An independent educational referenceReading the sky, time, and architecture of the Maya
El Castillo and the Temple of the Warriors at Chichén Itzá

Astronomy · Calendars · Archaeology

Explore the sky
through Maya
knowledge.

Discover how Maya communities observed the Sun, Moon, and Venus—and connected cycles of time with mathematics, architecture, and everyday life.

Explore Maya astronomy Try the calendar tools
Look closer. Ask questions. Follow the evidence.El Castillo · Chichén Itzá

A world of knowledge, connected.

01 / Start your exploration

Many paths. One connected world.

Begin with the sky, a calendar, a city, or a number.
See where curiosity takes you.

01

Maya astronomy

The Sun, Moon, Venus, and the rhythms of the sky.
02

Calendars & time

Tzolk’in, Haab, the Calendar Round, and Long Count.
03

Chichén Itzá

Architecture, observation, and a remarkable Maya city.
04

Mathematics & writing

Dots, bars, zero, and the language of inscriptions.
Keep exploringCosmology & worldview Archaeology Digital heritage

02 / Learn by doing

Put time into perspective.

Explore the mathematics for yourself
with our free interactive tools.

Start here

Maya Calendar
Converter

Choose a date. Discover its Long Count, Tzolk’in, and Haab equivalents.

Convert a date

Maya Number Converter

See how a number becomes dots and bars.

Calendar Round Explorer

Follow two interlocking cycles of time.

Venus Cycle Explorer

Explore the planet’s recurring appearances.
More ways to learnLong Count Numerals chart Time units Architecture explorer

03 / Understanding Maya astronomy

The sky was part of everyday life.

Explore astronomy
The stepped limestone terraces and central staircase of El Castillo
El Castillo, Chichén Itzá · Yucatán, Mexico

04 / Architecture & the sky

Read the city.
Look to the sky.

At Chichén Itzá, buildings offer a starting point for exploring the relationships between architecture, ritual, and celestial observation.

Look closely at what survives—and how researchers interpret the evidence.

Explore Chichén Itzá
El Castillo El Caracol Temple of the Warriors Platform of Venus Great Ball Court

05 / A different way to count

Time, in connected cycles.

Understand the calendars
Tzolk’in260days

A cycle combining 20 day names with 13 numbers.

Haab365days

18 months of 20 days, followed by five further days.

Calendar Round18,980days

The interval before the same pair of calendar dates recurs.

For longer spans of history, the Long Count records elapsed days. Learn more at Smithsonian Living Maya Time ↗

06 / Digital heritage

Reconstructing
the Maya past.

From a stone surface to a digital model, discover how researchers document Maya sites—and why every reconstruction needs a clear account of its evidence.

Discover digital archaeology
01

Document

Laser scanning & photogrammetry

02

Reconstruct

3D models & archaeological interpretation

03

Preserve

Digital records & cultural heritage

07 / Myth & evidence

Good questions.
Closer examination.

Popular stories deserve careful scrutiny. Explore the evidence, competing interpretations, and questions that remain open.

Did the Maya predict the end of the world?Is El Castillo really a Maya calendar?Was El Caracol an astronomical observatory?How did the Maya write zero?

08 / From the reference library

Keep your curiosity going.

The latest guides from Maya Skies