Maya Time Reckoning and the Language of Creation: Views from the Merle Greene Robertson Collection

February 6 – March 20, 2009

An exhibit curated by Christine Hernandez and David Dressing, with special assistance from Lori Dowell.

On the occasion of the 6th Annual Tulane Maya Symposium and Workshop with the theme “Calendars and Creation,” the Latin American Library presents a special exhibit on these topics featuring unique materials from our Merle Greene Robertson Collection.

The ancient Maya used multiple calendars of ever larger cycles of k'ins—the Maya day--to reckon time beginning at least as early as the Late Preclassic period (BC 300 – 100 AD). In proper Maya fashion, we begin with the last exhibit case. On view in Case 4 are several examples of Maya calendars, beginning with a Long Count date from a Classic period inscription. The materials in the case highlight the continued use of the k'atun calendar from the Postclassic period (AD 1200 – 1540) into Colonial times. The ritual calendar or tzolk'in is utilized by modern Maya day-keepers for present-day ceremonies in highland Guatemala.

The remaining three cases explore the topic of Maya creation mythology. They showcase examples of how ancient Maya scribes used images and phrases to reference the story of the creation of the present world from the ruins of the previous world timed to coincide with the completion of a bak'tun cycle.The ink rubbing by Merle Greene Robertson on the main exhibit wall is of the Creation Tablet from the Palace courtyard at Palenque.

Cases 1-3 show the use of creation language and imagery to commemorate like-in-kind historic events and special occasions in the lives and dynasties of noble Maya rulers. A crocodilian figure often appears in creation imagery, as he was a character responsible for destroying the previous world and his sacrifice was responsible for giving life to the new one. Creation imagery also appears in the almanacs and tables of divinatory codices in order to contextualize prognostications for events tied to the solar year (haab' ) and a 52-year period known as the Calendar Round.

This Exhibit is made possible through an endowment from the Zemurray Foundation in memory of Doris Z. Stone.