The Bozeman courier. (Bozeman, Mont.) 1919-1954, 1926-02-26
MAYAS ACCURATE
in STAR READING
With Remarkable Science Per-
feeted Calender
$50 b. C.

Cambridge, AasS-The mystery Of
the Venus calendar OF the ancient
Mayas Of Central America has been
solved and a correlation made between
this strange and wonderful time count
and the true astronomical positions Of
the planet Venus In the Sixth century
before Christ. The results are in com
plete agreement with those reached for
the annual calendar OF the Mayas and
for dates In their day count accord
ing to the correlation with modern
chronology announced by the Peabody
museum Of Harvard university two
years age.
At that time it was shown by DR..
Herbert J. Spinden, curator Of Mex
lean archeOlOgy on the Harvard mu-
seum staff, that the first definite date
ia the history Of the new world was
August 6, 6lS B. c.. when the Hayas
hogan to give each day its consecutive
number and to keep a sharp record Of
celestial events, and that the perfected
annual calendar was inaugurated at
the winter sOlstice Of $50 B. @. Dec
tor Spinden is now able to prove that
the Venus calendar OF the Mayas was
put In final working order between two
risings Of Venus as morning star In
conjunction with the summer sOlstices
Of 53s and $50 BIC.
This demonstration adds to ear
knowledge Of the remarkable science
Of the Mayas. who must be awarded
the palm Of civilization among Amer
lean nations, and 1t also adds luster to
QuetsalcOatl, q Toltec conQuerOr Of
more recent times, whe nov appears
to have been made god Of the morning
star fer solving a problem In astrOn-
Omy. With the deciphering Of the
Venus calendar several previously IN
known hierOglyphs yield uP their mean
ings, and the ancient art and religion
Of the Nayas gain new interest.
Venus q Nimble Planet.
The Venus calendar depends en- the
fact that Venus, holding an orbit inside
that Of earth, makes 10 revolutions
around our central orb IN about two
days less than eight years. But since
Venus Is viewed from the moving earth
she seems to make only i've revOlu.
lions, these being the five laps which
are gained e earth In an uneven
race. To gain a lap the nimbie planet
first swings cut through space anC
passes behind the sun, where she L
lost to view at the end Of the phase a
morning star. Then, to oVertake, shl
again swings wide and turns in be
tween the earth and the sur. Ar
preaching the end Of her race, Venu
is a brilliant object as evening star 60
ing down into the west soon after sun
set. At the finish she is lost in th
sunlight at inferior conjunction Onl
to emerge before sunrise rs mOrnin
star.
After the invention Of q time cOuE
and a system OF hierOglyphic writin
had given them means to accuratel
record, the Mayas discovered th
double life OF Venus as evening an
morning star, and they carefully plO
ted all her mysterious cOmings and g,
ings. They found that Venus disaI
peared for eight days between Ii
last glimpse Of her in the west an
the first glimpse in the east. tn
was close observation, possible on
IN the short twilight Of the trepic
They also found that the same phasI
OF Venus come back in about 584 da,
on the average, so that Eve Venl
years are practically equal to eight O
binary years.
Took Close Calculation.
The adjustments made by L
Mayas in forming the Venus calend
are al the more remarkable when it
pointed ont that Venus years actual
vary in length by over eight daI
while the average length Of both '
u and tropical years must be G
Red into difficult fractions Of a de
But five times 5S4 exactly equals Gig
times 1856, which Is enough to insu
a return to the same position in {
Magyar month after the completion
five formal Venus years. When {
peculiar Mayan method Of Mani
days by a Formulation Of 10 numb,
and 20 names, giving a cycle Of 2
Is brought INTO tulS complex, CuG
nus calendar becomes a time mach
whose dial covers 1O4 civil years, or
revolutions Of the planet.
The Mayans were highly logical q
did not use a makeShift intercalcU
uOn in any Of their calendars. The
fore their month moves forward in
natural years by the same amount &
we Offset By Inserting extra days
leap years Nevertheless they kr
exactly where they stood at any Il
In the true year Of nature. S
ilarly they did not modify the forl
structure Of their Venus calendar
adding or ~subtrRctlng days, but {
knew exactly how many days sho
be added or subtracted to reach
true places Of the planet. The NE
ings Of the Mayan month names
the symbolism Of the month 81
agree with the original setting 81
natural year $50 b @. and. ID a sim
Way. the evidence Ia regard ~.