Mayan Numerals

In mayan culture, numbers have to be converted in base 20 (vigesimal base) with simple glyphs (with dots and horizontal bars). Each dot equals 1 and each bar equals 5. The mayan civilization used a vertical writing of the numbers.

Example: for 19

Example:
for 26

Example: for 0 (originally a shell shape, but some say an egg or an american football/rugby ball)

The Mayas seemed to use a specific rule, a modified Vigesimal system, for the third floor when they wrote dates and sometimes for large numbers. Indeed, for dates, the third place always stops at 360 (base 10). The number 360 is therefore written as 400. This change on the third floor refers to the following numbers so the number 7200 is written 8000. The reasons for this vigesimal notation (base 20) for dates and large numbers (> 360) are not known, and although a majority of the retrieved writings use the modified system, this is not always the case.

Example: In base 20 (vigesimal system) 360 is normally written , but in modified base 20 (modified vigesimal system), 360 is written (which equals 400 in unmodified base 20)

Converting is made by counting symbols and convert it from base 20 to base 10.

Example: 2 dots + 3 bars = 2*1+3*5 = 17

Example: 1 dot then (under) 2 dots = 1*20+2*1 = 22

Beyond 360, be sure to apply the modified system if necessary.

The dates in Maya are based on the kin (plural kinob), which is 1 day, then the uinal (plural unialob) which is 20 days, the tun, an 18 uinalob period which is therefore 360 days, about 1 year (365.24 days), then the katun (20 tunob = 7200 days = about 20 years), then the baktun (20 katunob, 144000 days = about 394 years). Day 0 seems to match August 11, 3114 BC of our era (precision to be relativised with the Gregorian / Julian calendar chosen)

To write a birthdate or anniversary date in a contemporary way, dCode recommends to simply use the values of the 3 numbers (day, month, year) written in Maya and separated by a dash - or a bar / (slash)

The first mayan numbers are:

0(zero)		1		2		3		4
5		6		7		8		9
10		11		12		13		14
15		16		17		18		19
20		21		22		23		24
40		60		80		100

For others maya numbers, use the form just above.

Maya numeration uses generally stacked lines and dots.

The Mayan civilization lived in Central America around -2000 BC as their pyramids testify.

Any reference to Mexico, Belize, Guatemala, El Salvador or Honduras (current areas where the Mayas lived) are clues.