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No, There’s No Doomsday. And No, That’s Not A Mayan Calendar


No, it's not.
No, it's not.
My interview with anthropologist Geoffrey Braswell of the University of California in San Diego, an expert on Mayan culture, had just been published on RFE/RL's website. The story was part of our coverage of the hysteria surrounding December 21, the day the ancient Mayan calendar comes to an end and the day the world itself will end, or so some believe.

As time was of the essence (pun intended), I immediately forwarded Braswell the link with thanks for his excellent explanation of how the Mayans counted time.

In this case, professional courtesy proved even more helpful than usual.

In a matter of minutes, Braswell replied, taking issue with the photograph that illustrated my story (but which does so no more).

“Many people are showing some version or other of this image,” Braswell wrote, adding, “It isn't Maya at all but is Aztec. Also, it's not a calendar. Instead, it depicts the birth of the current sun at the fifth creation.”

Indeed, a search for “Mayan calendar” in Google Images returns a multitude of the incorrect Oreo-shaped medallions.

As another brilliant scientist, NASA astrophysicist David Morrison, told RFE/RL, “Many people are under the impression that they can trust everything posted on the Internet.”

Well, they shouldn’t, of course. But until that happens, hear this: No, the Mayans did not predict that the world would end on December 21, 2012. And, no, that is not a Mayan calendar.

Thanks, Professor Braswell.

-- Eugen Tomiuc

About This Blog

Written by RFE/RL editors and correspondents, Transmission serves up news, comment, and the odd silly dictator story. While our primary concern is with foreign policy, Transmission is also a place for the ideas -- some serious, some irreverent -- that bubble up from our bureaus. The name recognizes RFE/RL's role as a surrogate broadcaster to places without free media. You can write us at transmission+rferl.org

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