The Arvada enterprise., 1924-02-28
us. SAVANTS WIN
CALENDAR ROW
.arIiest Date in the New World
History Is August 6,
613 B. c.

Cambridge. MASS. - ne earliest
dates IN New World history are Au-
gust 6. Gl3 Is. c., and December TO-
$50 Il. c., by the present system OF
marking time. the Peabody Museum
of Harvard university announced in
making public the final solution Of
the chronology OF Mayan dates.
This solution, made possible by the
studies of DR.. II. J. Shinden Of the
museum, Is hailed as distinct VIC
tory for the American school OF re-
search In the records of the ancient
inhabitants OF Central America. since
It follows the lines OF approach laid
down by several scientists Of the
United States In contradistinction to
the basic theories Of the German.
French and Spanish savants.
"These positive and perfectly de-
fined points In chronology probably
fell within the working years Of one
Of the worlds first scientists, the un-
known mathematical and astronomical
genius who invented the Central Amer
lean calendar and established the
Mayan era" the museums announce
ment says.
spaniards Destroyed Books.
Actually the numerous dates on
the monuments Of the great Mayan
civilization in Yucatan and adjacent
territory are counted from a beginning
day which corresponds to October IA,
1878 B. c., but this beginning day was
reached by putting seven cycles Of
144 900 days each for the past Of the
world before the historical first day
Of the numerical count.
This historical first day was Au-
gust 6. 613 B. c. At this time a
numerical record OF elapsed days was
begun. and in the years that followed
various astronomical events were put
down as they happened, procedure
which soon gave picture Of time
adequate for the perfection Of cal
endarical machine.
"On the second date December 10.
$50 B. c.. the perfected calendar Of
the Mayas was formally inaugurated.
according to an inscription at the
ruined Mayan city Of Copan in west
ern Honduras. This perfected calen-
dar functioned without the loss Of
single day for 1000 years only to
break down and pass out OF use when
Mayan books were destroyed by the
Spanish inlulsition in Yucatan in A.
ID. 1861"
Discovery Of the key to the ancient
calendar Of the Central American In
dians reveals Vlat surprising intellect.
ual power existed in the western world
before the coming of Columbus, the re-
port declares, and adds:
Doctor Spinden Solved Mystery.
"The inauguration OF the perfected
Mayan calendar on December 10. $50
b. c., means the invention before this
date Of a symbol for zerO-Or compile
ton. according to the Maya mind-as
well as figures for entire numbers. 1t
means place value notation In the
writing OF numbers
Now place value notation was un-
known to the Greeks and the Romans,
and Its Introduction into western Eu-
rope was accomplished by the Arabs.
This was the Arabic decimal system
upon which modern mathematics de.
pend.
The Mayan system was arranged
on modified base Of twenty and there
fore does not exactly parallel the Ara
bic system. The inauguration Of the
Mayan calendar ut this early time
means that the hieroglyphs Of the
twenty days Of the month, the eight
cen months Of the year. etc. had al
ready taken form"
Doctor Spinden. who II given credit
for the solution Of mystery that
puzzled scientists for many years,
worked out a day-for-day correlation
Of the Mayan and Gregorlan calendars
and corroborated his findings by using
dates on monuments in ancient cities
such as Copan. Tlkal and Palenque In
connection with absolute astronomical
events. Tables have been formed
whereby Mayan dates can be trans
ferred easily into Christian dates and
Vice versa.
Told Farmer What to Do.
The most dramatic proof Is the dis.
cOvery that Il series of monuments at
Copun deal with an ancient congress
OF astronomy in 5O3 A. D.. the report
says. "It appears that in 392 A. D., two
monuments were set up on hills on
either side Of the valley OF Copan, the
western one showing clearly on the
skyline.
These monuments are between four
and five miles apart and person
standing before the eastern one, or at
some spot in the city on the line con.
Meeting the two monuments, would see
the sun set directly behind the west.
ern monument two times in the course
OF the year. namely. April Q and Sep.
tember . in the average Gregorian
year.
Both Of these dates are recorded
ut Copan on various monuments and
they appear prominently nj other
cities. They nre connected with cal.