When Will The World End? A Look At The Mayans
Much interest and controversy is growing around the question - "when will the world end?" In large part, this is due to discussion on the year 2012 and a supposed prediction that the world will end in that year.
Many claim that an ancient Mayan prophecy points to that year as the end of civilization as we know it.
But what are the facts? Let's take a closer look at the Mayans and where this 2012 prediction come from.
The Mayans were located throughout the southern Mexican states of Chiapas, Tabasco, and the Yucutan Peninsula states of Quintana Roo, Campeche and Yucatan.
They were also located in the northern Central American region, including what we now know as Guatemala, Belize, El Salvador and western Honduras.
Some authorities date the first settlements which give clear evidence of "Mayan" establishment at approximately 1800 BC.
Archeological evidence seems to indicate Mayan religious architecture by 1000 BC.
It is believed that the first written inscription in Maya hieroglyphics dates to approximately 250 BC.
Decline of the Mayan civilization is believed to have started during the 8th and 9th centuries AD.
There is disagreement of opinion among scholars as to the reasons for this decline.
The last Maya states remained independent of the Spanish until they were finally subdued by the Spanish in 1697.
The Mayans are perhaps most famous for their study of astronomy - and related to this, their development of an intricate calendar.
This calendar involved several cycles, one of which is referred to as the "long count" calendar.
Most students of the Mayan time cycles believe that this long count will end on or around December 20, 2012.
However, there is some disagreement as to the real nature of the long count and how it should be viewed.
Some say it really doesn't portend anything cataclysmic, but is simply the end of a cycle that will start over again at it's completion.
Nevertheless, as we approach that time, there is growing interest in this date, particularly related to the idea that it will bring with it a doomsday scenario.
Some are predicting a polar shift, where the north and south poles will swap places on the planet, with catastrophic results.
There are many other scenarios, too numerous to mention in this short report, but the real question we should be asking is, "should we consider the Mayans a credible source for understanding the future?" In the remaining articles in this series, we'll answer that question by applying three tests of credibility to the Mayans and see how they fare.
Many claim that an ancient Mayan prophecy points to that year as the end of civilization as we know it.
But what are the facts? Let's take a closer look at the Mayans and where this 2012 prediction come from.
The Mayans were located throughout the southern Mexican states of Chiapas, Tabasco, and the Yucutan Peninsula states of Quintana Roo, Campeche and Yucatan.
They were also located in the northern Central American region, including what we now know as Guatemala, Belize, El Salvador and western Honduras.
Some authorities date the first settlements which give clear evidence of "Mayan" establishment at approximately 1800 BC.
Archeological evidence seems to indicate Mayan religious architecture by 1000 BC.
It is believed that the first written inscription in Maya hieroglyphics dates to approximately 250 BC.
Decline of the Mayan civilization is believed to have started during the 8th and 9th centuries AD.
There is disagreement of opinion among scholars as to the reasons for this decline.
The last Maya states remained independent of the Spanish until they were finally subdued by the Spanish in 1697.
The Mayans are perhaps most famous for their study of astronomy - and related to this, their development of an intricate calendar.
This calendar involved several cycles, one of which is referred to as the "long count" calendar.
Most students of the Mayan time cycles believe that this long count will end on or around December 20, 2012.
However, there is some disagreement as to the real nature of the long count and how it should be viewed.
Some say it really doesn't portend anything cataclysmic, but is simply the end of a cycle that will start over again at it's completion.
Nevertheless, as we approach that time, there is growing interest in this date, particularly related to the idea that it will bring with it a doomsday scenario.
Some are predicting a polar shift, where the north and south poles will swap places on the planet, with catastrophic results.
There are many other scenarios, too numerous to mention in this short report, but the real question we should be asking is, "should we consider the Mayans a credible source for understanding the future?" In the remaining articles in this series, we'll answer that question by applying three tests of credibility to the Mayans and see how they fare.
