The Mayan colander is the most accurate of all of the ancient world. They were the first to have a 365 day calendar. It also dates back to the first century BC and may have started with the Olmec civilization. Not many people know but, they made two calendars, the first one is the more familiar one which has three hundred and sixty five days(or haab) to it, the last one is not as familiar it has two hundred and sixty days( or tzolkin) in the year(Ruddell, et al,Maya calendar). The two calendars were named after the Maya gods. The two calendars both had twenty months, but the tzolkin was used for important things related to the gods and humans, it was also used to predict the future. There was a unlucky five day period at the end of each year in the haab, it was when people had bad luck and death occurred. The Maya calendar was a very big accomplishment in history(Lerner Publishing, Group, Ancient Americas).
The numbering system of the mayas was similar to ours but they used symbols and counted by twenties(so 20, 400, 8,000, 160,000). The Maya were the first of the old world to have used the number zero.(Ruddell, et al,Maya Mathematics). They also wrote the numbers from bottom to top instead of horizontally. It allowed people from all over to trade with the Mayans. Nobody knows for sure why the Maya chose to count by twenties but they might of chose it because humans have ten fingers and ten toes, and that adds up to twenty in all. The Maya may have developed this counting system hundreds of years ago but it inspired the counting we system today(Lerner Publishing, Group. "Ancient Americas.").
The Maya were one the first civilization to have a written language, the language was made up of eight hundred symbols. This aided the Maya in trade because all of the city-states could communicate with each other. They also believed that the cosmos had a big influence on their everyday life. The Maya knew how to predict a solar and lunar eclipse. Another thing that they used is astrological cycles which helped them planting, harvesting, and the development of two calendars. The Maya had some of the most beautiful and elaborate cities without the help of modern day tools. Scientist are now debating that the Maya were the first to start producing rubber. They say that the Maya might have discovered how to make it accidentally during a religious ceremony. After they discovered it they started using it in many ways like water-resistant cloth, glue, bindings for books, figurines and the large rubber balls used in a ritual game. The Maya made a lot of discoveries and all have been very use full(History.com staff).
The numbering system of the mayas was similar to ours but they used symbols and counted by twenties(so 20, 400, 8,000, 160,000). The Maya were the first of the old world to have used the number zero.(Ruddell, et al,Maya Mathematics). They also wrote the numbers from bottom to top instead of horizontally. It allowed people from all over to trade with the Mayans. Nobody knows for sure why the Maya chose to count by twenties but they might of chose it because humans have ten fingers and ten toes, and that adds up to twenty in all. The Maya may have developed this counting system hundreds of years ago but it inspired the counting we system today(Lerner Publishing, Group. "Ancient Americas.").
The Maya were one the first civilization to have a written language, the language was made up of eight hundred symbols. This aided the Maya in trade because all of the city-states could communicate with each other. They also believed that the cosmos had a big influence on their everyday life. The Maya knew how to predict a solar and lunar eclipse. Another thing that they used is astrological cycles which helped them planting, harvesting, and the development of two calendars. The Maya had some of the most beautiful and elaborate cities without the help of modern day tools. Scientist are now debating that the Maya were the first to start producing rubber. They say that the Maya might have discovered how to make it accidentally during a religious ceremony. After they discovered it they started using it in many ways like water-resistant cloth, glue, bindings for books, figurines and the large rubber balls used in a ritual game. The Maya made a lot of discoveries and all have been very use full(History.com staff).
This is the Maya numbering system.
By Nick