In the next year, the marker of the 20-wheel shows once more its first quarter rotation, whereas the 13-wheel indicates the fifth year. That means, after 13 years the marker of the 13-wheel will be back to its original position, just like the 365-wheel. How about the marker of the 20-wheel? Since three 4-year leap cycles passed in 12 years, the marker of the 20-wheel has to be back again to its first quarter position.

At the same time, this particular position signifies that one quarter of the famous 52-year Maya cycle has been completed. And indeed, after three more such cycles the so-called Maya Round of 52 years has ended, and a new round can begin. It is remarkable that owing to this sequence not a single combination is repeated in 52 years.

Like nowadays, the common people would have not understood the principle of such a calendar, much less the reason for it. But the people trusted their priest-astronomers to keep track of the calendar and to forecast important celestial events. While the 4-year leap cycle was more or less a routine procedure, the completion of the 52-year cycle would have been truly viewed as a sacred day. It was a special event that everybody could remember or would want to witness as it occurs at least once for every generation. The memory of a 104 or 130 year cycle (2.5 × 52) might get lost, as it was probably the case in Stonehenge – nobody lived that long anymore and the calendar turned into chaos.

As they measured time to keep track of various celestial cycles, the Mayan astronomers made careful observations around the time of the equinoxes and solstices, and thanks to their calendar they were able to make the necessary adjustments for the leap-days every 130 years or so. For their observations they constructed special buildings, a.k.a. observatories.

Perhaps one of the most famous is the pyramid of Chichén-Itzá, which incorporates a very clever design. Because the pyramid is intentionally oriented in a southwesterly direction (about 7 ° from true north), the Sun produces at the time of the equinoxes a unique light effect that can still be witnessed and admired today. It is an inspiring event and even the most ignorant person seeing the "light and shadow show" would have to be impressed by it. Perhaps that was the intention of the pyramid’s designer and priest-astronomers: The majority of people, who did not understand the cause of this phenomenon, regarded it as sacred and would not have dared to violate such a holy place or refused to attend the ceremonies and rituals. This effect, in honor of the god Kukulcán - the feathered serpent, not only provided a spectacular observation of the equinoxes but also an exact control mechanism for the Mayan calendar.

It cannot be ruled out that the pyramid served as a static calendar. It has 91 steps on each side that lead to a platform; the total number of steps could very well represent the number of days in the year. There are also 52 "windows" on each side of the pyramid. Having had some means to adjust for the basic 4-year leap cycle, the priest-astronomers might have used the windows to count the total number of years. For instance, they could have kept track of the leap-cycle by starting the count of the days with the first step on the north-side, then the first step on the east, then south and finally on the west-side. The same pattern repeats using the second step, etc., spiraling upwards until the platform is reached on the 365^th day. The next year begins with the first step on the east-side, the year after on the south-side and the fourth year on the west-side. Every fourth year, of course, a leap-day or ceremonial day would have to be inserted to adjust the calendar (perhaps at the time of one of the equinoxes). This 4-year cycle repeats, starting again at the first step on the north-side until 52 years are completed. By keeping track of time, it was possible for the Mayan to correct their calendar every 128 to 130 years.

Why should the Mayan have waited 52 years without compensating for leap-days, which occur every 4 years, and then adjust the calendar by adding 13 days? It is even bigger nonsense to suggest that they would then have to subtract an accumulated 25 days after a period of 3172 years*. Who is supposed to adjust that? The Gods themselves?

* Erich von Däniken - "Der Tag an dem die Götter kamen"

For heaven’s sake, do we want to assume that a culture, that designed and built precise monuments to observe solstices and equinoxes, never realized that a solar year is almost a quarter day longer than 365 solar days?

But then again, if it wasn’t for our computers, we probably wouldn’t know what day it is today - most of us keep forgetting to turn over the leaf of our scenic calendars at the end of the month. It is very likely that the knowledge of the original leap-day system of the Maya calendar with its long cycles was gradually lost over the millennia and it is therefore, not surprising to find other forms of Mayan calendars (e.g. 18 months with 20 days per month).

As fascinating and revealing as these various calendars might be, we should not forget the fact that even the most decorated calendar becomes quite useless after a short duration, if it does not account for the additional solar day that naturally occurs every four equinoctial years.

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© 2004 Sirius Research Group

September 2004

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