The Maya Calendar

The Maya calendar consists of several interlocking systems used by the Maya civilization in Mesoamerica. The two primary cycles are the Tzolk'in, a 260-day ritual calendar with 20 periods of 13 days, and the Haab', a 365-day solar calendar with 18 months of 20 days each plus a short month. These calendars were used for agricultural, ceremonial, and daily activities. A third cycle, the Long Count, tracked longer periods of time, allowing the Maya to record historical events. Together, they reflect the Maya’s sophisticated understanding of time, cosmology, and their connection to the natural world.