Baktun facts for kids
A baktun (pronounced bahk-toon) is a very long period of time in the ancient Maya calendar. Think of it like a "century" or "millennium" for the Maya people. It's a key part of their special way of counting days, called the Long Count Calendar.
One baktun is made up of 20 smaller time periods called kʼatun cycles. This means a single baktun lasts for 144,000 days! That's about 394 years. The Maya used this calendar to record important events and track long stretches of history.
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What is a Baktun?
A baktun is a major unit of time in the Maya calendar. It's like a very big block of time that the ancient Maya used to organize their history. The Maya calendar is famous for its complex system that tracks time over thousands of years.
- A baktun equals 144,000 days.
- This is roughly 394.26 tropical years, which is a bit longer than a modern year.
- The Maya calendar uses a special numbering system. For example, a date like 13.0.0.0.0 means the start of the 13th baktun.
The Maya and Their Calendar
The ancient Maya civilization was very advanced. They lived in Mesoamerica, which is an area that includes parts of modern-day Mexico and Central America. They were excellent astronomers and mathematicians. Their calendar was incredibly accurate.
How the Maya Used Baktuns
The Maya used the Long Count Calendar to record important events. They carved these dates onto stone monuments and buildings. This helped them keep track of their history and religious ceremonies.
For example, the most famous period of Maya history, known as the Classic period, happened during the 8th and 9th baktuns. This was a time when Maya cities grew large and powerful. They built amazing temples and developed their writing system.
Counting Baktuns: A Small Confusion
Sometimes, people get a little confused about how baktuns are numbered. For example, if a date is 9.15.10.0.0, it's often called being in the "9th baktun." This is similar to how we say the year 209 AD is in the "3rd century" (because the 1st century is 1-100, 2nd is 101-200, etc.).
Even though it might seem like the "9th baktun" should be the 10th one if you start counting from zero, most experts still use this way of speaking. So, when you hear about "baktun 13," it's usually referring to the 13th numbered baktun in the current cycle.
The 2012 Baktun Cycle
You might have heard about the year 2012 and the Maya calendar. The current baktun cycle started on December 21, 2012. This date was 13.0.0.0.0 in the Maya Long Count Calendar. It marked the completion of a full cycle of 13 baktuns.
Some people thought this date meant the "end of the world." However, for the Maya, it simply marked the end of one great cycle and the beginning of a new one. It was a time for celebration and renewal, not an apocalypse. It's like how our calendar rolls over from December 31st to January 1st, starting a new year.
Images for kids
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Baktun glyph
