Maya Calendar Conversions - Exercises (with answers)

Exercises

1)  Find the number of kins for the Long Count date 8. 12. 14. 8. 0.  This Long Count date was found on Stela 29 in the ruins of Tikal, Guatemala, and it is believed to be the oldest dated Maya inscription found thus far.

2)  Find the Tzolkin Calendar and Haab Calendar dates for the Long Count date in Exercise 1.

Figure 9:  Stela 2 at Bonampak (Photo by Ximena Catepillán, Bonampak, Mexico, August 2009.)

Figure 10:  Lintel 2 at Bonampak (Photo by Ximena Catepillán, Bonampak, Mexico, August 2009.)

Stela 2 depicts Chaan-Muan II, the last ruler of Bonampak, during a ceremony with his mother and wife (see Figure 9).  The date in Lintel 2 (see Figure 10) represents a conquest scene in which Shield-Jaguar’s descendant stands over a fallen prisoner.

3)  Subtract the Long Count date 9. 17. 5. 8. 9, found on Stela 2 (Figure 9) in Bonampak, Mexico, from the date 9. 17. 16. 3. 8, found on Lintel 2 (Figure 10), also in Bonampak, to find the length of time between these two dates. Give your answer in tuns, uinals, and kins.

4)  In Tikal, Guatemala, the oldest Long Count date found is 8. 12. 14. 8. 0 (Stela 29) and the most recent is 10. 2. 0. 0. 0 (Stela 11).  Determine approximately the number of years between the dates.  This computation will give you an approximation of the duration of the Maya settlement at Tikal. 

5)  Convert the three Long Count dates 9. 17. 5. 8. 9, 9. 17. 16. 3. 8, and 10. 2. 0. 0. 0 from Exercises 3 and 4 to Round Calendar dates.

Answers

1)  1,243,600 kins

2)  11 Ahau and 8 Uo

3)  10 tuns, 12 uinals, and 19 kins

4)  Approximately 577 years

5)  6 Muluc 17 Yaxkin; 4 Lamat 6 Cumku; and 3 Ahau 3 Ceh