246 | David Stuart on Time and Science in Maya Civilization
Aug 14, 2023
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David Stuart, a prominent Mayanist and professor at the University of Texas, delves into the intricacies of Mayan civilization, from their historical resilience to their remarkable astronomical and mathematical achievements. He debunks myths surrounding the Maya calendar, clarifying that it signifies a transition rather than an apocalypse. Stuart further discusses how advanced technologies like LIDAR are revolutionizing our understanding of hidden Mayan sites, and he reflects on the enduring legacy of their rich cultural narrative woven into their art and language.
The Maya civilization had an advanced understanding of astronomy and developed calendars, including the remarkable long count calendar based on 20, symbolizing deep cosmic time.
The decipherment of Maya hieroglyphic writing required linguistic analysis and revealed historical narratives, myths, and stories about creation and cosmology.
Deep dives
The Maya Civilization: A Brief Overview
The Maya civilization is ancient and was one of the notable civilizations in the ancient Americas. It emerged around 1500 B.C.E. and rapidly transformed from a pre-agricultural society to a sedentary culture, building massive structures and cities. The Maya had a hieroglyphic writing system, with texts found on stone monuments, walls, and even jade necklaces. They also had advanced knowledge of astronomy, using their observations to develop calendars. The famous long count calendar, a numerical system based on 20, allowed them to represent time in a scalable way, symbolizing deep cosmic time. The Maya civilization experienced a collapse around 900 C.E., without a single conquest, and many cities were abandoned. However, some Maya communities persisted, and they are still present today. Modern archaeological advancements, such as LIDAR technology, continue to reveal new Maya sites, expanding our understanding of this remarkable ancient civilization.
Deciphering the Maya Writing System
The Maya writing system, known as hieroglyphs, is highly ornate and includes both pictorial symbols and syllabic signs. Early scholars initially deciphered the numerical symbols, allowing them to read the calendrical records. Later, researchers discovered that the hieroglyphs were phonetic, representing sounds and individual words. The decipherment of the Maya script required linguistic analysis, as researchers needed to understand the ancient Maya language. The Maya wrote on various surfaces, including stone monuments and their pottery, providing a wealth of material for study. The deciphered texts reveal historical narratives, myths, and stories about the creation of the world and the Mayan understanding of cosmology. The Popol Vuh, an epic poem about creation, is an example of the Maya's rich mythological tradition.
The Long Count Calendar: A Representation of Deep Time
The Maya had several calendars, including a lunar calendar, a 365-day solar year calendar, and a 260-day ritual calendar. However, the most remarkable one is the long count calendar. It is a numerical system based on 20 and uses place notation. The Maya created a lengthy hierarchy of cycles, starting from days and progressing to baktuns, which are periods of about 400 years, and beyond. This expansive numbering system allowed them to represent periods of time far into the future, reaching astronomical scales of millions and billions of years. The Maya placed themselves in the middle of this grand cosmic time, with their creation myths centered around the ordering of the world and the successive eras of history. 2012, often associated with the supposed end of the world, was simply a turnover of a baktun, marking a transition in the long count calendar and not an apocalyptic event.
Continuing Discoveries and the Future of Maya Archaeology
Maya archaeology is currently experiencing a transformation, with advancements in technology and a growing historical awareness. New technologies, like LIDAR, are revolutionizing the exploration and mapping of Maya ruins. These discoveries are helping to create a more comprehensive understanding of the Maya civilization and its many cities and monuments. The convergence of physical archaeology and the study of historical texts is allowing scholars to connect the dots and reveal the grand narratives of Maya history. The future of Maya archaeology holds promise, with an increasing awareness of the great figures, intellectual achievements, and cultural richness of this ancient civilization. It is a heritage that should be celebrated and better understood, especially by the indigenous peoples whose legacy it represents.
You might remember the somewhat bizarre worries that swept through certain circles back in 2012, based on the end of the world being predicted by the Maya calendar. The world didn't end, which is unsurprising because the Maya hadn't predicted that, and for that matter they had no way of doing so. But there is very interesting archeology behind our understanding of how the Maya developed their calendar, as well as other aspects of their language and scientific understanding. Mayanist David Stuart takes us on a tour of what we know and what we're still discovering.
David Stuart received his Ph.D. in anthropology from Vanderbilt University. He is currently professor of Art History and Director of the Mesoamerica Center at the University of Texas, Austin. He is the youngest-ever recipient of the MacArthur Fellowship. Among his books is The Order of Days: Unlocking the Secrets of the Ancient Maya.
