Everyone seems to be worried about the recent prediction that the world will end in 2012. Some doomsday writers are using the Mayan calendar to support their claims. However, you should be aware of a few facts, before you start planning for Armageddon.
The Mayas studied astronomy and had a complicated mathematical system, but they were not able to predict the future. If they had that ability, they would have taken measures to prevent the collapse of their own civilization before the post-classic period. By the 1000 A.D., the Great Maya system had collapsed, and peoples migrated outside the city centers. Historians, anthropologists and archeologists still debate over the cause. Some claim it was a result of warfare, while others believe it was a direct result of environmental changes and land overuse.
The Mayas used several different calendars, not just one. The Tzolk'in calendar is based on a cycle of 260 days. One interesting theory is that it is based on the female gestation period, if it is counted from the first missed menstrual cycle to the birth. The days in the cycle are numbered from one to thirteen, starting over again at one. This calendar tracked religious ceremonies.
The Mayas studied astronomy and had a complicated mathematical system, but they were not able to predict the future. If they had that ability, they would have taken measures to prevent the collapse of their own civilization before the post-classic period. By the 1000 A.D., the Great Maya system had collapsed, and peoples migrated outside the city centers. Historians, anthropologists and archeologists still debate over the cause. Some claim it was a result of warfare, while others believe it was a direct result of environmental changes and land overuse.
The Mayas used several different calendars, not just one. The Tzolk'in calendar is based on a cycle of 260 days. One interesting theory is that it is based on the female gestation period, if it is counted from the first missed menstrual cycle to the birth. The days in the cycle are numbered from one to thirteen, starting over again at one. This calendar tracked religious ceremonies.
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