World

Winnipeg Free Press - PRINT EDITION

Maya experts work to dispel fears of end times

By: Adriana Gomez Licon

Posted: 09/29/2012 1:00 AM | Comments: 0

MEXICO CITY -- As the clock winds down to Dec. 21, experts on the Mayan calendar have been racing to convince people the Maya didn't predict an apocalypse at the end of this year.

Some experts are now saying the Maya may indeed have made prophecies, just not about the end of the world.

Archaeologists, anthropologists and other experts met Friday in Merida, Mexico, to discuss the Mayan Long Count calendar, which is made up of 394-year periods called baktuns.

Experts estimate the system starts counting at 3114 BC and will have run through 13 baktuns, or 5,125 years, around Dec. 21. Experts say 13 was a significant number for the Maya, and the end of that cycle would be a milestone -- but not an end.

Fears the calendar points to the end have circulated in recent years. People in that camp believe the Maya may have predicted astronomical disasters in 2012, ranging from explosive storms on the surface of the sun that could knock out power grids to a galactic alignment that could trigger a reversal in Earth's magnetic field.

Mexican government archaeologist Alfredo Barrera said the Maya did prophesize, but about more humdrum events, such as droughts or disease.

"The Mayas did make prophecies, but not in a fatalistic sense, but rather about events that, in their cyclical conception of history, could be repeated in the future," said Barrera, of the National Institute of Anthropology and History.

Experts stressed the ancient Maya, whose culture of writing, astronomy and temple complexes flourished from AD 300 to 900, were extremely interested in future events far beyond Dec. 21.

"There are many ancient Maya monuments that discuss events far into the future from now," Geoffrey Braswell, an anthropologist at the University of California, San Diego, wrote in an email.

Braswell compared the Mayan calendar, with its system of cycles within cycles, to the synchronized wheels contained in old, analogue car odometers.

"The Maya long count system is like a car odometer," Braswell wrote. "My first car (odometer) only had six wheels, so it went up to 99,999.9 miles. That didn't mean the car would explode after reaching 100,000 miles."

-- The Associated Press

Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition September 29, 2012 A30

Fact Check

Have you found an error, or know of something we’ve missed in one of our stories? Please use the form below and let us know.

* Required

In which story did you find the error? *
Please post the headline of the story or the title of the video with the error.
What was the error? *
Please post exactly what was wrong with the story.
What should we have written?
Please indicate your source for the correct information.
Who else should we interview to improve this story?
Please include any contact information you may have.
Can we contact you in the future for advice on stories about this topic?
Yes

No
First Name: *
Last Name: *
E–mail Address: *
This will only be used to contact you if we have a question about your submission, it will not be used to identify you or be published.
Phone: *
This will only be used to contact you if we have a question about your submission, it will not be used to identify you or be published.
Colour:
Are you blue? If you can see this, leave it blank and get some CSS support.
Enter the words that you see: * This is to prevent our forms from being filled out automatically.
You have failed to correctly identify the words in the box above. Please try again.

More World

Undock

You can comment on most stories on winnipegfreepress.com. You can also agree or disagree with other comments. All you need to do is register and/or login and you can join the conversation and give your feedback.

Have Your Say

New to commenting? Check out our Frequently Asked Questions.

The Winnipeg Free Press does not necessarily endorse any of the views posted. By submitting your comment, you agree to our Terms and Conditions. These terms were revised effective April 16, 2010.