000 Days Quote by Michael D. Coe
““Briefly, the Long Count consists of a tabulation of days elapsed since the supposed inception of the calendar, the total being expressed as so many cycles of differing magnitudes. The largest of these cycles is the baktun, containing 144,000 days; next, the katun, 7,200 days; then the tun, with 360 days; the uinal, with 20; and the smallest of all, always at the bottom of the column, the kin of one day. Each of these in the days of Maya ascendancy was shown with its own hieroglyph, while to its left stood the coefficient by which it was to be multiplied.””
About This Quote
Source Book: The Maya, by Michael D. Coe, 1988
The Long Count records elapsed days using hierarchical cycles, each represented by a glyph and a multiplier.
In simple terms: Maya calendar counts days in stacked cycles.
Key Takeaway
Understand the structure to interpret Maya dates.
Themes
history
astronomy
culture
timekeeping
Mood
analytical
reflective
Type
explanatory
educational
When to use this quote
- archaeology research
- museum exhibits
- educational curricula
- digital reconstructions
Key Concepts
Maya civilization
calendar systems
hierarchical notation
Questions to Reflect On
- How does the Maya system compare to modern timekeeping?
- What advantages does a hierarchical count provide?
A Different Perspective
Modern calendars lack such visual, multi‑scale representation.
