Nombre _____________________________ Periodo ________
Cracking the Mayan Code https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H5ppfC6y-5s
Entry Task:
* What do you know about hieroglyphics?
* What other cultures/civilizations use(d) them?
1. What did the Mayans write hieroglyphics on?
2. Why did the Spaniards destroy the Mayans?
3. Where was the Mayan empire located?
4. List 3 important Mayan cities:
5. Who discovered Palenque 1000 years after the city was abandoned? What did they find?
6. What did the French artist believe about the hieroglyphics? Why was he incorrect?
7. How did photography help the study of the hieroglyphics?
8. Where were the 4 books found?
9. What is the name of the most famous codex?
10. What number does a “bar” represent?
11. How did astronomy (the study of the universe/stars and plants) influence the Mayans?
12. When do the Mayans think the universe began? Give the data from the Mayan calendar and our calendar.
13. What were the stone carvings found at the Mayan ruins called?
14. Each stela represented a period of ______ years.
15. What history did the stelas represent and for how many generations?
Nombre _____________________________ Periodo ________
16. Lord Shield: Who was he, where were his remains round and what is his Mayan name?
17.
Sun Hieroglyphic Hand Hieroglyphic
Drawing: Drawing:
Definition: Definition:
18. What is the story of “popul vuh”?
Exit Task:
* What impressed you most about the Mayans?
* What is your age using Mayan numbers? (Look at #10 to help you)
Nombre _____________________________ Periodo ________
Mayan Calendar Count Worksheet
If someone asks you when your birth date was, you probably answer them by giving a month, day and year. There
are other ways to record the passing of time as we saw in the video. Different cultures, like the Mayans, used
different calendar systems to mark time. The system used by the Maya culture is called the Maya Long Count.
This activity will walk you through finding your birthdate in the Maya Long Count.
Step 1:
Use the Mayan Long Count Conversion chart to convert your birthdate. The date of December 31, 1987 is
given as an example to start and is written as 12.18.14.11.16 in Maya Long Count.
Baktun Katun Tun Uinal Kin
144,000 days 7,200 days 360 days 20 days 1 day
December 31, 1987 = 12 Baktun, 18 Katun, 14 Tun, 11 Uinal, 16 Kin.
How do you figure out the number of days from the beginning of the Maya Fourth Creation
(Aug. 13, 3114 B.C.) to Dec. 31, 1987? Multiply each unit by the number of days that it represents.
Ex: 12 Baktun = 12 x 144,000 days = 1,728,000 days
18 Katun = 18 x 7,200 days = __________ days
14 Tun = 14 x 360 days = __________ days
11 Uinal = 11 x 20 days = __________ days
16 Kin = 16 x 1 day = __________ days
Add to find the number of total days: _________________
Nombre _____________________________ Periodo ________
Step 2:
Now let’s figure out your birthdate in Maya Long Count. To make it easier, we will find out how many days from Dec. 31, 1987
to your birthday. My birthday is ____________________________.
Add the years BEFORE your birth year Add the months before your birth
(Ex: if you were born in 2000, only add month (Ex: if you were born in Nov.,
through 1999) only add through Oct.)
Year Days Month Days Add parts A, B and C
1988 366 January 31
1989 365 Feb. 28/29
A=
1990 365 March 31 B=
1991 365 April 30
1992 366 May 31 C =________________
1993 365 June 30
1994 365 July 31 TOTAL DAYS = _____________
1995 365 August 31
1996 366 Sept. 30
1997 365 Oct. 31
1998 365 Nov. 30 Add the total of days from
1999 365 Dec. 31
2000 366 B. TOTAL DAYS: _______________
Step 1 to Step 2
2001 365
2002 365
Step 1: _____________
2003 365 Day number of your birthday (Ex: Jan. Step 2: _____________
2004 366 27 = 27 days)
TOTAL DAYS =
A. TOTAL DAYS: _____________ C. TOTAL DAYS: _______________ _____________
Step 3:
Now lets convert the total number of days from Aug 13, 3114 B.C. to your birthdate into the Maya Long
Count. You will need a calculator! You will need to subtract the total number of days to know how many you
have remaining after each step.
TOTAL DAYS: __________/144,000 days (1 Baktun unit) = _____ Baktuns
Days left ___________/7,200 days (1 Katun unit) = _____ Katuns
Days left __________/360 days (1 Tun unit) = _____ Tuns
Days left __________/20 days (1 Uinal unit) = _____Uinals
Days left __________/1 day (1 Kin unit) = _____ Kins
Your birthdate in
_____ _____ _____ _____ _____
Maya Long
Baktuns Katuns Tuns Uinals Kins
Count!
Nombre _____________________________ Periodo ________
Mayan Calendar Count Worksheet
If someone asks you when your birth date was, you probably answer them by giving a month, day and year. There
are other ways to record the passing of time as we saw in the video. Different cultures, like the Mayans, used
different calendar systems to mark time. The system used by the Maya culture is called the Maya Long Count.
This activity will walk you through finding your birthdate in the Maya Long Count.
Step 1:
Use the Mayan Long Count Conversion chart to convert your birthdate. The date of December 31, 1987 is
given as an example to start and is written as 12.18.14.11.16 in Maya Long Count.
Baktun Katun Tun Uinal Kin
144,000 days 7,200 days 360 days 20 days 1 day
December 31, 1987 = 12 Baktun, 18 Katun, 14 Tun, 11 Uinal, 16 Kin.
How do you figure out the number of days from the beginning of the Maya Fourth Creation
(Aug. 13, 3114 B.C.) to Dec. 31, 1987? Multiply each unit by the number of days that it represents.
Ex: 12 Baktun = 12 x 144,000 days = 1,728,000 days
18 Katun = 18 x 7,200 days = __________
129,600 days
14 Tun = 14 x 360 days = 5040
__________ days
11 Uinal = 11 x 20 days = 220
__________ days
16 Kin = 16 x 1 day = __________
16 days
Add to find the number of total days: _________________
1,862,876
Nombre _____________________________ Periodo ________
Step 2:
Now let’s figure out your birthdate in Maya Long Count. To make it easier, we will find out how many days from Dec. 31, 1987
Nov. 18, 2001
to your birthday. My birthday is ____________________________.
Add the years BEFORE your birth year 16Add the months before your birth
(Ex: if you were born in 2000, only add month (Ex: if you were born in Nov.,
through 1999) only add through Oct.)
Year Days Month Days Add parts A, B and C
1988 366 January 31
A= 4,749
1989 365 Feb. 28/29
1990 365 March 31 B= 304
1991 365 April 30
1992 366 May 31 18
C =________________
1993 365 June 30
1994 365 July 31 5,071
TOTAL DAYS = 4,749
_____________
1995 365 August 31
1996 366 Sept. 30
1997 365 Oct. 31
1998 365 Nov. 30 Add the total of days from
1999 365 Dec. 31
Step 1 to Step 2
2000 366 304
B. TOTAL DAYS: _______________
2001 365 1,862,876
2002 365
Step 1: _____________
2003 365 Day number of your birthday (Ex: Jan. 5,071
Step 2: _____________
2004 366 27 = 27 days)
TOTAL DAYS = 1,867,947
4,749
B. TOTAL DAYS: _____________
18
C. TOTAL DAYS: _______________ _____________
Step 3:
Now lets convert the total number of days from Aug 13, 3114 B.C. to your birthdate into the Maya Long
Count. You will need a calculator! You will need to subtract the total number of days to know how many you
have remaining after each step.
TOTAL DAYS: __________/144,000
1,867,947 days (1 Baktun unit) = _____
12 Baktuns
139,947
Days left ___________/7,200 19 Katuns
days (1 Katun unit) = _____
Days left __________/360
3,147 days (1 Tun unit) = _____
8 Tuns
Days left __________/20
267 days (1 Uinal unit) = _____Uinal
13 s
7
Days left __________/1 7
day (1 Kin unit) = _____ Kins
Your birthdate in 12 19 8 13 7
_____ _____ _____ _____ _____
Maya Long
Baktuns Katuns Tuns Uinals Kins
Count!
