📅 🐚🧮⚫

Counting in ancient Mesoamerica

By Google Arts & Culture

Mesoamerica symbolica 6-1

Counting in ancient Mesoamerica

Mesoamerica symbolica 6-2

The Maya developed the concept of zero, representing it as a shell. 

Mesoamerica symbolica 6-3

The bars and dots system.

Mesoamerica symbolica 6-4

Numbers from 1 to 19 in the Maya counting system were written using a bar and dot system, in which the dot = 1 and the bar =5.

Mesoamerica symbolica 6-5

Mesoamerica symbolica 6-6

The Maya also counted and followed the days, and developed three calendars - two to track the passage of time, and another for religious periods. 

Mesoamerica symbolica 6-7

Every 52 years the two calendars began on the same day.

Mesoamerica symbolica 6-8

Mesoamerica Symbolia writing

Credits: All media
The story featured may in some cases have been created by an independent third party and may not always represent the views of the institutions, listed below, who have supplied the content.
Explore more
Related theme
Descent of the Serpent
Explore the symbols, culture, and legends of ancient Mesoamerica
View theme
Google apps