This table is taken from Carlson, John B., "Numerology and the Astronomy of the Maya," p. 208, in Williamson, Ray A., ed., Archaeoastronomy in the Americas, Center for Archaeoastronomy, 1981. Reprinted here with the kind permission of John B. Carlson. It contains a listing of many of the numerical factors and periods of time that were important in Maya calendrical numerology.
in the “Note” column indicates that I (Ivan) have added the
information in that row of the table, according to recent research (i.e., the 7-day cycle of the Z glyphs).
| Note | Name of Period |
# Days/ Other Units |
Mayan Equivalent |
Factor Decomposition |
Prime Factors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| (Prime-2)-Duality | 2 | .2 | 2 | 2 | |
| (Prime-3) | 3 | .3 | 3 | 3 | |
| Four World Directions | 4 | .4 | 2·2 | 22 | |
|
Five World Directions (Prime-5) |
5 | .5 | 5 | 5 | |
|
|
Seven Classical Planets? Seven Day Z Glyph Cycle (Prime-7) |
7 | .7 | 7 | 7 |
| * |
Venus Invisibility at Inferior Conjuction |
8 | .8 | 2·4 | 23 |
|
Glyph G Cycle Lords of the Night (Bolon-ti-ku) |
9 | .9 | 3·3 | 32 | |
|
|
Trecena Lords (or Birds) of the Day (Oxlahun-ti-ku) (Prime-13) |
13 | .13 | 13 | 13 |
|
Veintena Uinal |
20 | 1.0 |
2·10 = 4·5 |
22·5 | |
| ? |
Two Trecenas (Half Calendar Round) |
26 | 1.6 | 2·13 | 2·13 |
| * | 29-Day Lunation | 29 | 1.9 |
[29.530,588] 29 |
29 |
| * | 30-Day Lunation | 30 | 1.10 |
[29.530,588] 3·10 |
2·3·5 |
| Calendar Round | 52 (Haab) | 2.12 |
4·13 = 2·26 |
22·13 | |
| Five Trecena Cycle | 65 | 3.5 | 5·13 | 5·13 | |
| (Prime-73) | 73 | 3.13 | 73 | 73 | |
| * |
Palenque Moon Ration [81 Lunations = 2,392 Days] |
81 (Lunations) | 4.1 | 9·9 | 34 |
| * |
Venus Invisibility at Superior Conjunction |
90 | 4.10 |
3·30 = 9·10 = 2·45 |
2·32·5 |
| *? | [Mercury Synodic Period] | 116 | 5.16 |
[115.88] 4·29 |
22·29 |
|
Cycle Associated with Rain God [Mercury Synodic Period?] |
117 | 5.17 |
[115.88] 9·13 |
32·13 | |
| * |
Venus Visibility as Morning Star |
236 | 11.16 | 22·59 | |
| * |
Venus Visibility as Evening Star |
250 | 12.10 | 2·53 | |
|
Sacred Almanac Tzolkin |
260 | 13.0 |
9·29 - 1 = 4·65 = 13·20 |
22·5·13 | |
| * |
Tun Chronological Year |
360 | 1.0.0 | 18·20 | 23·32·5 |
| * | Computing Year | 364 | 1.0.4 |
4·91 = 13·28 = 7·52 |
22·7·13 |
| * |
Haab, “Vague Year,” Calendar Year |
365 | 1.0.5 |
[365.2,422] 4·91 + 1 = 18·20 + 5 = 5·73 |
5·73 |
| *? | [Saturn Synodic Period] | 378 | 1.0.18 | [378.09] | 2·33·7 |
| *? | [Jupiter Synodic Period] | 399 | 1.1.19 | [398.88] | 3·7·19 |
| Twenty Squared | 400 | 1.2.0 | 20·20 | 24·52 | |
| * | Mayan Eclipse Cycle | 405 (Lunations) | 1.2.5 |
5·81 = 3·135 |
34·5 |
| * |
Double Sacred Almanac Triple Lunar Half-Node Cycle |
520 | 1.8.0 |
[173.30,906] 3·(173.3) = 2·260 |
23·5·13 |
| * | [Venus Synodic Period] | 584 | 1.11.4 |
[583.92] 8·73 |
23·73 |
| 585-Day Cycle | 585 | 1.11.5 |
584 + 1 = 5·9·13 = 5·117 |
32·5·13 | |
| * | Half Year Drift Cycle | 754 (Years) | 2.1.14 |
½(1,508 Calendar Years) = (14·5)·52 (Years) |
2·13·29 |
| * |
Triple Sacred Almanac [Mars Synodic Period] |
780 | 2.3.0 |
[779.94] 3·260 |
22·3·5·13 |
| 819-Day Cycle | 819 | 2.4.19 |
3·273 = 13·63 = 9·91 = 7·117 |
32·7·13 | |
| *? | Year Drift Cycle | 1,507 (Tropical Years) | 4.3.7 | 11·137 | 11·137 |
| *? |
[1,507·(365.2,422) =
1,508·365] Year Drift Cycle |
1,508 (Calendar Years) = 550,420 Days |
4.3.8 |
2·754 = 29·52 |
2·13·29 |
|
Seven Sacred Almanac/ Five Computing Year Cycle |
1,820 | 5.1.0 |
7·260 = 5·364 |
22·5·7·13 | |
|
Nine Sacred Almanac/ Twenty 117-Day Cycle |
2,340 | 6.9.0 |
20·117 = 20·9·13 = 9·260 = 4·585 |
22·32·5·13 | |
| * |
Palenque Moon Ratio [81 Lunations] |
2,392 | 6.11.12 | 81·(29.530,586) | 23·13·23 |
| * |
Five Venus Years/ Eight Calendar Year Cycle |
2,920 | 8.2.0 |
5·584 = 8·365 |
23·5·73 |
| Four 819-Day Cycle | 3,276 | 9.1.16 |
9·364 = 4·819 |
22·32·7·13 | |
| Katun | 7,200 | 1.0.0.0 |
20·20·18 = 20·360 |
25·32·52 | |
| * |
Mayan Eclipse Cycle [405 Lunations] |
11,960 | 1.13.4.0 |
46·260 = 5·2,392 = 5·81·(29.530,586) |
23·5·13·23 |
| Twenty 819-Day Cycle | 16,380 | 2.5.9.0 |
5·3,276 = 20·819 = 45·364 |
22·32·5·7·13 | |
|
52 Tun/ 72 Almanac Cycle |
18,720 | 2.12.0.0 |
52·360 = 72·260 |
24·32·5·13 | |
|
Calendar Round 52 Haab/73 Almanac Cycle |
18,980 | 2.12.13.0 |
52·365 = 73·260 |
22·5·13·73 | |
| * |
Great Venus Cycle 104-Year Cycle |
37,960 | 5.5.8.0 |
2·18,980 = 65·584 = 2·52·365 = 104·365 = 2·73·260 = 146·260 |
23·5·13·73 |
| Baktun | 144,000 | 1.0.0.0.0 |
20·20·20·18 = 400·360 |
27·32·53 | |
| * |
Half Calendar Year Drift Cycle |
275,210 754 (Years) |
1.18.4.8.10 |
365·754 = 365·26·29 |
2·5·13·29·73 |
| * |
Calendar Year Drift Cycle: 1,508 (Calendar Years) 1,507 (Tropical Years) 14.5 (Great Venus Cycles) 29 (Calendar Rounds) |
550,420 | 3.16.8.17.0 |
[(1,507)·(365.2,422)] = 1,508·365 = 2,117·260 = 4,745·116 = (942.5)·584 = 18,980·29 = (14.5)·37,960 |
22·5·13·29·73 |
| * |
Double Calendar Year Drift Cycle: 29 (Great Venus Cycles) 58 (Calendar Rounds) |
1,100,840 | 7.12.17.16.0 |
2·365·1,508 = 2·550,420 = 1,885·584 = 3,016·365 = 4,234·260 = 9,490·116 = 18,980·58 = 37,960·29 |
27·5·13·29·73 |
| Thirteen Baktun | 1,872,000 | 13.0.0.0.0 | 13·20·20·360 | 27·32·53·13 |
John B. Carlson
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Main web site: http://www.pauahtun.org