How come the Mayans ended their calendar on the year 2012?

Question

Does this mean that they messed up on their calculations?

Answer 1

They ran out of paper.

Answer 2

how the h**l could the mayans know it was the end of the world.

Maybe it was aliens?!?!? Yeah in fact it was. The aliens and the masons got together and decided that the world should end on december 12 2012.

Answer 3

They didn't. On December 21, 2012, the 14th Baktun (400 year cycle) will begin. Some people using this date to predict world-wide cataclysm are charlatans or are self-deluded individuals with messiah complexes.

There is some confusion regarding how to interpret the way Mayans designated dates, which are based on different cycle times -- leading to the current claims which have no basis in reality or even in Mayan reality.

Answer 4

No, they just did not expect their civilization to last that long.

This is kinda like Cobol programmers who wrote stuff in 1960's and 70's and never expected it to be used in 2000, so they coded last two digits of a year, leading to Y2K problem.

Answer 5

It is all in the interpretation...

Answer 6

The Maya calender is all about cycles. Its just one cycle that ends in 2012. The date is taken from an inscription at Palenque.  The whole inscription is about Pakal the great. it was supposedly written so that Pakal  could show how grand he was. Also the Maya loved to show how smart they where by playing with numbers. The inscription goes on to  say that people will be celebrating the greatness of Pakal in 3400 ad. or there abouts.

Just a note Mayan describes the language and Maya describes the people

Answer 7

This is why:

http://www.rense.com/1.imagesH/mayy.gif

Answer 8

hey- Mine finishes on Dec 31st THIS year! We're doomed!

Answer 9

No.  The Mayan calendar is composed of sets of year cycles that interlock.  Their calendar does not "end" in 2012.  The longest cycle in their calendar comes to an end.  

By their legends, that means the end of the world.  That means as much as Christian expectations of the end of the world in 1000 CE or 2000 CE.  

As a practical matter, on Dec 22 or 24 (authorities disagree on the exact date), the second Mayan Long Count cycle, since the introduction of the system, will begin.

wl