The Mayan Calendar, Solar - Agricultural Year, and Correlation Questions

Possible Methods of Intercalating Leap year Days

If indeed the Maya had a true solar year as the above information would indicate, then of course there must have been a method in intercalating leap year days. Landa gives us one option which would require an interruption of the U Xoc Kin (the 260 day sacred round) once every four years. A more specific description of the mechanism of intercalating has been suggested by Ermilo Solís Alcalá in his book on the Códice Pérez. He suggests that there were in fact two alternative methods of intercalating. For the official count, such as that found on monuments, he states that a day was added in every Cauac year, which clarifies Landa’s statement somewhat. For the short count however he states that the intercalating days were allowed to accumulate during the 52 year cycle called U Bubukil Haaboob in the colonial texts,³⁴  and then at the end of the year 13 Cauac thirteen nameless days (ixma kaba kin) are counted before the seating of 1 Kan on 1 Poop. Solís contends that the first method is called U Box Katun and the second method is called U Mol Box Katun.³⁵  In fact, in the colonial literature the term U Mol Box Katun is applied to two of the Ahau Katunoob in which the year 13 Cauac appears: 2 Ahau Katun³⁶  and 11 Ahau Katun.³⁷  This would lend support to Solís’ statement.

Endnotes

34. Appendix 3, lines A440-A480.

35. Solís, 1949, pages 365-366. See the discussion entitled "An Apparent Contradiction: July 16th Julian does not always fall on a recognized Ah Cuch Haab."

36. Tizimin, pp. 19r-19v.

37. Line D509.

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