Maya Spacetime

Maya Civilization

A Mesoamerican civilization that developed as early as 2000 BCE and was prominent in southern Mexico, Guatemala, Belize, and western Honduras.

Classic Maya

The period from approximately 250 to 900 CE when significant city-states and cultural achievements arose.

Priest

A specially trained individual in Maya society who interpreted celestial events and served as an intermediary between gods and humans.

Codices

Bark paper or deerskin books used by Maya astronomer-priests to record observations of celestial events and calendar dates.

Divination

The practice of predicting future events and interpreting past events' meanings, central to Maya culture.

Celestial phenomena

Natural events occurring in the sky, such as the movement of stars and planets, which were linked to terrestrial occurrences in Maya belief.

Astronomer-priest

A religious specialist who observed and recorded celestial movements to predict future outcomes based on those observations.

Ritual calendar

A 260-day cycle used by the Maya intertwined with religious events and ceremonies.

Agricultural calendar

A solar calendar of approximately 360+5 days utilized for farming activities in Maya culture.

Long Count calendar

A system used by the Maya to measure time in days from a mythological creation date.

Upper world

In Maya belief, a realm above the earth characterized by 13 levels inhabited by gods and supernatural beings.

Underworld

The lower realm in Maya cosmology, consisting of 9 levels where other deities and forces existed.

Eclipses

Astronomical events that the Maya recorded and correlated with significant terrestrial events such as the deaths of kings.

Calendrical numerology

A belief system in which numbers of days are linked to both religious significance and earthly events.

Shaman

A ritual specialist in Maya society, often consulted for predictions or cures, functioning across social classes.