Introduction to Maya Hieroglyphs - Wayeb

Kettunen & Helmke 2011
Appendices
A SHORTCUT GUIDE FOR THE CONVERSION OF
MAYA LONG COUNT DATES TO GREGORIAN DATES 56
(for Maya date 9.15.6.14.6)
A rough estimate of a Gregorian date can be achieved by adding together the “bak’tuns” (9), “k’atuns” (15),
“tuns” (6), “winals” (14), and “k’ins” (6) (=1 406 446), dividing the result by 365 (number of days in a year) (≈3
853,28) and subtracting 3115 (the beginning of the Maya calendar in year 3114 + year zero) from it (=AD738).
A more accurate approximation can be achieved by using the following formula: 57
(M / 365.25) – 3112.31 = Y
In this formula M is computed by adding the “bak’tuns”, “k’atuns”, “tuns”, “winals”, and “k’ins” (as above), and
Y will be the year and the fraction of year (approximately).
Figure 27: Codex style vase from the Late Classic Period
(photo: Harri Kettunen; courtesy of Kimbell Art Museum)
56
The calculation below offers a ±1 year rough estimate of a given Long Count date to be utilized in working out the overall time period of a given
monument (if knowing the precise Gregorian date is not essential in that particular context).
57
We would like to thank Mark Matney from the NASA Johnson Space Center in Houston for providing us this formula in 2009.
54/154