Mayan Sciences
Mathematics
The Mayans were very successful in astronomy and engineering because of their advanced mathematical skills. The Mayans used two systems to record numbers. One system used stylized pictures of the heads of gods. The second system was similar to the decimal system we use today.
We use distinct symbols for the numerals zero to
Nine, the Mayans employed bar and dot notations:
Bar-> Value of 5
Dot-> Value of 1
Shell-> Value of 0
Combinations of the bar and dot symbols represented the numbers 1-19
CalendarMayans were fascinated with time and thought of it as a supernatural force under the control of Gods.
The Pyramid of Kukulkan, showned on the right side, is a temple to a Serpent God, which was built with 365 steps leading up to the temple, one for everyday of the year.
Days, months, and years were burdens that different Gods carried on their backs for their allotted spar of time, and then passed the burden on to the next God. EXAMPLE: God of October would pass the burden onto the God of November at midnight on October 31st.
Periods of goods and bad times were the responsibility of whatever God was carrying the burden of time during those particular intervals. The Mayans developed the 365 days calendar that we are still using today. This shows how accurate they're on the mathematics.