How the Mayans Mastered the Sky: Their Eclipse Predictions

The Mayans, a brilliant ancient civilization from Central America, were ahead of their time in astronomy and math. They could predict solar eclipses with surprising precision. But how did they do it? Recent studies offer some answers.

The Dresden Codex: A Key Piece of Evidence

A key piece of evidence is the Dresden Codex, a famous Mayan astronomical record. Researchers zoomed in on its eclipse prediction table, which covers 405 lunar months. Earlier studies couldn't fully explain how this table worked or how the Mayans kept it accurate for so long. Now, new research fills in those gaps.

The Lunar Calendar Connection

For a long time, people thought the 405-month table was made just for eclipse predictions. But the latest study says otherwise. It turns out, the table started as a lunar calendar. This calendar was designed to sync with the Mayans' 260-day astrological calendar. The 405-month cycle, which is 11, 960 days, matches the 260-day calendar almost perfectly (46 x 260 = 11, 960). It doesn't align as well with eclipse cycles.

Predicting Solar Eclipses

The Mayans used this lunar calendar to predict solar eclipses. They linked eclipse occurrences to dates in their 260-day calendar. This means their eclipse prediction model came from their moon-tracking system and their calendars working together.

Maintaining Accuracy

But how did they keep their predictions so accurate? Earlier, people thought the Mayans would just start a new table when one ended. But the new study shows they did something smarter. They used overlapping tables. Before a table ended, they'd reset the next one to precise intervals of 223 or 358 months. This corrected small errors that built up over time.

Testing the Model

The research team tested this by comparing the table's predictions to real solar eclipses visible to the Mayans between 350 and 1150 CE. This method ensured their tables could predict every visible solar eclipse for centuries.