| The Maya of southeast
Mexico, Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador used a dating system that counted
from 3114 B.C. of our calendar. Their "long count" dates are a combination
of the number of days, months, years, "katuns" (20 years), and "baktuns"
(400 years) that have elapsed since that day so long ago. The
name of each day is truly uncommon, since no day/month combination is repeated for
another 52 years! |
 |
The example at left shows the
date of birth of Pacal the Great, king of Palenque, who ruled for close to seventy of his
city's most glorious years. |
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