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Maya Calendar System

Type Object Region North America Time c. -400–1697

The Maya calendar system consists of interlocking cycles—the Long Count, the Tzolk'in day-name calendar, and the Haab' solar year—supplemented by pla…

Timeline

  1. c. -400–250Maya lowlands · GuatemalaStela inscriptions show the Long Count, the 260-day Tzolk'in, and the 365-day Haab' used together, forming an interlocking cyclical dating framework that supported royal records and ritual cycles.
  2. c. 400–900Palenque, Copán, and other sites · ChiapasClassic period inscriptions and architectural orientations record Venus synodic and eclipse cycles; calendars combined with observatory observations achieved a high level of accuracy.
  3. c. 1000–1200Yucatán Peninsula · Yucatán PeninsulaAround the 11th century, the codex tradition recorded Venus tables, eclipse warnings, and ritual calendar schedules, reflecting the Postclassic Maya priestly class's continued use and transmission of calendar technology.

Sources