Measuring deep time: the Sidereal Year and the Tropical Year in Maya inscriptions

Abstract

Abstract. Maya inscriptions contain numerous examples of long intervals of time that count both backward and forward from a fixed point of historical reference to specific mythological dates, often thousands of years in the past or future. This paper considers the evidence that these intervals incorporated precise calculations of both the sidereal year and the tropical year. Furthermore, it outlines a specific methodology for assessing the likelihood that these distance numbers were either intentionally calculated to incorporate these astronomical measurements, or if these results are merely coincidental.

A Possible Solution to the Mayan Calendar Enigma

“…The presence of tropical year-related Long Count numbers in Maya inscriptions is discussed in Ref. [30]. If we assume their knowledge of the calendar year drift cycle 1508 Haab' = 1507 tropical year corresponding to a very good approximation of the tropical year of 365.2422 days, starting from the GMT correlation date of origin 11 August 3114 BC, we arrive at 21 December 2012, 13 Baktun = 1872000 days later.…”