2012 Doomsday/Mayanism
The 2012 phenomenon was a widespread popular interest in eschatological speculation with nearly all theories having minimal influence from Ancient Maya culture[1], specifically the ending of a calendar cycle. The theories included: collision with a rogue planet[2], significant magnetic pole reversal[3], severe solar maximum outbursts [4], and even a “radical shift in human consciousness” [1]. However, scholars and skeptics have published articles debunking these theories[5][6][7].
Ancient Maya
The Maya are indigenous peoples of Mexico and Central America, specifically in modern-day Yucatan, Quintana Roo, Campeche, Tabasco, and Chaipas in Mexico and extending southward in modern-day Guatemala, Belize, El Salvador, and Honduras[8].
Mesoamerica
The area Mesoamerica encompasses areas of northern Mexico and southern Guatemala and Honduras[9]. Mesoamerica and those who inhabited it contributed mightly to the advancement of agricultural economies[10]. The history of Mesoamerica is expansive and is usually divided into specific periods: Archaic Period (7000-2000 BCE), Olmec Period (1500-200 BCE), Zapotec Period (600 BCE-800 CE), Teotihuacan Period (200-900 CE), El Tajin Period (250-900 CE), Classic Maya Period (250-950 CE), and Post-Classic Period (950-1524 CE)[8].
Classic Maya
Maya Calendar System
The Maya developed, both from previous civilizations and from their own research, a calendar system consisting of four calendars each with their own designation of telling time[11]. The Long Count, Tzolkin, and Haab calendars work together as a series of interlocking wheels of different sizes[12].
Long Count Calendar
The Long Count calendar was added as early as 300 B.C. to the Calendar Round and identifies the years[12]. It measures cycles of 400 years[13] with each universal cycle lasting 2,880,000 days[12].
The Long Count calendar was determined to begin on August 11, 3114 B.C. of the Gregorian calendar and marks the creation of human beings in Maya culture[12].
Tzolkin Calendar
The Tzolkin calendar is a 260-day calendar with days numbering 1-13 in 20 continuous cycles throughout the year with the cycles marking religious or ceremonial events[12].
Haab Calendar
The Haab calendar is a 365-day calendar comprised of 18 months of 20 days each and one month of five days[12]. The one month of five days was called “Wayeb” and approximated the solar year[11].
Calendar Round
The Calendar Round consists of the combination of the Tzolkin and Haab calendars, with the Long Count calendar being added later[12].
Pseudoscience
As John Hoopes, an archaeologist from the University of Kentucky, claims, the movement is “largely the product of pseudoscience and pseudoarchaeology”[1].
Doomsday Date
The date of December 21, 2012 was believed to be the date the earth would be destroyed as it coincided with the ending of a cycle of the Maya calendar system as well as the winter solstice.
References
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Robert K. Sitler. (2012). The 2012 Phenomenon Comes of Age. Nova Religio: The Journal of Alternative and Emergent Religions, 16(1), 61–87. https://doi.org/10.1525/nr.2012.16.1.61
- ↑ Morrison, D. (2008). The myth of Nibiru and the end of the world in 2012. Skeptical Inquirer, 32.5. https://web.archive.org/web/20150924035216/http://www.csicop.org/si/show/myth_of_nibiru_and_the_end_of_the_world_in_2012
- ↑ NASA. (2011, November 30). 2012: Magnetic pole reversal happens all the (geologic) time. https://www.nasa.gov/topics/earth/features/2012-poleReversal.html
- ↑ Poladian, C. (2013, October 26). Solar maximum: Three solar flares and a coronal mass ejection as the sun reaches peak solar activity. Internation Business Times. https://www.ibtimes.com/solar-maximum-three-solar-flares-coronal-mass-ejection-sun-reaches-peak-solar-1442608
- ↑ Bowditch, P. (2012, December 12). The end of the world. Really?. ABC Science. https://www.abc.net.au/science/articles/2012/12/12/3652956.htm
- ↑ NASA. (2012, December 22).Beyond 2012: Why the world didn’t end. https://www.nasa.gov/topics/earth/features/2012.html
- ↑ University of Kansas. (2011, November 3).11/11/11: Anthropologist debunks doomsday myths. Phys.org. https://phys.org/news/2011-11-anthropologist-debunks-doomsday-myths.html
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 Mark, J. J. (2012, July 6). Maya Civilization. World History Encyclopedia. Retrieved from https://www.worldhistory.org/Maya_Civilization/#citation_info
- ↑ Arizona Museum of Natural History. (n.d.). Mesoamerica. https://www.arizonamuseumofnaturalhistory.org/explore-the-museum/exhibitions/cultures-of-the-ancient-americas/mesoamerica
- ↑ Webster, D. (n.d.).The uses and abuses of the ancient maya. The Emergence of the Modern World. https://anth.la.psu.edu/documents/Webster_GermanyMaya.pdf
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian. (n.d.). The Calendar System. https://maya.nmai.si.edu/calendar/calendar-system
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 12.2 12.3 12.4 12.5 12.6 Borowski, S. (n.d.). Myths of the Mayan long count calendar. American Association for the Advancement of Science [AAAS]. https://www.aaas.org/myths-mayan-long-count-calendar
- ↑ Earth Sky. (2012, November 23). David Stewart on the Mayan calendar and 2012 doomsday predictions. https://earthsky.org/human-world/david-stuart-on-the-mayan-calendar-and-2012-doomsday-predictions/