Mayan+Math

The Mayans possesed an effective form of adding and subtracting. There are three main characteristics of this system. This system offered many advantages. For example, it worked very well for recording big numbers, which means that it was well-suited for use in a calendar (the roots of this system might have even come from an early Olmec calendar). Also, this type of math made addition and subtraction simple for the average Mayan to understand.
 * __[[image:numbers1b.gif align="right" caption="Symbols used in the Mayan's math"]]Mayan Math__**
 * The numbers were represented by three symbols: a dot (one), a bar (five), and a shell symbol (zero).
 * This system uses a base of twenty (vigesimal) system - this means that the number in the second place is twenty times the shown number (in our system, the number in the second place is ten times the shown number). Therefore, the number in the third place would be 400 (20 x 20) times the shown number while it would be 100 (10 x 10) times the shown number in ours. This scale continues as the places increase.
 * Place values in this system are set up vertically.

Back to Unit 1 Terms

__Source__: Strom, Karen M. "Mayan Math." __Hanksville.org__. 3 Sept. 2008 .

Created by Hampton Webb on 9/3/08