Haab'

Definition

The Haab' was the solar calendar system used by the Maya civilization in Mesoamerica. It was a 365-day calendar that was used alongside the 260-day Tzolkin calendar to create a complex and accurate system for tracking time and celestial events.

5 Must Know Facts For Your Next Test

1. The Haab' calendar was divided into 18 months of 20 days each, with an additional 5 days at the end of the year called the Uayeb.
2. The Haab' calendar was used to track agricultural cycles and important events, such as the planting and harvesting of crops.
3. The Maya used the Haab' calendar in conjunction with the Tzolkin calendar to create a highly accurate system for predicting celestial events, such as the movements of the sun, moon, and planets.
4. The Haab' calendar was based on the solar year, which is approximately 365.25 days long, while the Tzolkin calendar was based on a 260-day cycle.
5. The combination of the Haab' and Tzolkin calendars created a 52-year cycle called the Calendar Round, which was used to track long-term events and cycles.

Review Questions

• Describe the structure and composition of the Haab' calendar system used by the Maya.
  • The Haab' calendar used by the Maya civilization was a 365-day solar calendar that was divided into 18 months of 20 days each, with an additional 5 days at the end of the year called the Uayeb. This calendar was used in conjunction with the 260-day Tzolkin calendar to create a highly accurate system for tracking time and celestial events. The combination of the Haab' and Tzolkin calendars formed a 52-year cycle called the Calendar Round, which was used to track long-term events and cycles.
• Explain the significance of the Haab' calendar in the Maya's agricultural and astronomical practices.
  • The Haab' calendar was an essential tool for the Maya in their agricultural and astronomical practices. The 365-day calendar was used to track the cycles of the sun and the seasons, which were crucial for the planting and harvesting of crops. Additionally, the Haab' calendar was combined with the 260-day Tzolkin calendar to create a highly accurate system for predicting celestial events, such as the movements of the sun, moon, and planets. This allowed the Maya to plan their religious and cultural activities with great precision, demonstrating their advanced understanding of astronomy and its importance in their society.
• Analyze the relationship between the Haab' calendar and the Tzolkin calendar in the Maya's timekeeping system, and how their combined use contributed to the Maya's sophisticated understanding of time and celestial events.
  • The Haab' calendar and the Tzolkin calendar were the two key components of the Maya's timekeeping system, and their combined use was crucial to the Maya's sophisticated understanding of time and celestial events. The Haab' calendar, with its 365-day solar cycle, provided a way to track the passage of the year and the seasons, while the 260-day Tzolkin calendar was based on a sacred cycle that was used for religious and cultural purposes. By using these two calendars simultaneously, the Maya were able to create a highly accurate system for predicting and tracking the movements of the sun, moon, and planets, as well as other important celestial events. This knowledge was then applied to their agricultural practices, religious rituals, and the scheduling of significant cultural events, demonstrating the Maya's advanced understanding of time and their ability to integrate this understanding into their daily lives and societal structures.

Related terms

Tzolkin: The 260-day sacred calendar used by the Maya, which was combined with the Haab' to create the Maya calendar system.

Tun: A unit of time in the Maya calendar system, equivalent to 360 days or one year in the Haab' calendar.

Katun: A unit of time in the Maya calendar system, equivalent to 7,200 days or 20 Tuns.