How STEM Built the Mayan Empire by Amie Jane Leavitt

Author:Amie Jane Leavitt
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: The Rosen Publishing Group, Inc
Published: 2019-12-27T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER FOUR

MATH WHIZZES

With one look at the cities that the Maya left behind, it is obvious that they had an advanced knowledge of mathematics. There is no way they could have designed cities with such precision, constructed perfectly symmetrical structures, or figured out the proper angles necessary for water flow without the use of accurate mathematical calculation.

BASE-TWENTY SYSTEM

After decoding Mayan hieroglyphics and studying ancient codices and stelae, experts have determined that the Maya used a vigesimal—or base-twenty— number system. This means that instead of having digits from zero to nine, they had digits from zero through twenty. It also means that the place values were not ones, tens, hundreds, thousands, etc., like a base-ten system has. Instead, the place values were ones, twenties, four-hundreds, eight-thousands, etc. This vigesimal system was not unique to the Maya; many of the other Mesoamerican cultures also used a base-twenty system, including the Olmecs and the Aztecs. It is suspected that they used this system because it utilized all twenty of the body’s digits (fingers and toes) as the earliest method of counting.

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