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Why does the Mayan calendar end on....?

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CodeTRUCKER:
Today, I spent roughly five hours with my wife and children discussing the hype and potential accuracy of the Mayan calendar as a harbinger to the end of future existence.  I/we have done no exhaustive research on the Mayans, their calendar or the congruency of 12-21-2012, but we haven't been living in a cave either.

My primary and salient bullet of our discussion's agenda was not so much concerned about whether 2012 will be the last year of the Gregorian calendar nor was it concerned about the harmony of the respective calendars.  No, my interest was in "why" the Mayan calendar ended?   Given, AFAIK there are no Mayans left today that can offer an authoritative explanation on this conundrum, we are left to our own devices.  As I pondered and we discussed this, three possibilities emerged.  The Mayan author(s) of their calendar...

* ...chose an arbitrary date, say 5,000 "years" and set it at the end of the calendar, perhaps just for the aesthetics of symmetry. Who knows?
* ...created some arbitrary and inconceivable date "out there" and then set all the particulars at various intervals to fit within that framework.
* ...really *knew* something of a cause-and-effect sequence of events now lost to obscurity.

Since the first two bullets are arbitrary, seemingly unconcerned with the cessation of existence, we can focus on the final point.  Maybe the present and highly publicized time chart for the Maya was not their first calendar?  Perhaps the Maya have had numerous calendars over the millenia and it will be time to make the next one commencing on the now infamous date?  Occam's Razor would certainly support this supposition, but let's go to the playground of our minds and examine other possibilities.  Shall we?

Assuming the Gregorian reference of December 21st of Two-Thousand-Twelve does; indeed, equate to the last day of the Mayan calendar, was there a concrete requirement to end their calendar?  Was it motivated by the Maya institutions of religion, science or just their commerce?  Considering the Maya existed in latitudes significantly south of the known world of scientific authority in Europe and the UK, is it possible Mayan astronomers knew something the "white men" did not?  

Let's consider these items... the elevation of Mayan "observatories," clear mountain air and the lack of industrialism would have offered the pre-historic and mid-historic indian stargazers a view of the heavens Spaniards, Portuguese, Europeans, Brits, Scots and Irish astronomers would have coveted, if known.  Now couple the advantages of Mayan vistas with the permanence of their culture.  Add to this the fact the Maya had written records and you have a potent mix for assimilating and dispensing cumulative astronomical, et.al., knowledge for thousands upon thousands of generations.  Is it possible the Maya calendar-makers were given the "heads-up" by these early astronomers?

At this point, I would like to offer this... technological advancement does not necessarily equate to intelligence.  Just because the Maya may not have had the "benefits" of industrial technological "progress" does not mean they were morons.  To the contrary, their culture did have technological "progress," but not the same as those aforementioned.

Given the previous commentary, I would like to offer a "possibility" for discussion.  Actually, this is only one scenario.  I suppose there are countless other possibilities, but I will prime the pump with this particular sequence which does not violate any of the above facts and suppositions.  For lack of a better moniker, let's call it the "Dark Planet."

Since almost all of scientific "advancement" was ensconced in the northern hemisphere, observations of the night sky was biased north of the celestial equator.  Simply put, not many eyes observed the Crux or any other southern constellation except inhabitants in the southern latitudes.  It should also be noted that even over the course of the year the telescopes in the north would never have witnessed southern occurrences.  What if the Mayan astronomers witnessed the rapid passing of the "Dark Planet" only in the night sky on a certain date at a certain time of the year, say every 327 years (yes, this is arbitrary, but stay with me).  Further, what if the Mayan architects and engineers interpolated certain triangulations and realized that in every cycle of passing the "Dark Planet" was getting closer and closer to a collision with our own Terra Firma?  Could it be the Mayan calendar ends because it coincides with the last day of the last 327 year cycle of the "Dark Planet's" orbit?  

If this was/is true, no astronomer in the north would have witnessed the singular night's apparition swiftly emerging and then disappearing into unknown realms of blackness.  If this was the last cycle (for the sake of argument), it was the last appearance and would have occurred on Saturday, December 21, 1685.   Aside from some early and crude telescopes, there was no technology in the seventeenth century that would have been capable of disclosing this "Dark Planet" to the scrutiny of "modern" scientists.  Given, these telescopes would have been in the north, the chance of discovery was basically null.

I admit this is somewhat whimsical (fun) and a touch macabre, but can anyone disprove my "theory" of the "Dark Planet?"  No, no one can or could.  If I was to offer this hypothesis to the readers of American Scientific it could not be discounted or disproved.  They might attack the "messenger" to discredit the author and discount the report, but it would be impossible to attack the "message."  That's the funny thing about reality... you can only prove what you do, in fact, know.  You can never disprove what you don't know.   You can make some reasonably educated guesses about the unknown based on the known, but you will never be able to invalidate any scenario embedded in the unknown.

In closing, the above made for a lively debate in our home and I saw a lot of "light bulbs" turn on above some wee heads.  In truth, I do not know if the "Dark Planet" is relentlessly pursuing its malevolent errand.  What I do know from scientific report is the Mayan calendar ends and there is a reason!  What I don't know is "why?"  

Any thoughts?

 ~CT

Eóin:
Well... I don't know much about Mayan math, science and astronomy knowledge. But I'm sure there are enough records out there. Chances are they could prove that Mayans didn't know enough about the movement of celestial bodies to be able to predict the future date of a collision. That's one way to disprove the "Dark Planet" theory.

CodeTRUCKER:
Hi Eóin,

Please accept my rebuttal as friendly "sparring."  That's the way I received your comments!  Also, I am not interested in proving *my* point because I do not have a point to prove.  I am interested in keeping robust flow of validity.

Well... I don't know much about Mayan math, science and astronomy knowledge.
-Eóin (January 31, 2011, 09:56 AM)
--- End quote ---
Excellent!  We share a common ignorance of the facts.

But I'm sure there are enough records out there.

--- End quote ---

I have to challenge statements like this in this context.  Ask yourself, how are you "sure?"  On what facts do you base your supposition?

Chances are they could prove that Mayans didn't know enough about the movement of celestial bodies to be able to predict the future date of a collision.

--- End quote ---
Since the concept of being "sure" there are "records" is previously held in question, it follows any proof by virtue of those records, can not be substantiated.  Also, it is very easy to chart the movement of stars and planets across the heavens.  Halley's comet was not accurately predicted by supercomputers and slide rules, but by observation of phenomenon and a modicum of consistent care in record keeping.

The prediction of a collision did not require extensive math.  Simple geometry, diligent observation and careful record keeping were all that was required.   Besides, if the celestial event occurred in the mid to deep southern celestial hemisphere, those in the northern latitudes would never have seen it, much less be able to scrutinize the ramifications.

By the "progressive" culture standards of the west, the Maya would be (and were) considered "primitive."   Unfortunately, this necessitates a bias of demotion of the Maya's abilities and a complimentary biased promotion of the abilities of western civilization.  This dichotomy is ingrained in the western mind, but that does not validate its authority.

That's one way to disprove the "Dark Planet" theory.

--- End quote ---
Unfortunately, neither you nor I, as the author, can disprove the "Dark Planet" theory.  Have you ever seen the "Dark Planet?"  I haven't and as the author of this "theory," I can denounce it and state unequivocally it was an invention of my imagination, but I can't prove its non-existence or invalidity.

OK, it appears you lost that round, but I would be happy to continue an amiable discourse.  :)

Lastly, keep in mind the Mayan calendar does reach an ending.  The purpose of this thread and my original post is to explore all the possibilities of "why?" it ends.
 

Edvard:
I'm partial to the "time to make a new calendar" theory.
From what I've gathered, the Maya were accomplished enough astronomers that they could observe, calculate and therefore predict the cycles of the spheres accurately.
I assume the cycles don't repeat in some endless looping clockwork, so there are only so many celestial wanderings that can be recorded on one stele of moon phases and googly monsters.
Therefore, time to make a new calendar where the old one left off.



As for the "Dark Planet" theory, you'd think the Maya would have written down such an important detail somewhere as the reason for ending the calendar when they did, no?
So far as I'm able to discover, the calendar simply ends; no associated cataclysm or doomsday prophecy (beyond the ENDLESS speculation being done by the New Age crowd).
In fact, in all the research I've done, I can find no associated archaeological record or discovery in any meso-american culture in which they recorded that not only does the calendar end, but it will end with a bang.

I believe the only reason this subject is even being discussed is that:
(1) It is a concrete date.
No other civilization lost to the sands of time has given so unambiguous a date for any event, no matter how mundane.
(2) The date in question is "at our doorstep", so to speak.
Whether we take any stock in it or not, it is something happening in our very lifetime, so it enters into our culture and our collective conversation whether we like it our not simply by virtue of the fact that it is NOW.

Personally, I like the Bible's proclamation that "no man will know the day or the hour", so basically setting a date is kinda pointless.

P.S. Here's an easy read on Mayan math and date reckoning:
http://www.buriedmirror.com/maya-calendar.htm

fenixproductions:
Hm. I can only say that calendar in my kitchen ends on 31st of December, 2011. And that's before Mayan :(

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