[Aztlan] Classic Maya Unit of Length

[Miguel Covarrubias]

Hi listeros,

As David has pointed, modern maya people still use "mecates" to measure
surfaces and distances, perhaps because it is concordant with the vigesimal
system. For long distances "leguas" (more or less 4.5 Km) is also a common
unit. It is interesting to notice that a great majority of prehispanic
domestic constructions in the Northern Lowlands, spanning at least from Late
Formative through Late Postclassic, usually measure 20 X 20 X 1 m, is this a
coincidence?

-Miguel

2007/11/29, David Hixson <chunchucmil at yahoo.com>:
>
> I do find it interesting that the first widely shared
> unit of measuring area in Yucatan and elsewhere in
> Mesoamerica, the mecate, was vigesimal (20 x 20
> meters).  It certainly is a logical merge of old world
> and new world systems for calculations, which may be
> one reason why it survives to the present day.
>
> -Dave
>
> __________________________________________________
> David Hixson
> Ph.D. Candidate
> Tulane Anthropology
> chunchucmil at yahoo.com
> www.mesoamerican-archives.com
>
> "Nothing more useless than a bored archaeologist."
> -Douglas Adams
>
>
>
> ____________________________________________________________________________________
> Never miss a thing.  Make Yahoo your home page.
> http://www.yahoo.com/r/hs
> _______________________________________________
> Aztlan mailing list
> http://www.famsi.org/mailman/listinfo/aztlan
> Click here to post a message Aztlan at lists.famsi.org
> Click to view Calendar of Events
> http://research.famsi.org/events/events.php
>
>
>