Despite lacking modern astronomical manuals and with only four of their codices surviving through the ages, the ancient Maya civilization was able to predict solar and lunar eclipses with astonishing accuracy. A recent analysis of the Dresden Codex, a 12th-century manuscript that includes astronomical tables, calendars, and rituals, demonstrates that Maya astronomers refined their calculations over generations through careful observation of lunar cycles.
“The eclipse table in the Dresden Codex was part of a long tradition where experts made iterative adjustments to enhance its accuracy,” said Justin Lowry, an archaeologist at the State University of New York.
The findings, published in Science Advances, reveal that the Mayans not only forecasted eclipses visible from their region but also those occurring in distant parts of the world. This conclusion was corroborated by comparing their records with data obtained from NASA.
Researchers noted that this intricate knowledge was closely tied to the Tzolk”in, a 260-day calendar utilized by the Mayans to ascertain individuals” destinies. According to John Justeson, a co-author of the study, “Maya diviners discovered that 405 new moons typically equated to exactly 46 of these cycles.”
The Dresden Codex stands as a testament to the advanced scientific understanding of the Mayans, who, without modern instruments, managed to document and predict celestial movements with remarkable precision.
