From Our World To Theirs

Glossary

Alautun: 20 kinchiltuns (23,040,000,000 days)

Archaeologist: one who studies the life and culture of ancient people by studying their monuments, artifacts and inscriptions.

Astronomer: one who studies stars, planets and other heavenly bodies.

Baktun: 20 katuns (144,000 days or 394.5 years)

Ball game: a team sport widely played in Pre-Columbian cultures from the Olmec to Aztec period.

Calabtun: 20 pictuns (57,000,000)

Caracol: (Spanish) literally means 'snail'. Circular observatory at Chichen Itza.

Castillo: (Spanish) means 'small castle'. The term is often applied to the principle building of a Mayan City.

Codex: Mayan manuscripts, made with bark.

Haab: 18 months of 20 days; approximates solar year of 365 days.

Hieroglyphics: a system of writing in which a picture or symbol represents a word, syllable or sound.

Katun: 20 tuns (7,200 days)

Kin: 1 day.

Kinchiltun: 20 calabtuns (1,152,000,000 days)

Long count: a system of Mayan date calculation based on 5 figures called baktuns, katuns, tuns, uinals and kins.

One Hunaphu: (Mayan) Cenrtal deity in Hero Twin myth in the Popul Vuh. He is a first father or "first sun' deity and represents the sun.

Pacal: Palenque lord buried under the Pyramid of the Inscriptions.

Pictun: 20 baktuns (2,880,000 days)

Popol Vuh: original creation myth of the Maya.

Stela: large carved stone monuments erected aas time markers.

Tzolkin calendar: sacred cycle of 260 days.

Tun: 18 uinals (360 days)

Uinal: period of 20 days.