Archaeoastronomy and Ancient Technologies 2013, 1(1), 26-52
DOI: 10.24411/2310-2144-2013-00009
Twenty characters long account of the Mayan among the constellations
Olga O. Polyakova1
1Chelyabinsk State University, str. Brat'yev Kashirinykh, 129, Chelyabinsk, 454021, Russian Federation; E-mail: oleniya@mail.ru
Abstract
This paper is devoted to the study of astronomical twenty characters long count calendar of the Maya and their compliance with generally accepted modern constellations and zodiac signs. The Mayan calendar was common in the historical times in the annual cycle of 360 days plus 5 additional days , called the Maya Haab but also contain other unique cycle - Tzolkin, which lasted 260 days. Link between the Haab and Tzolkin was carried out through a common unit of time Long Count - Vinal equally 20 days equally 20 kins. System only accounts Tzolkin was considered important by 20 periods of 13 days. The sequence of the names of days in 20day Vinal maintained, that is, 13 days later began a new period, but the first day was the 14th out of 20-day Vinal. Number 20 was a favorite for the Maya , probably because using it was convenient to keep score by the number of fingers on the hands and feet. Tzolkin, finally, shows the frequency of very long cycles - Five Period of creation for 5125.3559 years, equal to 25.627 years. It is also equal to one revolution of the Precession of the pole around the ecliptic pole. At this time, the Haab celebrated charakters-kins, constellations on the ecliptic, which were repeated in 20 days, watching at sunrise or approach, or at its zenith, at any time of the year , due to the fact that did not go after each other, as is customary in the old world, and through 10 charakters-kins, on the 11th charakters-kins.
Keywords: Twenty of sign-Kins, Long count, Tzolkin, Haab, Precession, the Ecliptic, the pole of the World.
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