Stela C of Tres zapotes

The Long Count dating system is a feature of the Maya civilization of the Classic Period , which distinguishes the ubiquitous use of all the other Mesoamerican civilizations . Include the famous stele C Tres Zapotes , whose date would correspond to -31 , at least if the starting point of the local calendar that corresponds to the correlation GMT (see below).

Like other civilizations of Mesoamerica , the Maya knew two types of calendar: the calendar Tzolk'in , ritual calendar of 260 days and the Haab calendar , solar calendar consisting of 365 days. They used a third common type of dating extremely precise: the Long Count. The starting point of this dating is 11 August 3114 BC. AD.

Mayan scribes developed a system vigesimal units for measuring time (the period glyphs) whose main unit was the tun or 360 days. Multiples of the system is open and fully tun vigesimal: 1 katun = 20 tun, 1 baktun katun = 20, etc..

They also developed a sub-unit system for measuring time, uinal (18th part of the tunnel) and kin (20th part of uinal).

According designs cosmogonic the Maya shared with other Mesoamerican civilizations, the gods made and unmade the world regularly. There is not a created world, or creation, but probably open a series of creations. It is believed that each lasts 13 baktun. Scribes for the Classic, the ongoing creation had begun a 4 Ahau 8 Cumku (date in the Calendar Round of 18,980 days).

The scribes could therefore also include dates in cash (not the years but) the days since the origin of the current establishment. Writing this time since the original was done using the system time units, that is to say, tun, katun etc.. In the classical period had elapsed number of days in the order of a million or, in notation vigesimal, numbers as 9.13.12.0.0.

This is the notation called the "Long Count" or, as an older terminology, that we owe to Alfred Maudslay , the "Initial Series" (because most Mayan inscriptions of the period typically starts by this type of dates).

Glyph-shaped shell equivalent to zero

On a stele, a long-standing account appears as follows in order:

• the glyph of introduction, whose central part is variable, the glyph of the divinity of the corresponding month of the calendar haab and whose fixed part said that under the auspices of the boss of the month include the katun (the tun at the time Preclassic), followed by column in groups of two glyphs:
• the number of baktuns elapsed since the zero point of the calendar;
• the number of katuns;
• the number of tuns;
• the number of uinals;
• the number of kins.

Note that to indicate an order of units is empty, the Mayans used a glyph in the shape of a shell , equivalent to our zero. For example, when a date Mayanists note the following: 9.17.0.0.0 , we must understand that 9 baktuns, 17 katuns, 0 tun, 0 uinal, 0 kin have elapsed since the zero point.

• the number and the name of the day in the Tzolk'in;
• the name of the Nine Lords of Night falling on that date;
• F glyph, we do not know the exact meaning;
• five glyphs related to the lunar cycle;
• the date in the calendar haab.

There are units above the baktun: a kinchiltun equivalent to over three million years! The Maya believed in the existence of cycles of 13 baktuns, that is to say approximately 5128 years solar in relation to the positioning of the planets of the solar system. The present universe was "created" in 3114 BC (the exact date is 13.0.0.0.0 in the Long Count 4 Ahau 8 Cumku, found on Stela C Quirigu ).

Another reference in August 3114 BC stele is on the 10 of Tikal. From page 168 of reference (p. 168): "The components presented here were selected on the basis of the question of the origin of the Long Count, whose scope covers the distance in time between the start supercycle of this historic, one day in August 3114 BC. BC, its end, one day in December 2012, according to the correlation GMT. This day of August 3114 BC. BC is not that the beginning of all things as suggested by the date carved on the stele 10 of Tikal: this refers to a day earlier near 5 million years for the date of erection of the monument. "Theories of the" end of world December 21, 2012 thus leaving a misconception of the Mayan calendar because it can obviously be that the end of the world, that is to say the supercycle baktuns 13 (5125 years) began in August 3114 before our era. According to RJ Sharer, this supercycle will end December 21, 2012, while for L. Schele and D. Freidel, it would be rather Dec. 23, 2012 (p. 168 of ).

This system is typical of the classical period disappears steles and monuments in the ^tenth century. The last known date of end of baktun into account long-engraved on a monument from the site of Tonin : 10.4.0.0.0, that is to say 909. In the Postclassic Period , remains on the monuments a simplified system of "short count", composed of the 13 katuns, that is to say 260 years.

How to match a date into account along with a date in our calendar? Based on events of the era of Spanish colonization (XVI ^century), attested in both "short count" and Julian , for example the foundation of the city of Merida (Mexico) , January 6, 1542 :

"In the year 1542, 1 Pop K'an falling on the 13th, the Spanish founded a colony in Tiho (that is to say Merida) ... (Excerpt from the Annals of Oxkutzcab ). "

Then we establish a correlation between the short account and the account throughout the classical period. There are several systems of correlation. Most scholars follow the GMT correlation. Just then convert to the Julian calendar , and then in the Gregorian calendar. Dating of carbon-14 of lintel dated wood found at Tikal confirm the validity of the GMT system.

References

Notes

Related articles

• Correlation GMT
• Short account
• Mayan Calendar

Bibliography

• Nikolai Grube (ed.), Maya, Knemann, Cologne, 2000
• Robert J. Sharer, The Ancient Maya, Stanford University Press, Stanford, California, 1994
• Claude-Franois Baudez, Maya, Les Belles Lettres, Paris, 2005
• Mary Miller & Karl Taube, The Gods and Symbols of Ancient Mexico and the Maya, Thames & Hudson, London, 1993
• David Drew, The Lost Chronicles of the Maya Kings, Phoenix, London, 2000

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