The history channel doesn’t lie, and although the sources are limited, there are other sources that talk about it, although most simply mention it briefly. There really is no real reason I know of for sure as to why it seems to be such a secret. It may be that many people don’t want to talk about them because they are afraid to talk about their accuracy. You see, the few people who do talk about them have pointed out how they do seem to correspond with many actual events. A major reason may be the fact they were believed to be made by one person; a Mayan Priest, named Chilam Balam.

You can see a list of katuns from and when they start and end from one of the few sources that does talk about them here: http://mmothra.blogspot.com/2005/04/maya-katun-prophecies.html

(C) Why are the Mayans so similar to the Egyptians, and why do some websites, books, and even the Indiana Jones Movie make reference to Egyptian artifacts and sculptures of Pharaohs being made by the Maya?

Answer: This is actually because of a theory proposed in a book called, “The Mayan Prophecies”. The theory is that the Maya may have been formed from Ancient Egyptians and the survivors of Atlantis, that may have landed in Central America or Mexico. The reason they think this is because of similarities in the Mayan writing and Egyptian hieroglyphics as well as other similarities such as the fact that both cultures have pyramids.

(D)Did the Maya foretell a specific time of day the world will end such as 11:00 PM?
Answer: As far as I can tell this is a myth. No mainstream sources have mentioned a time, and the few sources that have said the Maya foretold a specific time all say completely different times of day.

(E) After all the amazing things the Maya did, why are they not very well known?

Answer: The biggest reason is because we haven’t translated much of what they wrote until around fifty years ago, which is what held many secrets about the Maya. Another reason is denial. Many people think that it’s not possible for a civilization such a long time ago to determine any of the things they did. Others think that because they may have predicted a doomsday so soon, they don’t know what they are talking about.

Something else I feel is important to mention is what happened in 900 A.D. This is probably the most common misunderstanding about the Maya and has probably posed a dilemma for you, the reader, as well. That is, f you’ve looked at several other articles besides just this one. Quite a few sites say that in 900 A.D. the Maya vanished and their civilization collapsed for unknown reasons.. This is incorrect, as Hernando Cortes landed in the Yucatan Peninsula where he met and claimed part of the Maya Civilization in the 1500’s. Why the Yucatan Peninsula? Because in 900 A.D. their civilization wasn’t wiped out. They disappeared because they abandoned their current homes in Southwestern Mexico and Central America (for unknown reasons) and migrated to the Yucatan Peninsula where they again reappeared until they were conquered by Spanish Conquistadors (starting with Cortes) in 1697.

Quick Facts

• The Maya elongated their children’s skulls to be like Kukulkan
• Kukulkan is a well known Mayan God
• King Pacal was a Mayan leader who was found with a death mask made out of jade
• The Aztec calendar was based off the Mayan calendar

Taking it Further

Learning isn’t limited. Not everything about the Maya is mentioned here. So challenge yourself. Check out some more katuns about the Maya, and read some of the links I listed in my sources. Read the quick facts and maybe even take notes on them. Ask yourself a question or two, like I did in the section above, and see if you can find an answer. You can even start to learn about another civilization like the Aztecs or Incas. Or you can try one of the projects I talk about below:

• A. Write a 1-2 paragraph essay summarizing the important points in this essay
• B. Imagine you are a part of the Mayan civilization in need of more people to join your city. Create an poster, list, paper or card board pyramid, or anything else you can think of to advertise the achievements and other reasons you should become a part of the civilization.
• C. As mentioned previously, some theories have been made that the Maya Civilization was made with the help of shipwrecked Egyptians. Research more about this. Defend or dispute this statement.
• D. Design a collage, showing some of the achievements of the Maya

• E. Learn ten new facts about the Maya not listed in this article and take notes on them. From what you know between those facts and from what you learned in this article, create apowerpoint, write an article, or make some other presentation, to educate others about the Maya as well.

If you actually do any of these, email them to me (or depending on the project, take a picture of it and email me that) you’ll make me really happy . And, I’ll maybe put it in my blog.

If you have further questions, if you are unable to find an answer through further research or are just too lazy to research it, leave a comment.

For further information about the Maya, you can also check out my blog or google group:

http://americatheancient.blogspot.com/

http://groups.google.com/group/ancient-america

And if you like this article and care about my hopes and dreams, you’ll join my google group

Definitions

When researching about the Maya you may encounter some of the following terms:

Mesoamerica-The term used to describe the areas between part of Central America (El Salvador) and central Mexico.

Ajaw-A term referring to a leader of a Mayan city.

Popul Vuh-Sometimes referred to as the Mayan bible, it is a book written in Classical Quiché in the 1500’s that depicts the mythological stories of the Maya. It is believed to be based on past Mayan codicies.

King Pacal-A Mayan leader of Palenque, who took the throne at age 12 and succeeded his mother, Sak K’uk’.

Kukulkan-A word meaning feathered serpent, that refers to a God revered by many Mesoamerican cultures.

Quetzalcoatl-Another Mesoamerican God who was revered as the sky and creator God. He was more prominently known in the Aztec culture.

Codex (plural codicies)-originating in the first century, the codex is a book composed of folded sheets sewn along one edge, distinct from other writing vehicles such as the roll or tablet. The codex was initially a low-grade form manufactured of papyrus.

Toltecs-An ancient civilization of Mesoamerica that flourished between the 900 and 1200 A.D. and eventually joined with the Maya

Olmecs-ANOTHER ancient civilization that although began around 1300 B.C. may have preceeded the Maya. Some believe the Maya began in 3000 B.C. and others believe they began as late as 900 B.C.

Sources and Great Links

Wikipedia entry on Mayan Civilization

History Channel’s Decoding the Past: Mayan Doomsday Prophecies

The Mayan Prophecies, by Adrian G Gilbert and Maurice Cotterel

All About the Maya

The Maya Astronomy page

Mayan Katuns

Maya Numbers

Future Research and Ways of Contact

In future research, and maybe even after simply reading this, you will likely have many questions. Many of my own questions, took hours of research, and conclusions of my own to answer. If you have a question about any Civilization of Ancient America, and would like some help researching the answer, I would be happy to assist you. You can contact me in any of the following ways:

Leaving a comment on this article

Joining the Google group and making a forum post: http://americatheancient.blogspot.com/

Leaving a comment on my blog: http://americatheancient.blogspot.com/

Thanks for reading, and feel free to leave a comment or ask a question. I’d love to hear them.

Update:I have made some changes to this article, including rewording, adding some information, clarifying some things, and adding a source.

Also, I am very sorry about the delay I’ve had with the promised Mayan doomsday article, but between some conflicts from new research I’ve found, and getting a new computer, it has been delayed. I am no longer promising a doomsday article, as I don’t feel as though I’ve fully researched it enough to write a complete article about it, and I believe everyone who reads what I write should be entitled to completely 100% accurate information. Although I’m not giving a definative yes, I may evidently write an article about the Mayan doomsday.