Guatemala

03.24.2008

"Can you tell me about the Mayan Calendar?" I asked.
"The calendar is called the Long Count," he replied.
"Does the Long Count predict the end of the world in 2012?" I asked.
He answered, "Does your calendar predict the end of the world every year on December 31st? Of course not, a new cycle begins on January 1st."

The Long Count

13.0.0.0.0

"The best thing is to start with a reference point," he continued. "Most people are familiar with the Gregorian Calendar, you know, days, weeks, years and so on. The Gregorian Calendar is notated with 01.01.2008. The Mayan Calendar is notated with 13.0.0.0.0

The Maya

Civilization

The Maya, an ancient civilization advanced in the use of writing, mathematics and astronomy. An indigenous culture to Central America, the Maya flourished during the lamenting Middle Ages of Europe only to mysteriously abandon their major cities prior to the 14th century A.D., leaving major architectural accomplishments lying in ruins and in the clutches of the jungles they called home. Their major achievement - a system to track time: reminders