Mayan Calendar Converter

This converter uses the GMT correlation (Goodman-Martinez-Thompson correlation), which is the most widely accepted correlation between the Maya calendar and our Gregorian calendar. This places the Maya creation date at August 11, 3114 BCE. While there are a few competing correlations, the GMT correlation is supported by the majority of archaeological, historical, and astronomical evidence and is considered accurate to within a day or two.

The Long Count was the Maya's way of tracking long periods of linear time, unlike their cyclical Tzolkin and Haab calendars. It was used to record historical events, royal successions, wars, and astronomical phenomena. The Long Count also had cosmological significance, as the Maya believed that the current world was preceded by previous creations that each lasted 13 Baktuns (approximately 5,125 years). Long Count dates are found on many Maya monuments, stelae, and codices.

The 260-day Tzolkin calendar was primarily used for religious and ceremonial purposes. Each day in the Tzolkin had a unique energy or significance that could influence human affairs. The 365-day Haab calendar was more of a civil calendar and closely followed the solar year, making it useful for agricultural planning. Together, these calendars formed the Calendar Round, a 52-year cycle that was sufficient for tracking time within a human lifetime. The Long Count was needed for recording dates beyond this 52-year cycle.

No. The Maya did not predict the end of the world in 2012. December 21, 2012, corresponded to the end of the 13th Baktun in the Long Count (13.0.0.0.0). For the Maya, this simply marked the end of one time cycle and the beginning of another, similar to how we celebrate a new millennium. While it was certainly significant, contemporary Maya texts described events expected to occur after this date, indicating they didn't view it as the end of existence. The apocalyptic interpretations were largely a modern misunderstanding of Maya calendrics.

The Maya used a vigesimal (base-20) number system rather than the decimal (base-10) system we use today. This is likely because humans have 20 digits total (fingers and toes), making 20 a natural counting base. This vigesimal system is reflected in their calendar, with units largely based on multiples of 20. For example, 1 Uinal = 20 days, 1 Tun = 18 Uinals (360 days, close to a solar year), 1 Katun = 20 Tuns, and 1 Baktun = 20 Katuns. The exception is the Tun, which is 18 × 20 rather than 20 × 20 days, presumably to keep it closer to the solar year.

Yes, this calculator can convert any Gregorian date to its corresponding Maya Long Count, Tzolkin, and Haab equivalents. However, it's worth noting that the Maya Long Count traditionally begins at the Maya creation date (August 11, 3114 BCE in the Gregorian calendar), so dates before this would not have a conventional Maya representation. Also, while our calculator can handle far future dates, the Maya themselves typically didn't project dates beyond a few thousand years into the future in their inscriptions.

A Calendar Round date combines the Tzolkin and Haab calendars, creating a designation that repeats every 52 years (the least common multiple of the 260-day Tzolkin cycle and the 365-day Haab cycle is 18,980 days, or about 52 years). For example, "4 Ajaw 8 Kumk'u" is a Calendar Round date. While useful for most everyday purposes in Maya society, the Calendar Round couldn't distinguish between events that occurred more than 52 years apart. The Long Count solved this problem by providing a continuous count of days from a fixed starting point, allowing precise dating over vast time periods. Think of it as the difference between saying "Friday the 13th" (which occurs regularly) versus specifying "Friday, October 13, 2023" (which precisely identifies one specific date).