UNAM
Revista Digital Universitaria
Revista Digital Universitaria ISSN: 1607 - 6079 | Publicación mensual | 1 de mayo de 2013 vol.14, No.5

ABSTRACT

The Nicté Ahau: Maya flower of space and time.

Isidro Jaimes-Hernández



The Ua Katun is a piece that correlates Katunes wheels, both Long Count and Short Count (mentioned in colonial sources known as books of Chilam Balam), which integrates the Nicté Ahau. The referential structure of Maya calendar indicated in the colonial documents, refers dates in katunes under same name but different duration without clarifying it (360 day, tun integrating 20 "year" katunes, or 365 day tun integrating katunes of 12, 24, 52, 72 or 312 “years”). Ua Katún, vaguely exposed as a “…number… which was used as key for Katunes acertion …” is correlated with julian calendar, which permitted reintegration and projection to Maya past, with update adjustments required by julian calendar and leap days treatment, also referred by the books of Chilam Balam. It was essayed in inscriptions with moon age indications and others to test it as dating analyzing tool.

This correlation shows solar and lunar Eclipse Table in Dresden Codex as specific eclipse arrangement for such moment calculated with it, as “digital printing” for each 405 lunation cycle. This mechanism did not lose continuity because of lack of astronomical indications as time went by, different reading modes were practiced instead, and we can still use it. This fact permitted the current baktún end date calculation.

Keywords: Maya calendar; Ua Katún; Nicté.